Gorick's Newsletter

Repurpose what works

Gorick Ng — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000

I never knew how useful vacuum cleaners and paper towels were until I became a dad. In classic Gorick fashion, I decided to investigate the origins of the vacuum I use—and came out on the other end with today’s story.

Enjoy!

Gorick

PS: Last week, I asked for artist recommendations—and I was overwhelmed by the number of referrals and responses! Thank you to everyone who shouted themselves or a friend out. I’m having a ton of fun sifting through the options and replying and am looking forward to sharing more about this project soon.

PPS: Do you know how to design book covers, format the interior of books/magazines, and/or can you design cute unique characters? I’m looking for all 3 (preferably together), so please reach out if this sounds like you or someone you know!

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Repurpose what works.

You might just shortcut your way to a brilliant idea.

THE STORY

How the Dyson vacuum cleaner was invented

It was 1978. James Dyson, a 31-year-old inventor and wheelbarrow factory owner in England, was frustrated by how easily his industrial filters clogged.

One day, while visiting a timber mill, Dyson saw a giant “cyclone separator” that spun air so fast that it separated dust from air without clogging.

Curious if the same solution could help clean up his wheelbarrow factory, Dyson went home and built his own cyclone system, which “worked beautifully.”

Not long after, Dyson realized his home vacuum had the same clogged filter problem.

“Why can’t you use a little version of the 30-foot high one?” Dyson wondered.

James Dyson working on the early bagless vacuum

Over the next 15 years, Dyson…

Built over 5 thousand prototypes of his bagless vacuum using cyclone technology
Launched his first cyclonic vacuum in Japan, where it won a design award
Opened his own vacuum company in the UK and released the Dyson DC01, which became the best-selling vacuum cleaner in the country within 18 months

An early version of the Dyson vacuum

Today, nearly 50 years after Dyson first went looking for a way to prevent his factory filters from getting clogged, his cyclone technology now powers an array of tools—vacuums, hand dryers, fans, air purifiers, and hair tools—that are used by tens of millions of people worldwide.

A quick word from today’s sponsor:

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Thank you for supporting the sponsors who help keep this newsletter free. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future edition and getting in front of 35,000 professionals, reply to this email.

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

Repurpose what works

What I learned from Dyson’s story is the power of being able to look at a problem, find a solution that’s being used for a totally different setting, and “translate” that solution for the problem at hand.

And this ability isn’t just for inventors or entrepreneurs!

Applying for a job for which you don’t have relevant experience?

Or, trying to pitch yourself for a project at work, but don’t have the perfect background?

Try saying this:

“[Job requirements] are what I did every day when I was at [prior position]. The only difference is [the setting / the customer].”

Example: “Sales was what I did every day when I was a middle school teacher. The only difference is that instead of trying to convince adults to buy our product, I was trying to convince 7th graders that chemistry is interesting.”

If Dyson can repurpose a factory cyclone separator to vacuum the dust behind your couch, you can definitely repurpose your prior experience to solve whatever problem you’re trying to convince others to hire you for.

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule!

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 4 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

1. Keynote speaking: If your organization is looking for speakers for your internship program, new hire orientation, new student orientation, manager training, all-hands meetings, recruiting season, year-end performance evaluation season, or something else, let's chat!

2. How to Say It: Flashcards that teach you to know what to say in every high-stakes professional setting via hundreds of fill-in-the-blank scripts (just like the examples above). Free shipping on all orders over $40.

3. The Unspoken Rules: My Wall Street Journal Bestseller that Arianna Huffington calls “a blueprint for anyone starting their career, entering a new role, or wanting to get unstuck.” Used by top companies and MBA programs.

4. Soft skills crash course: Hard skills get you hired, but a lack of soft skills gets you fired. Equip your interns and early career talent with the essential behaviors of high performers in just 3.5 hours.

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

STORY SOURCES

“How do I fix my manager?”

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Hello friends!

Before we dive into this week’s newsletter, I have a request:

Do you have any friends who are talented at sketching cute original characters?

If so, please kindly reply to this email and share their portfolio / Instagram / website with me!

This is for a tiny side project which I’m excited to tell you more about soon 🤗

Thanks so much,

Gorick

Welcome to Ask Gorick Anything, Edition #52.

This week's question is: “How do I fix my manager?”

Keep reading to find out.

I dedicate the last Tuesday of every month to answering a subscriber’s career question. Share your question here for a chance to have it featured in my newsletter.

Not subscribed? Join Gorick’s Newsletter now!

A quick word from today’s sponsor:

Better prompts. Better AI output.

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ASK GORICK ANYTHING

“How do I fix my manager?”

💡 The quick answer: Don’t.

THE QUESTION

“Hi Gorick, I have a supervisor who seems to be going through some things. He arrives grumpy every day, is quick to anger and spends all day complaining about his job. I think he might be dealing with alcohol issues. How do I lead from the bottom and encourage him to get some help? Thank-you.”

— “Anonymous” from Dallas, TX

GORICK’S RESPONSE

Hi “Anonymous,”

I am so sorry to hear about what you’re going through. Many jobs are hard enough as it is, but having a supervisor who is a firecracker is enough to turn a challenging role into an unbearable one.

Your instinct to help is noble. However, in a professional context—especially when there is a power imbalance—you have to move strategically.

Here’s how I’d personally navigate the situation:

1. Ask yourself: “What do I hope to gain?” and “What do I not want to lose?”

Fixing your boss isn’t your job—and attempting to do so might backfire if he becomes defensive. If he needs help, I hope he finds it, but not at the expense of your professional or mental well-being. Before stepping in, ensure you aren’t risking your own reputation or crossing your own personal boundaries.

2. Ask a co-worker who’s worked with your boss for longer, “I’ve noticed [manager] has been under a lot of pressure lately; is this typical, or have you found a specific way to work with him?”

“Strength in numbers,” as the saying goes. The more you can confirm your observations with others, the better they can have your back and corroborate your story if things go awry. You’ll also learn if this is a temporary rough patch or a systemic issue the company has long ignored.

3. Try saying, “Tell me more,” the next time he complains and see what he says.

Anger is easy to see; the source of that anger is much harder to pinpoint. Before jumping to conclusions about substance abuse, hear the situation from his perspective. At the very least, you’ll understand what triggers him so you can maneuver around his landmines.

4. Approach someone your manager listens to and say, “I’d love your perspective on a situation. Might you have a few minutes to chat?” followed by “I couldn't help but notice [manager] has been [behavior] lately. Am I seeing things or have you noticed something similar?”

As I wrote in The Unspoken Rules page 145 (“Read between the People”), there are 5 types of influencers in the workplace–see screenshot below.

One of those “influencers” is what I call “advisors,” which I define as “people whom your manager and other senior people tend to trust—even if it's not clear why—who can help you convince the higher ups to agree with your ideas.”

Your goal isn’t to be a snitch, but to see if they’ve noticed the same behavior and if they are in a position to step in. Sometimes the message is only as good as the messenger; if a trusted confidant can’t reach him, it’s unlikely a subordinate can.

From The Unspoken Rules page 145 (“Read between the People”)

5. Limit your exposure and communicate with a paper trail.

It's easy to play “he said, she said” when conversations happen live. If his erratic behavior risks tarnishing your professional reputation, reply to emails with the phrase, “Please see below for my responses in line,” and then insert your reply under the appropriate line of their original email so you can directly reference what they said—and everybody else on the email thread can see who’s on the right side of history. At the very least, you’re keeping interactions brief and strictly focused on the work.

6. Keep an eye out for other opportunities.

I recommend this to everyone: Keep your network warm. Attend company events, meet people on other teams, and be a “plus one” to social functions. When you meet a leader you admire, ask yourself: “Would I want to work for this person?” If the answer is yes, offer to help them on a project. You deserve to work for someone who is as invested in your success as you are in your work.

7. Contact HR if it becomes a safety issue.

If his behavior crosses into harassment or creates a safety hazard, involve HR. Frame the situation not as a medical diagnosis (e.g., “I think he’s an alcoholic”), but as a business risk: “I am concerned about the team’s ability to function safely and effectively.” Present your facts, show your documentation, and bring your allies so you aren’t standing alone.

Hope this helps!

Gorick

PS: Have a career question for me? Submit a question here and I might answer it in my monthly "Ask Gorick Anything" series, which appears on the last Tuesday of each month!

WHAT I’M READING

PS: Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 3 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

1. Keynote speaking: If your organization is looking for speakers for your internship program, new hire orientation, new student orientation, manager training, all-hands meetings, recruiting season, year-end performance evaluation season, or something else, let's chat!

2. How to Say It: Flashcards that teach you to know what to say in every high-stakes professional setting via hundreds of fill-in-the-blank scripts (just like the examples above). Free shipping on all orders over $40.

3. The Unspoken Rules: My Wall Street Journal Bestseller that Arianna Huffington calls “a blueprint for anyone starting their career, entering a new role, or wanting to get unstuck.” Used by top companies and MBA programs.

4. Soft skills crash course: Hard skills get you hired, but a lack of soft skills gets you fired. Equip your interns and early career talent with the essential behaviors of high performers in just 3.5 hours.

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

Master the warm handoff

Gorick Ng — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:00:16 +0000

One of the most common mistakes I see in anyone who's trying to make a career switch or who’s going through the job search is to rely on online applications.

What matters (especially in the age of AI, when anyone can put together the perfect resume and cover letter) isn't the number of applications you click “Submit” on. It's the quality of the relationships you already have.

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Master the warm handoff.

CEOs don’t get their jobs by applying online. They end up at the top because someone they know (or who knew of them) pulled them in.

THE STORY

How this 2x CEO got her job (and what we can learn)

It’s 1984 and a young chemist named Rosalind Brewer is working as a research scientist at Kimberly-Clark, the company behind Huggies, Kleenex, and more. She has a stable job and a clear technical career ahead.

Fast forward four decades, and Brewer has become:

CEO of Sam’s Club
COO and Group President of Starbucks
CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance (the parent company to Walgreens, Duane Reade, and more)
Interim President of Spelman College

How did she do it?

She mastered what I call the “warm handoff.”

She started by doing a good job. Then, she used every opportunity she could to meet people who’d go on to remember her and keep her in mind.

Here’s how it happened:

1984 to 2006: While at Kimberly-Clark, Brewer met the company’s CEO, Tom Falk, who saw her good work and encouraged her to move from research to manufacturing and global operations. She took his advice and, in doing so, went from scientist to leader.
2006: Brewer ended up in the spreadsheet of an executive recruiter who was tracking executive-level moves. The resulting outreach led her from Kimberly-Clark to Walmart as President of its U.S. East business, where she caught the eye of then CEO Mike Duke, who became her mentor.
2012: When Walmart needed a new CEO for Sam’s Club (a Walmart division), Duke, now an active sponsor of Brewer’s, personally championed her to become CEO of Sam’s Club. This promotion also made Brewer the first woman and first Black person to lead a Walmart division.
2016: One day, Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, came to visit Walmart’s headquarters. When then-CEO Doug McMillon (read my story on him here) couldn’t meet him due to a last-minute scheduling conflict, Brewer took McMillon’s place—and went on to leave a positive lasting impression on Schultz.
2017: Howard Schultz—who remembered how impressed he was with Brewer during his visit to Walmart the prior year—contacted Brewer to join the Starbucks Board of Directors and then asked her to step into the role of COO and Group President later that year.
2019: When Amazon was looking to fill a seat on its Board of Directors, it went looking for someone who had physical retail expertise to help it grow its Whole Foods and Amazon Go businesses. Who did they find? Brewer.
2021: When Walgreens Boots Alliance went looking for a new CEO, it needed someone who had “strong expertise in digital and technological transformation.” Who had this experience, thanks to Amazon and Starbucks? Brewer.
2025: Brewer had long served as Chair of the Board of Trustees at her alma mater, Spelman College. When the school needed a new President, whom did they tap? Brewer.

Rosalind Brewer in 2023 via Bloomberg

A quick word from today’s sponsor:

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THE UNSPOKEN RULE

Master the “warm handoff”

Brewer's story demonstrates how everyone at the top gets their job in 1 of 3 ways:

By meeting someone higher up, impressing them, and then getting tapped by them when an opening comes up

By building a reputation as someone who's an expert in a certain area, and then picking up the recruiter call when it comes in

By getting a foot in the door as a volunteer, advisor, or board member

…and doing this consistently over decades (41 years in Brewer’s case).

So, the next time you find yourself wanting a certain role, consider whether they are even accepting applications through an online portal.

You may be surprised: They may have already found someone through a warm connection!

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“The secret to happiness? Feeling loved” (University of Rochester)
“Risk-averse parents are fueling Britain’s ambition crisis, VCs say” (CNBC)
“Why winter in the US is crazy this year, in five charts” (MSN)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 4 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

STORY SOURCES

Distribute your work

Gorick Ng — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:00:21 +0000

Those of you who watched the Super Bowl this past Sunday will know that it was not just the football game that everybody was talking about, but also a certain performer during the halftime show: Bad Bunny. How did he become such a hit... and what can we learn for our own careers? Read on to find out!

Gorick

PS: This is a refresh of a prior newsletter story! Here’s the link to see the full archive of prior newsletters.

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Distribute your work.

Talent and hard work are not rewarded on their own. Without distribution, the best work goes ignored or overlooked.

THE STORY

From grocery clerk to international superstar

In 2016, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was bagging groceries in Puerto Rico to pay for his university tuition.

10 years later, he’s the 2026 Super Bowl LX Halftime Show performer and the most-streamed Spotify artist for a record-breaking 4 times, defying every “conventional” rule with his Spanish-only performances.

So, how do you go from grocery bagger to the “world’s largest stage”? You out-distribute everyone else. Here’s how Bad Bunny did it:

2016

Benito, a student at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo and a grocery bagger at his local supermarket, releases a song called “Diles.”

Within 2 weeks, “Diles” racks up 1 million plays—and Benito gets a call from Noah Asaad, founder of indie record label Rimas Entertainment. They decide to partner together.
Despite many artists testing “crossover strategies” at the time (mixing styles to appeal to a broader audience), Benito and Noah “just flooded the internet with content” and released “dozens of dozens of singles in quick succession, always with a video attached.”

2017-2018

Benito builds his audience by collaborating with established artists.

2017: Benito collaborates with artists Ozuna and Nicky Jam, earning him his first No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs Billboard chart. (I’ve written about the “collab” technique before with Ed Sheeran, which you can read more about here.)
2018: Benito collaborates with artists Cardi B and J Balvin for “I Like It”, which lands at the No.1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100. Benito is thrust into the mainstream spotlight just in time for his debut album “X100pre” 7 months later.

2020-2022

Benito enters—and stays—in the spotlight.

2020: Benito appears as Shakira’s special guest at the LIV Super Bowl Halftime Show and becomes Spotify’s first non-English performer to be named as Spotify’s top artist. (You can read my story on why Spotify’s “Wrapped” phenomenon works here.)
2021: Bad Bunny earns his first Grammy for Best Latin Pop or Urban Album. He’s also named as Spotify’s No. 1 streamed artist in the world—for the second time in a row—without even releasing a new album.
2022: He takes home the Artist of the Year at MTV’s Video Music Awards and earns Apple Music’s Top Artist award. At 18.5 billion streams worldwide, Benito is named as Spotify’s top artist for the third time in a row.

2023-2025

Benito’s popularity goes from digital streaming to center stage.

2023: Bad Bunny headlines the music festival Coachella (the festival’s first non-English headliner in history).
2024: His “Most Wanted Tour” grosses $200 million.
2025: He reclaims the top spot as Spotify’s Number 1 Most Streamed Artist Globally (dethroning Taylor Swift, whose rise to stardom from the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville is another singer-songwriter origin story I’ve written about) with 19.8 billion streams.

Most recently, in 2026: Bad Bunny wins Album of the Year at the 68th Grammy Awards, marking the first time a Spanish-language album has won. Shortly after, he performs (also almost exclusively in Spanish) at the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show. The “historic performance” becomes the most-watched in Super Bowl history at over 63 million views.

Bad Bunny at the 2026 Super Bowl LX Halftime Show.

A quick word from today’s sponsor:

Better input, better output

Voice-first prompts capture details you forget to type. Wispr Flow turns speech into clean prompts you can paste into your AI tools for faster, more useful results. Try Wispr Flow for AI.

Start flowing free

Thank you for supporting the sponsors who help keep this newsletter free. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future edition and getting in front of 35,000 professionals, reply to this email.

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

Distribute your work

In the workplace, so many people (and no doubt many of you) do quality work… but no one knows about it! This is like a talented musical artist singing in the shower.

What does distribution look like in the workplace? Sharing what you do and what you’re capable of by…

1. Presenting your work (or at least being in the room)

How? Try saying, “I’d love to see how the conversation unfolds. Would you be open to me joining?” Or, “I was reflecting on your feedback about _______ (e.g., speaking up more) and would love to put it into practice. What would it take for me to do the voiceover?”

2. Being the sender of the email (or at least being on the email thread)

How? Try saying, “I’m happy to send it out! Would it be helpful for me to draft the email and run it by you to save you a step?”

3. Sending team status updates about your work (or at least speaking about it one-on-one)

How? Try saying, “I wanted to give you a heads up that on _______ (project), I just finished _______. As a next step, I will _______. Does this all work for you?”

4. Slipping in what you do into your intro when you introduce yourself

How? Try saying, “Hi! I’m _______ and I am a _______ on _______ team. My focus is on _______. Prior to _______, I was at _______ where I _______. Nice to meet you all!”

You may not dream of headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show, but you do deserve to have your hard work recognized—and rewarded. The problem is, this recognition can’t happen if people don't even know that your work exists.

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“These 'unspoken rules' are the real secrets to success, says Harvard career advisor: 'They aren't taught in school’” (CNBC)
“Research finds AI-integrated coursework strengthens student learning and career skills” (Phys Org)
“First-Gen Growth Can Feel Like Belonging and Betrayal” (Psychology Today)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 4 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

STORY SOURCES

“Comparison is the thief of joy”

Gorick Ng — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:00:20 +0000

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games start on February 6, 2026. If you find yourself watching, you may be interested in seeing the different reactions of athletes on the podium (at least, that’s how I felt after learning the following).

Hope you are all staying warm and safe out there!

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Change your reference point.

Don’t just compare “up”—compare down. Your satisfaction isn’t just about your title, your salary, or your promotions, but also your point of comparison.

THE STORY

Gold and bronze medalists have this in common

In 1995, researchers who were studying counterfactual thinking (i.e., those moments when you wonder “What if?”) landed upon a surprising discovery among Olympic medalists: bronze medalists consistently appeared visibly happier than the silver medalists who had outperformed them.

At first glance, this finding seems counterintuitive. Shouldn’t silver medalists feel more satisfied than those who placed third? After all, they beat out the bronze medalists!

Skeptical of the results, another group of scientists tried to replicate the study 26 years later in 2021. This time, though, they fed photos of Olympians posing at the medal stand into facial expression analysis software and analyzed 413 athletes from 67 countries across 142 sporting events.

When they compared the expressions of all the medalists, they indeed saw the same pattern: silver medalists often looked disappointed, while bronze medalists showed genuine happiness.

Here are some examples:

Matt Ghaffari, Greco-Roman Wrestling, 1996: After a match against Aleksandr Karelin, Ghaffari took home the silver. But instead of celebrating his achievement, he “wept, unable to hide his devastation.”

McKayla Maroney, Gymnastics, 2012: Maroney stood on the podium with a visibly unimpressed expression, which later became an internet meme.

From L to R: Olympic silver medalists Matt Ghaffari and McKayla Maroney

Fu Yuanhui, Swimming, 2016: Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui claimed the bronze medal in the women’s 100 meter backstroke. In a moment of pure joy and surprise, she exclaimed, “I was that fast? I am so happy.”
David Boudia, Diving, 2016: In the men’s 10-meter platform event at the Rio Olympics, Boudia earned bronze and said, “It’s easy to be discontent with the result… but to still become a bronze medalist is pretty special.”

From L to R: Olympic bronze medalists Fu Yuanhui and David Boudia

The reason? Perspective.

Silver medalists tend to engage in what’s called “upward comparison”, meaning they compare themselves to the gold medalist and focus on how close they were to first place.

Bronze medalists, on the other hand, engage in “downward comparison”, meaning they compare themselves to the competitors who didn’t make it onto the podium at all.

Is there a lesson for our careers and lives here? You bet there is!

A quick word from today’s sponsor:

Snippets that scale your voice

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Thank you for supporting the sponsors who help keep this newsletter free. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future edition and getting in front of 35,000 professionals, reply to this email.

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

Change your reference point

When I learned about this study, I immediately thought back to one of my favorite quotes of all time: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

It’s more than just a pithy statement. It’s also backed by research! It’s easy to forget the wins and dwell on all that we’ve missed or lost.

So, what can you do?

Here’s what I’ve personally found helpful:

Whenever I find myself scrolling through social media and lamenting over all the friends who seem wealthier, healthier, more successful, and happier, I fill in these blanks:

“I feel like I failed because I [don’t have / didn't get] ___________.”
“However, I am still ahead of the version of myself that didn’t have ___________.”
“I’m also ahead of all the people who ___________, ___________, ___________.”

Example: “I feel like I failed because I didn’t get the VP title and the bonus that I wanted. However, I am still ahead of the version of myself from just a year ago that didn’t have the feedback from clients that they’d rather go to me than anyone else on the team. I’m also ahead of all the people at my level who’ve been laid off.”

To be clear, I'm not saying to settle! It's important to diagnose what happened, ask for feedback, and, most importantly, learn. What I am saying, though, is that glass-half-full people live happier lives—and you may find it helpful to see the glass half full as well.

Change your reference point to focus on what you have rather than what you lack and you might just live a happier life, one minor thought at a time.

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“Highly successful people do 3 things that many neglect, says Harvard career expert” (shameless plug, sorry!) (CNBC)
“What time should you wake up? Probably not 5 a.m.” (MSN)
“How AI is changing the job search — and how to make it work for you” (QZ)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 4 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

STORY SOURCES

“I'm 63. Fight for a promotion or move on?”

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:01:09 +0000

Welcome to Ask Gorick Anything, Edition #51.

This week's question is: “I'm 63. Fight for a promotion or move on?”

Keep reading to find out.

I dedicate the last Tuesday of every month to answering a subscriber’s career question. Share your question here for a chance to have it featured in my newsletter.

Not subscribed? Join Gorick’s Newsletter now!

A quick word from today’s sponsor:

Keep pace with your calendar

Dictate investor updates, board notes, and daily rundowns and get final-draft writing you can paste immediately. Wispr Flow preserves nuance and uses voice snippets for repeatable founder comms. Try Wispr Flow for founders.

Start flowing free

Thank you for supporting the sponsors who help keep this newsletter free. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future edition and getting in front of 35,000 professionals, reply to this email.

ASK GORICK ANYTHING

“I'm 63. Fight for a promotion or move on?”

💡 The quick answer: If you're being held back by factors you can't control, don't jump ship yet—but do start looking.

THE QUESTION

“I’m 63 and in what I expect to be my final career as an instructional designer. I’ve been with my company for 15 years, and in my current ID role for 5 years, I’m not planning to retire anytime soon, and I’m finally in a position to save for my future.

My challenge is that I feel I contribute significantly to the team—I ask the hard questions, improve processes, and I’m a team player. Yet I receive little recognition. My manager continues to find fault with my performance, and leadership recently promoted someone with less experience simply because he’s more visible in BRGs and has a larger internal network.

I was recently assigned a complex, high‑visibility project, but with very little support. It almost feels like a setup for failure. I’m not interested in managing people; I prefer leading through influence. But I do want to advance to senior instructional designer, and that should come with more than a minimal raise.

At this point, I’m unsure at my age if I should stay and keep pushing for advancement or start looking for a new role elsewhere. How do I navigate this stage of my career and position myself for the promotion I’ve earned?”

— “Anonymous” from Columbus, OH

GORICK’S RESPONSE

Hi “Anonymous,”

I’m sorry it’s been so challenging.

If I had to guess what’s going on without actually having a chance to stick on a mustache, wear a wig, walk into your workplace, and observe you at work, I’d venture to guess that your manager doesn’t like you (and maybe even wants you gone) and it’s because of one (or two) of two issues:

You’ve overshot or undershot your zones of competence, commitment, or compatibility
Your manager feels threatened by you (or just doesn’t like you for some reason)

I could be totally wrong! But here’s how I came to this diagnosis from afar using the limited amount of information you’ve shared:

A. “I feel I contribute significantly to the team—I ask the hard questions, improve processes, and I’m a team player”: What’s wrong?

Unfortunately, it’s not what you believe you’re contributing to the team, but what others believe you’re contributing to the team. Perception is reality (or at least other people's reality).

Put yourself in the shoes of your manager, look at yourself, and ask: “Are these hard questions and proposals welcome or not welcome?”

Welcome = I agree with your ideas + they don’t make me look bad + they don’t give me more work I don’t want (i.e., you’re competent, committed, and compatible)
Not welcome = I disagree with your ideas + they make me look bad + they give me more work I don’t want (i.e., you’ve overshot your zones of competence, commitment, and/or compatibility and now I'm on the defensive)

If you’re sure your comments are welcome, then maybe this isn’t the problem.

But if you’re not sure, then there’s a chance that your ideas—regardless of how brilliant—are actually backfiring because you're violating some unspoken rule of the workplace.

B. “My manager continues to find fault with my performance” / “It almost feels like a setup for failure”: Why?

If your manager keeps finding fault in your performance, then either you actually have a performance issue or they’re consciously or subconsciously fabricating an issue to make a case for your dismissal.

Put yourself in the shoes of your manager, look at yourself, and ask: “Which of the following feelings am I inclined to think?”

“These ideas are nice, but what good are these ideas when you aren’t doing your job in the way I want?”
- If this is your problem, try doing things your manager’s way before speaking up further.
“You’ve overshot your Three C’s, so now I’m annoyed (and therefore want you gone).”
- If is is your problem, consider asking your manager in your next one on one, “I’ve been reflecting on my work over the past while and feel like I could have done a better job of _______. I want to make your life easier and value your opinion and would love to get your advice on what I can do differently.”
“You’re making me look bad in front of people I care to impress (and therefore want you gone).”
- If this is your problem, consider giving them more credit in some upcoming meetings and seeing how they react.
“I want this other person I like more to get promoted, so all I can do is keep you down.”
- If this is your problem, I’m afraid there isn’t an easy solution since it's hard to change people's minds, especially if this is a zero-sum game.

C. “Leadership recently promoted someone with less experience simply because he’s more visible in BRGs and has a larger internal network”: What am I missing?

If this is happening, then it’s a good sign that doing your job well is only half of your job in this organization. To get ahead, you need to follow the unspoken rules of being seen, heard, and remembered by the decision makers. Often this means…

Volunteering for BRGs, ERGs, committees, and task forces
Introducing yourself to senior leaders*
Offering to help these senior leaders on their pet projects, doing a good job, and convincing them to pull you into more (and more important) work
Meeting people across the organizations**

FYI: If "networking" feels unnatural and you're struggling to even find the words to say, I have workplace "Mad Libs" that can help.

You also shared this: "I’m unsure at my age if I should stay and keep pushing for advancement or start looking for a new role elsewhere."

My advice? Put out feelers: reconnect with old friends and ask for introductions on the side, but keep this job for now.

At best, you'll find a better role with a manager you can get along with better and an organization that's more aligned with your values.

At worst, you met some new people, reconnected with old colleagues, and have a better pulse on the state of the job market, so you can be better informed and better networked for a future jump.

What I wouldn't do is quit outright and then look. Always look on the side! It's a tough economy to be looking for a job right now. It's doubly tough if you're not currently employed. It's triply tough if you're in your 60s.

Hope this helps!

Gorick

PS: Have a career question for me? Submit a question here and I might answer it in my monthly "Ask Gorick Anything" series, which now appears on the last Tuesday of each month!

*Trying to meet senior leaders? Consider approaching after town halls, striking up a conversation through existing meetings, bumping into them in the hallway, getting introduced through a mutual contact, or cold emailing them.

**Trying to meet people across organizations? Try attending happy hours, grabbing lunch or coffee with others, showing up early to meetings and chit-chatting, following up with people one-on-one after meetings, getting introduced via existing contacts, or simply messaging people, starting with those who have something in common with you.

WHAT I’M READING

PS: Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“The bruising reality of searching for a job at 65” (MSN)
“The Real Economics of AI and Jobs” (Time Magazine)
“Gen Z is cutting back on retirement savings” (Yahoo Finance)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 3 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

You’re evaluated on more than what’s visible

Gorick Ng — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:00:14 +0000

I love movies (proof is in my Spotify Wrapped and my prior story on Star Wars!), which means I’m always finding myself in a Google rabbit hole when I watch one. Here’s a recent result of that curiosity. Enjoy!

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

You’re evaluated on more than what’s visible.

You may think the most important things on your resume are your years of experience or your number of credentials. But sometimes what truly matters (to your current or future employer) is what’s unspoken.

THE STORY

A physics professor is selected for an unlikely role

You may have heard of or even seen the movie Oppenheimer (2023), which follows the true story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb.

But did you know that tucked behind the Oscar-winning movie is a career lesson on how to become the no-brainer pick for a high-stakes role?

In 1942, the U.S. was racing to build a nuclear weapon before Nazi Germany could develop one. The fear was that if the Nazis succeeded first, they could win World War II—and dominate the world with its nuclear might.

So, the Manhattan Project was born—a top-secret U.S. government program to design and build the atomic bomb.

To succeed, the U.S. needed someone to lead the Los Alamos laboratory, the project’s scientific hub. This leader had to do more than understand science. They had to unite a diverse range of personalities and translate theory into a practical weapon.

J. Robert Oppenheimer teaching in the field of quantum mechanics.

That’s where J. Robert Oppenheimer came in. At the time, he was a physics professor at UC Berkeley who had “earned the respect of scientific greats such as Albert Einstein.”

But he was also “absolutely the most unlikely choice.” He wasn’t a Nobel laureate, hadn’t led large teams, and lacked wartime leadership experience.

Yet General Leslie Groves, the commanding general on the Manhattan Project, chose Oppenheimer despite receiving “only opposition.”

Why?

Because Groves saw that Oppenheimer had a certain “charisma, ambition, and brilliance”—that could make him capable of the impossible.

Groves’ “leap of faith” proved right.

Oppenheimer, in addition to his technical skill, had a unique ability that others didn’t: he could “take scientists with different perspectives and bring them to a consensus.”

Oppenheimer’s leadership at Los Alamos succeeded in terms of what mattered most when he was hired: delivering the world’s first atomic bomb on July 16, 1945, before Nazi Germany.

J. Robert Oppenheimer points to a photo of a mushroom cloud from the atomic bomb.

A chance to make a positive impact:

Give first-generation students the advice that you wish you’d had!

Looking for a way to make an impact in the new year?

👉️ Become a CareerSpring Volunteer Advisor!

CareerSpring is a non-profit organization that helps empower FGLI (first-generation, low-income) students across the United States in their career journeys.

As a Volunteer Advisor, you’ll get the chance to help someone who wants to follow in your footsteps and pass on the advice that you wish you’d gotten sooner.

I’m a Volunteer Advisor myself and always feel that the time was well spent. I hope you get a chance to see what I mean!

(There are no long-term commitments required. Sessions are held virtually for 30 minutes, scheduled entirely at your convenience.)

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

You’re evaluated on more than what’s visible

Looking for a new job or trying to get promoted? You may think that in order to be the best candidate, you need to fit the bill perfectly.

But that’s not always true! Like Oppenheimer, you’re being evaluated on more than what shows up on your resume or LinkedIn profile.

Consider these 2 ways to stand out:

If you’re early in your career, you may not have all the years of experience that a resume says are “required”, but you may still have the skills that are wanted—and needed. Try reframing your experience with these fill in the blanks:

“While my [role / position] with ______ was about ______ on the outside, it was really about ______ at the end of the day—which is also the focus of [future area] and a realm that I’d really like to continue [exploring / working in / applying my skills to / ______].”

If you’re mid- or late-career, you may have all the years of experience and more as required by a job description, but still find yourself competing against younger or cheaper talent. When asked to walk others through your resume or to introduce yourself, don't just stick to the bullet points you’ve already written! Make sure to also add a phrase like this:

“Beyond what's written on my resume, I also wanted to add that during ______, my [firm / company / program] went through [change / crisis]. I became the go-to person for ______ and even [led / architected / sold] ______ which is directly analogous with what you're trying to do with ______ with the only difference being ______.”

Oppenheimer wasn’t chosen because of what was most visible. He was chosen because of what was valuable. Make sure you share what sets you apart because people can’t give you credit for something that they don’t even know about.

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“Changing careers: ‘My job began to feel hollow ... I felt I’d lost myself somewhere’” (The Irish Times)
“Where homes are most (and least) affordable” (Axios)
“They were told they could have it all. So why are so many moms leaving their jobs?” (USA Today)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 4 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

STORY SOURCES

Don't wait for your turn to lead

Gorick Ng — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:00:22 +0000

A common complaint I hear from those who are more junior:

“Why don’t the higher ups think we know anything?”

A common complaint I hear from those who are more senior:

“Why do the juniors think they know everything?”

Sound familiar? Here’s a story on how some teams bridged this gap!

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Be a reverse mentor.

Just because someone is high up doesn't mean they have all the answers. Share your ideas, no matter your job title. You might be surprised at how little the senior people know.

THE STORY

An insurance company CEO with a problem

It was 2013. Liam E. McGee, CEO of The Hartford, a Fortune 500 insurance company that protects over 1 million small businesses, had a realization.

His leadership team was experienced and accomplished—but out of touch.

McGee believed that his senior leaders needed to "become more fluent in social media, mobile computing, the cloud, and other digital technologies"—all technologies their customers, partners, and competitors were using.

The problem? The people who understood these technologies best weren't the higher-ups who only grasped these ideas theoretically, but the folks actually doing the work practically.

So McGee made an unconventional decision: flip mentorship upside down.

He implemented a "reverse mentoring program" where "the young, technologically savvy staff would share their knowledge of social media with The Hartford's senior staff."

What happened when 50 junior employees started mentoring 50 senior executives?

97% of senior executives (mentees) rated the program "extremely effective"
11 of 12 juniors (mentors) in the first group were promoted within 1 year

The reverse mentoring model

Fast forward to 2026 (13 years since The Hartford's program), and reverse mentoring has spread to companies worldwide.

Take Coca-Cola in Vietnam, for example. Gen Z staff were paired with senior leaders—including former Vietnam CEO Peeyush Sharma—to share their ideas and trending tech tools.

Other companies that have launched reverse mentoring programs include P&G Baby Care Product Supply, PwC, Mars, Cisco, and Microsoft.

Reverse mentoring has spread to companies worldwide, including Microsoft (shown).

A quick word from today’s sponsor:

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Thank you for supporting the sponsors who help keep this newsletter free. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future edition and getting in front of 35,000 professionals, reply to this email.

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

Don't wait for your turn to lead

Here's what I learned from these reverse mentoring programs and from the hundreds of conversations I've had with senior leaders: The higher up someone is in an organization, the higher level their perspective is, too.

The result?

They don't necessarily know how things actually work—and they definitely don't know about all the "skeletons in the closet" (defined here).

What does this mean for the rest of us who aren't the CEO or the SVP?

The next time you find yourself sinking into your chair in the face of someone more senior, try completing this sentence:

"This other person might be more senior, but their seniority could also mean that they are not as close to [this trend / tool / detail]. I can be valuable by sharing [this experience / observation]."

For example:

"This person might be more senior, but their seniority could also mean that they are less close to understanding why customers are objecting to our sales pitches. I can be valuable by sharing the patterns I've observed in client calls that didn't go well and what we could change about our offering to shorten our sales cycle."

Speaking up doesn't just help senior leaders, either—it demonstrates your own Three C's to the decision-makers and gatekeepers who could pull you up (the ranks) and in (to unadvertised opportunities).

My last word of advice: this tactic goes both ways!

If you’re the more senior person on a team of juniors, remember that you’ve got a wealth of institutional knowledge (and your juniors may not even realize how beneficial this insight truly is). Share some experiences and observations of your own, and you may be surprised at how open they are to learning from you.

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“In Praise of Being First-Gen” (Inside Higher Ed)
“The Great Re-education: Why over-40s like me are quitting careers and heading back to school” (Independent)
“Here’s What Happens to Your Brain When Your Mind Goes Blank” (Nautilus)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 4 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

STORY SOURCES

Share your roots

Gorick Ng — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 14:00:55 +0000

I hope you are all having a happy and healthy start to 2026!

Planning any travel in the new year? Maybe this week’s story will lend some inspiration for your next big idea.

Enjoy!

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Your heritage isn't baggage. It's your competitive advantage.

THE STORY

Two Italians who couldn't find home in Paris

It was 2002. Cristiano Sereni and Paolo Benassi, two childhood friends from Reggio Emilia, Italy, had recently moved to Paris.

The pair began to adjust to the new city but found themselves homesick for one thing in particular: ice cream.

Not just any ice cream—but the artisanal gelato that they had grown up with in Northern Italy.

It was then that Sereni and Benassi had a realization: What they were missing from Italy could have a new home in Paris.

So the two friends made a decision. They would "offer the best tastes of Italy to customers around the world"—starting in Paris.

Cristiano Sereni (left) and Paolo Benassi (right)

Within months, they opened their first Italian gelato location and called it “Amorino.” Over the next 10 years, the friends…

(4 years later) Launched Amorino’s first franchises across France
(7 years later) Expanded into London, UK, and back home to Milan, Italy
(9 years later) Expanded into New York City

Fast forward to 2025 (23 years since that first Paris location), and Amorino now has more than 250 stores across Europe, Asia, the United States, and Mexico. It is also considered one of the world's leading gelato brands.

A quick word from today’s sponsor:

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Thank you for supporting the sponsors who help keep this newsletter free. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future edition and getting in front of 35,000 professionals, reply to this email.

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

What I learned from Sereni and Benassi is that your background, upbringing, culture, and experience aren’t just memories—they’re lenses you’ve been given to see opportunity where others see none.

How can you see the world like the founders of Amorino?

If something is common sense to you at work, but not to those around you…

If you remember a useful practice from the past, but it has since been lost…

If your background offers a unique way to solve a problem that your peers don’t see…

…then you’ve identified an advantage!

Next…

Ask yourself, “Who’d be most excited about this idea?”

Then, approach them and say, “I’ve always seen you as someone who’s [positive trait] and wanted to get your advice. Can I run an idea by you?”

Who knows: your idea could become the “unlock” that helps your team reach new heights or inspires that prospective employer to create a new role for you. It might even become the next Amorino!

An Amorino ice cream filled cone in front of an Amorino store.

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“So long, 9-to-5. Hello, 996” (Fast Company)
“The Human Network behind a Digital Time Capsule” (Scientific American)
“The End Of College-For-All And The Rise Of The Skills Economy” (Forbes)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 4 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

STORY SOURCES

My top career lessons of 2025

Gorick Ng — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 14:00:22 +0000

With the end of the year now upon us, I’d like to use this opportunity to thank you for supporting my work (thank you!) and to recap the lessons we learned together this year.

So, without further ado…

MY TOP UNSPOKEN RULE OF 2025

Relationships are your most important form of career capital.

People hire people they know, promote people they trust, and open doors for people they remember.

My biggest piece of career advice for 2025?

Bring the right people into your life. Then, keep those relationships warm.

Here are just a few examples:

Ken Frazier became CEO of Merck because he built and maintained relationships with numerous mentors and sponsors, including Merck’s former CEO.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg got hired despite gender discrimination because her mentor and law school professor fought for her.

Jan Koum kept building WhatsApp because his friend from Yahoo encouraged him to stick with it and even joined the team.

Even Nobel Prize winners are most likely to be part of the Nobel laureates’ “family tree” as former apprentices, colleagues, or collaborators.

The pattern?

Behind every person’s success was someone who made an introduction, gave them a shot, or advocated for them when they weren’t in the room.

So, if you're wondering what to invest in this 2026, invest in relationships:

• Stay in touch with former managers and colleagues

• Be helpful to people, even when it doesn’t seem like there's anything in it for you

• Be the person others remember positively when opportunities arise

Why? Because people hire people they know, promote people they trust, and open doors for people they remember.

What else did we learn together this year?

25 of my top career tactics of 2025

To take with you into 2026.

Stories and strategies:

How to derisk big career moves (Edition #89)

Lessons from Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty

How to build your dream in pieces (Edition #93)

Lessons from Andy Weir’s “The Martian”

How to be remembered (Edition #94)

Lessons from Oscar winners

How to make the most of those you know (Edition #97)

Lessons from Keanu Reeves

How to show people what you’re capable of (Edition #98)

Lessons from Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison

How to reframe the problem (Edition #99)

Lessons from NVIDIA’s Jonah Alben

Know what matters to those who matter (Edition #102)

Lessons from the Tata Nano car

How to shape your professional story (Edition #104)

Lessons from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney

How to leave people remembering you fondly (Edition #106)

Lessons from Hollywood director Ava DuVernay

Why you should let your goals change (Edition #112)

Lessons from Reshma Saujani’s Girls Who Code

How to step up and show your potential (Edition #114)

Lessons from Kat Cole’s rise from Hooters waitress to president

How to find solutions that others missed (Edition #117)

Lessons from autistic researcher Temple Grandin

How to pivot after rejection (Edition #119)

Lessons from Morris Chang’s TSMC

How to disarm others (Edition #120)

Lessons from Charlie Mullin’s Pimlico Plumbers

How to build better habits (Edition #122)

1 mental hack that high achievers use

How to reality check your dream job (Edition #126)

Lessons from K-pop idols

How to start a side hustle (Edition #127)

Lessons from Salman Khan’s Khan Academy

How to let failure redirect you (Edition #129)

Lessons from music legend Max Martin

Career questions from subscribers:

How to overcome self-doubt during the job hunt (AMA #16)

A subscriber asks about dealing with a layoff

How to ace your job interview (AMA #17)

A subscriber asks about how to get past interviews

How to make a career pivot (AMA #24)

A subscriber asks about making a mid career change

How to network effectively on LinkedIn (AMA #32)

A subscriber asks about the unspoken rules of cold outreach

How to fix a burnt bridge (AMA #35)

A subscriber asks about handling a rescinded offer

How to find work in the face of ageism (AMA #38)

A subscriber asks about competing against cheaper talent

How to make a place for yourself in the age of AI (AMA #39)

A subscriber asks about generalists versus technicalists

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“Don't fall for the myth that no one hires during the holidays” (Business Insider)
“The Screen That Ate Your Child’s Education” (New York Times)
“Tech is not the sexy job it used to be” (Fast Company)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 4 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

Pick your team wisely

Gorick Ng — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:00:40 +0000

To celebrate the already snowy winter our friends are having in the Northeastern US and Canada, I thought I'd do a flashback story from the tundra of Alaska.

Enjoy!

But first, a quick word from today’s sponsor!

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The TL;DR? You focus on creating. Google AdSense handles the rest.

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Thank you for supporting the sponsors who help keep this newsletter free. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future edition and getting in front of 35,000 professionals, reply to this email.

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Pick your team wisely.

A team is successful when the right people are doing the right jobs.

THE STORY

How one team saved a whole town

It was the winter of 1925—and a fatal bacterial infection called Diphtheria had just broken out in rural Nome, Alaska, USA. The estimated mortality rate of the region’s 10,000 people was 100%.

The good news: There was a diphtheria antitoxin available.

The bad news: It was located in Anchorage, Alaska—1,000 miles away from Nome, requiring over a week for air delivery because it was out of reach by rail.

So, city officials arranged for a train to bring the serum as far as it could and then for a relay of sled dogs to run the remaining 674 miles in what became known as the “Great Race of Mercy.”

Stationed at checkpoints across 674 miles of icy tundra, one sled team would carry the life-saving serum before passing it off to the next, like a “pharmaceutical relay.”

But not just any dog could participate. Each dog needed to be able to perform a specific function in the 8-dog formation:

“Wheel Dogs” (at the back) were chosen for size and strength to help pull and turn the sled.
“Team Dogs” and “Swing Dogs” (in the middle) were selected for their “horsepower” and their desire to follow a leader, which helped keep the sled on course.
“Lead Dogs” (at the front) were selected for their ability to set the pace, listen to the driver’s cues, and help keep the sled on track.

An 8-dog sled team formation.

Most of the dogs chosen for the “Great Race of Mercy” were veteran sled dogs who knew their job and did it well (like a dog named Togo). But even unproven dogs had a chance to shine, like 3-year-old Balto, who was the Lead Dog who crossed the finish line into Nome.

By the end of the five-and-a-half-day journey, all 674 miles were covered and the serum was safely delivered to the residents of Nome, Alaska.

One of the sled dog teams from 1925, featuring Lead Dog Togo (far left) and Lead Dog Fritz (far right)

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

Pick your team wisely

You need more than just strong individuals to build a great team. You need people who are playing to their strengths, just like how:

A soccer team needs offense and defense
A film crew needs a cast and crew
A choir needs the tenors and sopranos

(Or even like this unofficial Star Wars director I wrote about last year.)

The next time you find yourself leading a team, ask yourself:

Is every task being done by the best possible person?

This is key if you’re building a new team to ensure you have an “A team” and not a “B team.”

Is every person doing the most suitable task?

This is key if you’re leading an existing team to ensure everybody is doing the right work.

The next time you find yourself joining a team, ask yourself:

“What's something I'm good at that this team isn't good at?”

This is your hidden opportunity to stand out by being valuable.

“What's something I'm not good at that someone else on this team is good at?”

This is your hidden opportunity to learn and grow.

Like a sled dog formation, successful teams don’t just have great leaders. They have great people in every role who keep the team moving forward on course.

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“Feeling Lonely? An Attentive Listener Is an AI Prompt Away” (Harvard Business School)
“Why Americans don't want to move for jobs anymore” (NPR)
“The Erosion of Context in Admissions” (Inside Higher Ed)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 4 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

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STORY SOURCES

Give a “so what”

Gorick Ng — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:01:37 +0000

Just earlier this month, Spotify Wrapped 2025 came out—and I learned that my toddler (and I) really, really like the Lion King soundtrack.

This annual ritual of learning more about myself made me wonder about its origins.

I’m back from the rabbit hole and here’s what I learned!

Gorick

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TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Give a “so what”

Don’t just do data dumps. Offer at least one observation or suggestion when you’re sharing data with others.

THE STORY

They turned data into a viral event

Many of you likely use Spotify, the biggest music streaming service in the world.

In fact, given that Spotify has 97.5 million monthly active users in the U.S. alone, if you’re in the U.S., I can guess that about a third of you have a Spotify account and 53% of you pay for Premium.

But did you know that Spotify acquires a significant portion of its paid subscribers at the end of the year?

Spotify’s Premium Subscriber growth in Q4 alone, from 2020 to 2024

The secret to Spotify’s growth is called “Spotify Wrapped.” It’s a personalized round up of your listening habits released every December that highlights:

Your top songs, artists, albums, and genres
How your listening habits compare to those of all other users
What your “listening age” is based on your habits (new this year)

Users love Wrapped so much that Spotify users shared their Wrapped dashboard 575 million times in the first 65 hours.

(I’m no exception: Here’s a quick peek into mine! At the top was the Dune: Part Two soundtrack. Last year, I covered director Denis Villeneuve’s story and how his search for fulfillment led him to direct his favorite childhood book.)

My 2025 Spotify Wrapped

The Wrapped campaign creates a substantial bump for Spotify. At the end of 2024, it was associated with adding a record 11 million new Premium subscribers.

(Fun fact: For the fourth time, Puerto Rican performer Bad Bunny is Spotify’s top global artist. Last year, I wrote about his journey from grocery store clerk to superstar.)

Need a last minute gift for a friend, family member, or mentee?

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Order the flashcards by tomorrow, Wednesday 10/17, to get it before Christmas Eve.*

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*Sale ends on December 25, 2025 or until supplies last. Christmas delivery applies to U.S. only. Free shipping on all orders $40 and up. You can also purchase The Foundations or Impressive Interviews and get either the Manageable Meetings or Terrific Teamwork deck for free. To claim, add your desired quantity of The Foundations and/or Impressive Interviews to your cart, add as many copies of Manageable Meetings or Terrific Teamwork as you like, and then use code BOGO2025 (which can be stacked with HAPPYHOLIDAYS2025).

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

Give a “so what”

Spotify Wrapped offers an important career lesson—on the power of thinking not in terms of data (i.e., “here's what the spreadsheet looks like”) but in terms of “so what?” (i.e., “here's what the data suggests”).

Consider if Spotify had given you a spreadsheet overview of your yearly listening history that you could download to your computer and go through, row by row, every December.

What would you do? Probably mark the email as "read" and move on with your life.

But no: Spotify doesn't do this. Instead, it takes that spreadsheet and transforms it into information that makes you go, “No way… really!?”

So, the next time that your manager asks you for data (or the next time you get a data crunching exercise as part of an interview), don't give them just the data.

Give them a summary along with the following talking points:

“I was surprised to see ______.”
“I noticed this trend: ______.”
“What this suggests is ______.”
“Given this data, could I help with ______?”

The more you include this “insight” (fancy speak for a key takeaway), the less thinking your manager or clients have to do—and the more people will see you not just as a data monkey but as someone to listen to.

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“Most Gen-Z Employees See Traditional Career Paths Coming to an End” (Inc.)
“Higher fluid intelligence is associated with more structured cognitive maps” (PsyPost)
“AI buzzwords are making the job hunt harder - for everyone” (ZDNET)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 4 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

STORY SOURCES

He overcame a midlife crisis

Gorick Ng — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:00:22 +0000

You may have seen the news on Friday that Frank Gehry, one of the world’s most famous architects, had just died.

I had heard the name before, but what I didn’t know was that his career was far from smooth.

Enjoy!

Gorick

But first, a quick word from today’s sponsor!

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TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Focus on what’s working.

When things aren’t going your way, it’s easy to feel like everything is falling apart. In reality, something’s probably still working. Identify that thing. It’s the key to unlocking what’s next.

THE STORY

A midlife crisis that few remember

If you’ve ever walked around Los Angeles, Boston, or Seattle, then you may have seen:

The Walt Disney Concert Hall
MIT’s Stata Center
The Museum of Pop Culture

But what you may not have realized is that all of these buildings, known as “deconstructivist style,” are by the same architect.

His name was Frank Gehry and the BBC named him “one of the most influential architects of the last century.” Gehry died on December 5, 2025 at the age of 96.

(See below for a longer list of his works.)

But did you know that, before Gehry’s success, he was battling a stalled career and a midlife crisis?

Frank Gehry and some of his iconic works.

It was the early 1970s, and Gehry—then in his 40s—had just shut down his corrugated cardboard “Easy Edges” furniture startup after realizing that he wanted to focus on architecture.

At first, Gehry focused on “relatively conventional” projects like shopping malls and office buildings. Then, his designs became “more imaginative”: in one instance, he redid his Santa Monica home in such an eclectic manner that even his own neighbors got “really pissed off.”

“Is this what you like?” a developer client asked him in 1980 about his home.

When Gehry said it was, the client responded: “Well, if you like this, you can’t possibly like that,” pointing at the shopping center Gehry was working on, “so why are you doing it?”

So, at just over the age of 50, Gehry decided he would “start over again”—but it would be far from easy.

His work on LA’s Walt Disney Concert Hall was stalled due to funding shortages and political infighting
Multiple high-profile projects (e.g., the Brooklyn Atlantic Terminal, the National Gallery of Canada restoration, and the Emory University Law Library) were also stalled, canceled, or significantly altered due to controversy and lack of funding
The U.S.’s excitement towards Gehry’s work declined further and further

Despite these difficulties, Gehry saw an opportunity for his work overseas. He went on to spend his 90s working on projects in Europe, which quickly accounted for 40% of his completed projects.

International headlines for his work on the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and the “Dancing House” in Prague caught the attention of his American clients, who then welcomed Gehry back with open arms. After he returned, Gehry was quick to make his mark through the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle and—at long last—the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Fast forward 30 years since that stalled concert hall project and Gehry is now listed as one of the most famous architects of all time (with few people remembering that his career ever stalled). Some of his most well-known projects include:

Vitra Design Museum (Weil am Rhein, Germany)
Cinémathèque Française (Paris, France)
Foundation Louis Vuitton (Paris, France)
Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles, California)
Dancing House (Prague, Czech Republic)
Guggenheim Bilbao (Bilbao, Spain)
Peter B. Lewis Building (Cleveland, Ohio)
Lou Ruvo Center (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Biomuseo (Panama City, Panama)
Marqués de Riscal (Elciego, Spain)
Gehry Tower (Hanover, Germany)
New York by Gehry (New York City, New York)
Weisman Art Museum (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Stata Center (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Museum of Pop Culture (Seattle, Washington)

(See “Sources” below for a full list of Gehry’s projects.)

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

Focus on what’s working.

What I learned from Gehry is that if it seems like everything is falling apart, that’s probably not true.

Something has gotten you far enough to be wherever you are (or were). Identify it—and double down on it.

To find what’s working, ask yourself:

“In a sea of no’s, who’s saying yes?”

If no one is saying “yes” these days, ask yourself:

“Who’ve been my biggest fans, so far?”
“Where can I find more of these people?”

I remember catching up with a friend who was struggling to get interviews.

“Did you get a single interview?” I asked.

“Well yes,” he replied. “Two, actually.”

“How did you get them?” I asked.

“I got introduced through alumni of my firm.”

And just like that, this friend found what worked, doubled down, and started seeing momentum again.

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“Why employability gaps widen as academic identity deepens” (Times Higher Education)
“Younger workers are heading back to the office to save their careers” (QZ)
“Origins of the 'Ostrich Effect': Researchers pinpoint the age we start avoiding information—even when it's helpful” (Medical Xpress)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 4 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

STORY SOURCES

Stay top of mind

Gorick Ng — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 14:01:08 +0000

It’s December! So, I thought I’d share a throwback to one of last year’s holiday favorite editions on how the most controversial holiday song ever—“All I Want For Christmas Is You”—became a hit.

PS: Thanks to all of you who've told me that you'd prefer 1x/week instead of 2x/week emails from me, I'll now be doing my “Ask Gorick Anything” emails 1x/month and sticking to just my Tuesday emails.

In the meantime, please keep your AMA submissions coming here! I read every single one.

Thank you for your continued feedback and support!

Gorick

But first, a quick word from today’s sponsor!

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TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Stay top of mind.

Don’t expect other people to remember you and what you’re doing. Keep in touch with friends and mentors. Remind your manager of what you’re doing. It's only by remembering that you exist that people can keep you in mind for opportunities.

THE STORY

The holiday hit 30 years in the making

You hear it in department stores, on the radio, and on social media.

(You may even be one of the 896 people who are so scarred by the song that they’ve signed a petition to make it stop playing.)

I’m talking about the song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey.

Whether you love the song or hate it, Mariah Carey makes $3 million in royalties each and every year because people just can’t stop playing it.

How did a single song become “the most successful Christmas song of all time”?

It’s the spring of 1994. Carey, whose album was nominated for what would be her third Grammy, had left the 36th Grammy Awards show—empty-handed.

So when her record label suggested releasing a Christmas album, Carey paused.

Mariah Carey performing in 1992.

The unspoken rule was that singers only did Christmas songs “later in their lives”—and Carey wasn’t ready to accept that the peak of her career was already behind her.

But Carey was willing to give a Christmas album a shot.

So, she did 3 things:

In the middle of August, Carey filled the studio with Christmas decor to get her into the holiday mood.
She made sure her song kept her signature “love and romance” vibe (which led to her famous “money note”) so listeners would remember that the song came from her.
She also included the “most Christmassy chord” that appears in songs like “White Christmas” so listeners would see it as a familiar holiday tune.

(If Carey’s strategy sounds familiar, that’s because I’ve talked about it before in this edition on author Celeste Ng. It’s called MAYA.)

Carey released the song two months later in October 1994—only to get limited attention.

It reached #12 on the Billboard charts for Adult Contemporary music and was called “impressive for a Christmas song,” but “a bit low for Carey in this period.”

Let’s pause here for a second.

Imagine you just finished a big project and it did… just okay. What would you do next?

Would you…

(A) …feel bad about how you didn’t reach your goals,

(B) …move on to another project and hope it does better, or

Many people—and indeed musical artists—take path (A) or (B).

But Carey went with (C)—and she continued sharing her song in 3 distinct ways over the next 30 years:

Carey sang the song repeatedly on tour: 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002-2003, 2006, 2015, 2019 (and counting).
Each time Casey had a TV special, she—you guessed it—sang the song again, whether it was on ABC, ESPN, NBC, or elsewhere.
Carey has released a video at midnight on November 1st for the past 6 years since 2019—literally a minute after Halloween—announcing that “it’s tiiiiime” to get festive (and listen to her song, of course).

Carey’s “It’s Time!!!!” video for 2025 via YouTube

Fast forward to today, and Carey is the only artist who can boast about having a song jump consistently (and predictably) to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 6 years in a row (2019-2024)—26 years after its release—making her $3M USD every year from listens alone.

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

You should stay top of mind

Mariah Carey did it—and you can too, even if you’re not a musical artist. Here are 3 ways to stay top of mind:

1. Stay in touch with people through email, text, or calls (if not in person)

E.g., “Hi [name]! You crossed my mind the other day when I was [looking / thinking] back to ______ and so I hope you don’t mind me reaching out. How are things going with [work / personal life detail]? PS: Inspired by our [work / time / ______] together at ______, I just [released / published / dropped] this and thought you might find it neat!”

2. Keep your mentors up-to-date on what you’re up to (and what’s next)

E.g., “Hi [name], I noticed you recently ______—congratulations! I wanted to share with you that, since we last spoke about ______, I have ______ and ______! Thank you for all of your help and support over the past while— ______ especially made a difference for me. I wouldn’t be here without you!”

3. Remind your manager what you are up to (and what you’ve done)

E.g., “Hi [name]—I just wanted to share a brief update on ______. Since we last chatted about ______, I’ve been able to ______ and ______. This means that ______, ______, and ______. I’m [excited / looking forward to / enjoying] ______ and being part of this process! Please let me know if you have any questions—I’m happy to share more if you’re interested.”

And, if you did something great, continue to share it with the world!

Maybe you’re sick of talking about it (and maybe the people closest to you are sick of it, too, but you don’t know that unless they tell you).

More likely than not, the vast majority of the world doesn’t yet know that your amazing work exists. So, if you don’t keep talking about it, you’re leaving out most of the world!

In the case of Mariah Carey, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has been streamed an estimated 2 billion times to date. But with 8 billion and counting people in the world, this number is still just a fraction of who’s out there—so she still has a long road ahead!

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“It’s One of the Most Influential Social Psychology Studies Ever. Was It All a Lie?” (Mother Jones)
“This ‘boring’ job that millennials and boomers abandoned is the hottest seasonal job on the market—and it’s Gen Z’s path to a six-figure career” (Fortune)
“What makes PhD students happy? Good supervision” (Nature)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 3 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

STORY SOURCES

“Am I allowed to reach out to people?”

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 14:00:39 +0000

Welcome to Ask Gorick Anything, Edition #50.

This week's question is: “Am I allowed to reach out to people?”

Keep reading to find out.

🦃 PS: Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends in the US (or expats abroad)! And, happy almost Black Friday. I have a quick note below about the flashcard line that I launched (with help from many of you—thank you!) last year and then we’ll get right into the AMA.

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ASK GORICK ANYTHING

“Am I allowed to reach out to people?”

💡 The quick answer: Yes! As long as you send highly specific, tailored emails. Whatever you do, don’t reject yourself before you even give others the chance to give you a chance.

THE QUESTION

“I am a young developer who is graduating this December. I am currently in an internship and just got an interview for the full position, everything seems good to go. But at the same time, I feel like I am not really enjoying the work I am doing at this company and I am trying to pivot.

Specifically, the company I am working for does a lot of dev ops type stuff (GitHub CI/CD, Kafka, etc.) but I want to move towards more system engineering, 3D animation, HPC, that you might see with C++ programming. I don’t have a lot of C++ experience (well, my undergrad used C++, but it wasn’t modern C++) so I’ve been building a project and documenting it on Linkedin.

I’ve gotten a lot of connections over the last year in the C++ community, so I believe if I sent the right emails and asked for help, I could get a job elsewhere. But for whatever reason, I keep getting bogged down by imposter syndrome and anxiety.

I keep thinking ‘I don’t have enough C++ experience, no one will want to hire me!’ or ‘Its been so long since I’ve seen that person, they probably won’t want to help me anymore.’ I know these thoughts aren’t helpful and don’t reflect reality, but It’s still impairing me from moving forward.

How can I know when it’s appropriate to reach out to others and when its not? How can I tell when I don’t have enough experience and need more? Does it even matter? Should I just try anyway?”

— “Viv” from Bay Area, CA

GORICK’S RESPONSE

Hi “Viv,”

You’re definitely not alone with this imposter syndrome.

I’ve got a few thoughts on that, but first, I want to answer your questions. Here’s what I heard:

When is it appropriate to do cold outreach as a job seeker?
How can I tell when I don’t have enough experience and need more?
How do I know if reaching out to someone is a waste of time (or not)?

Let’s dive in!

When is it appropriate to do cold outreach as a job seeker?

Here’s the long and short of it: If you can cite a specific reason for reaching out to someone over anyone else, it’s appropriate.

The more of the following criteria you can satisfy, the more likely it is to be appropriate (and effective):

You know them from before (e.g., you used to work together)
You have something in common (e.g., you’re both first gen)
You have someone who can introduce you to them (e.g., a professor)
They are in the role/team/company/geography you’re interested in (e.g., 3D animation at Disney in Burbank, CA)

In an age where everyone can send an email (so all of our inboxes are flooded), the bar for sending a good email has only gotten higher.

So, before you hit “send,” re-read your email and ask yourself: “If I accidentally sent this email to someone else, would this email still make sense?”

If your answer is “yes,” your email isn’t tailored enough and you need to be more specific and personal.

Here’s an email that an executive received the other day and shared with me because it made him face palm so hard (so don’t do this!):

How can I tell when I don’t have enough experience and need more?

In general…

The more well-known the company
The more well-advertised the position
The more attractive the job description
The more attractive the location

…the more applicants you can expect, which is why, if you’re struggling to get into a big, prestigious, attractive company, it helps to start smaller and work your way up.

If you want more specific statistics of your odds…

Get LinkedIn Premium (click here to get a 2-month free trial)
Click on a job posting
Review your job match score, who you can contact, and how you compare to other applicants

Just don’t get too caught up with the data. After all, it’s a human that makes the final decision–and not a machine.

Just because a candidate has all the right keywords in their resume doesn’t mean people will see them as the most competent, committed, and compatible candidate (which is why relationship building is the only way to get a job, especially these days).

How do I know if reaching out to someone is a waste of time (or not)?

Here’s my take: there’s a difference between rejection and self rejection.

Rejection is when someone says “no” to you.
Self rejection is when others could say “yes” or “no” but you never even let others make a decision, so you’ll never know which it is.

As much as it hurts to get rejected, all you see is a “no” or no reply at all.

What do you not see? The underlying reason—and it could be any of the following:

Your email ended up in their spam or promotions folder (so they never saw it)
Your email got buried in their inbox (so they forgot to reply)
They don’t check their LinkedIn inbox (so your DM went unread)
They got too busy (so prioritized something else over replying to you)
They didn’t think they could help you, whether because their team isn’t hiring, they aren’t a decision maker, or they’re getting laid off themselves (so didn’t reply or said “no”)
Your email was too long-winded or unclear (so they didn’t know what to do)
They didn’t feel enough of a personal connection to reply (i.e., you weren’t compatible)
They didn’t think you were committed to the path or role
They didn’t think you were competent enough to succeed in the path or role

Here’s the thing about this list:

Reasons #1-5 are all problems on their side—not yours.
Reason #6 is a learnable skill—but still not really a sign that you’re unqualified.
Reasons #7-8 are a matter of who you target and how you present yourself.
Only reason #9 is because you’re unqualified.

Here’s another thing about this list: You really don’t know which reason it is.

The only thing you can do is (A) keep trying and (B) get feedback from someone you trust on your approach to make sure that you’re targeting the right people and saying the right things.

Hope this helps!

See you Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

Want me to answer your own career question?

Ask me here: https://forms.gorick.com/askgorick

WHAT I’M READING

PS: Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“The problem with career planning in science” (Nature)
“First kiss dates back 21 million years, say scientists” (BBC)
“A generation in crisis: Why young people are so unhappy” (EL PAÍS)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 3 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

1. Keynote speaking: My early 2026 speaking calendar is filling up! If your organization is looking for speakers for your internship program, new hire orientation, new student orientation, manager training, all-hands meetings, recruiting season, year-end performance evaluation season, or something else, let's chat!

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

She kept her goals alive

Gorick Ng — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:00:40 +0000

Hi friends,

When I first stepped into Corporate America, I was a first-gen college grad and the first in my family to land a white-collar job. And honestly?

I felt like an imposter.

Everyone else seemed to have an invisible playbook for meetings, networking, and project management.

But beyond doing things, they knew how to say things. I wasted too much time blankly staring back or fumbling over my words when all eyes were on me.

That frustrating gap is why, in 2024, I launched How to Say It ® on Kickstarter. Thanks to the 900+ people who pledged, these flashcards became a way to overcome the corporate language barrier.

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How to Say It ®: Impressive Interviews

If you’re interested (or are gearing up for holiday gifting season), then take advantage of this Black Friday sale!

Thank you for being one of my loyal newsletter subscribers.

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TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Keep your dream alive.

You never know when the time will come for it to be revived.

THE STORY

The ice cream 23 years in the making

It was 1996. Jeni Britton Bauer, a 22 year old college student in Columbus, OH, just quit school to open an ice cream shop called “Scream Ice Cream.”

Bauer’s ice cream obsession started when she was experimenting with perfumes one day.

Bauer in the 90s

She “mashed cayenne essential oil into chocolate ice cream” and realized: it “was the best thing” she’d ever had.

So, she set off to “perfect the art of ice cream making.”

But, after 4 years of sluggish sales, Bauer closed up shop.

Though it felt like she was “walking away from ice cream” forever, something in her wouldn’t let the dream die outright.

So, over the next 2 years, Bauer…

Enrolled in Penn State’s famed ice cream course to hone her skills
Worked as a librarian and nanny to recoup some of her funds
Applied for (and got) a $40,000 loan to open a new ice cream shop

Fast forward to 2025—23 years since her decision to close shop—and Bauer reopened as “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams” and now has her ice cream in thousands of retailers across the United States, from CVS to Whole Foods.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

Keep your dream alive.

Bauer’s story helped me realize: there’s a difference between quitting and pausing.

How do you decide whether to quit or pause?

Ask yourself 3 questions:

“Do I enjoy this (anymore)?”
“Is this something I’d ever want to return to?”
“Do I think I’ll ever reach my personal definition of success or satisfaction doing this?”

If your answer is “no” to all 3 questions, then maybe quitting is the way to go. After all, whatever you were doing is no longer worth your time.

But if your answer isn’t necessarily an emphatic “no” to all 3 questions but is instead…

“I think I’ve reached a lull.”
“I could see myself coming back to this at some point in the future.”
“I think I have a decent chance of succeeding if I put my mind to it.”

…then maybe the answer isn’t to quit, but to pause—and to let that brilliant idea or goal of yours marinate further.

Bauer, present day, with 3 pints of “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream”

Who knows: maybe I’ll stumble upon your story like I did Bauer’s and write about it!

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“A seismic shift in computing is on the horizon (and it’s not AI)” (CNN)
“College admissions: How the game is shifting” (OPB)
“The ‘Boring Job’ Trend Is Bringing More Financial Security (and Happiness) to Gen-Zers” (The Everygirl)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 3 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

STORY SOURCES

Just got out of prison: now what?

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:00:21 +0000

Welcome to Ask Gorick Anything, Edition #49.

This week's question is: “How do I get a job with a criminal background?”

Keep reading to find out.

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ASK GORICK ANYTHING

“How do I get a job with a criminal background?”

💡 The quick answer: Focus on 3 immediate priorities: 1. Diagnose why what you’re doing isn’t working, 2. Research and target "Fair Chance" and "Second Chance" employers, and 3. Prioritize networking with your former professional contacts.

THE QUESTION

“I was just released from prison this past June. I have no recent job history, no references.

I have a Associates Degree in Business and a lot of transferable skills but my resume sucks because of the employment gap.

When I do get interviews, I interview well, but obviously they pick someone without a criminal history and more experience. There is also this stigma that formerly incarcerated individuals are only good for fast food and hard labor.

Ive had 2 jobs but they both only lasted for 2 months because some of my co workers ganged up on me, made up lies about me to get me fired, even though i was kind to everyone, did my job, and went home, which I guess is very common now, so I can't use that experience.

I had a career advisor help me with my resume but I still can't seem to get a job. Seems like hardly anyone can anymore. I could use any advice you got. I don't know what to do.

This has never happened to me before. Im 39 and I always had a job before I got myself arrested.

Thanks”

—Bethany from Yakima, WA

GORICK’S RESPONSE

Hi Bethany,

Sorry it’s been so difficult getting back on your feet post-incarceration. It sounds like a tough journey.

Unfortunately, you’re right: a simple resume gap is challenging enough to have; having a criminal history makes it even more challenging.

Here are the 10 things that I’d suggest you try.

(Mandatory CYA—defined here—this is not legal advice!)

1. Diagnose your job search “failure point”

First, figure out whether you’re (A) not getting interviews or (B) not getting past interviews.

Review the interview self-assessment I shared with another subscriber to help diagnose your situation.

2. Understand the “Ban the Box” laws

If neither of the above is true for you and you’re actually getting job offers but not passing the background check, then search “Your state” + “Ban the Box law.”

(Psst—Washington state has a “Ban the Box” law per the Office of the Attorney General.)

This should tell you if (A) your prospective employers are following the law and (B) if there are other jobs you should be targeting instead that would be more lenient towards your particular situation.

3. Reactivate your professional network

Get back in touch with any colleagues, mentors, coworkers, and friends with whom you had a good working relationship to see if they can refer you to positions.

View my tips on finding work through referrals that I shared with another subscriber.

4. Search for “second chance employers”

Use Google to find potential employers by typing “companies” + the following search terms:

“Fair Chance”
“Second Chance”
“Felon Friendly”
“Ban the Box”

5. Review curated lists of felon-friendly companies

Review these lists made by others that feature companies that have pledged to lower barriers for formerly incarcerated individuals to get hired:

The Fair Chance Pledge List (from the Obama White House; scroll down for the lists)

Second Chance Companies List (from GEO Reentry Services)

Second Chance Employers Network (from Jails to Jobs)

Felon Friendly Employers (from the United States Probation Office, Northern District of Illinois, but usable for anywhere in the United States)

Second Chance Business Coalition (members list)

Jobs for Felons (from Relaunch Pad)

6. Filter your job search on Indeed.com

On Indeed.com, search for your area and, under the “Encouraged to Apply” dropdown, select “Fair chance.”

7. Attend fair chance job fairs

Search for “Fair Chance and Opportunity Job Fair” + your area and show up looking your best and with copies of your resume in hand.

Learn about my interviewing flashcard scripts in case they’d be a good fit (for anyone who has been eyeing a deck: stay tuned for the Black Friday sale starting 11/25)

8. Demonstrate The Three C’s (and show your potential)

Learn about the Three C’s (defined here) so you can get your foot in the door at a prospective company and…

Say “yes” and do a good job (like the current CEO of Lowe’s—story here)
Build relationships with the higher-ups (like the former CEO of Merck—story here)
Be proactive about solving problems (like the current CEO of Walmart—story here)

9. Consider solopreneurship/freelancing

Consider freelancing (especially if you’ve mastered any repeatable processes in the past).

Review my step by step guide on becoming a solopreneur that I shared with another subscriber.

10. Consider moving

Consider moving if you have permission to do so, you’ve tried the above tactics in earnest, and are only able to get a job elsewhere.

What is “Fair Chance” or “Second Chance” hiring?

It’s a movement in the U.S. to help ex-offenders more easily reintegrate into society by allowing job applicants with criminal histories to show their qualifications before being asked about their criminal history.

Some states have “Ban the Box” laws, which means that employers above a certain size must…

Not ask about criminal backgrounds in the job application until candidates have been given a job offer

Justify why an individual’s particular conviction would have an adverse effect on the job they are applying for

Overlook convictions that are in the distant past

But, even in states (and countries such as Canada and the U.K.) without “Ban the Box” laws, more employers than ever are pledging to help people with criminal histories re-enter society by enacting similar hiring policies.

Hope this helps you out!

See you Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

Want me to answer your own career question?

Ask me here: https://forms.gorick.com/askgorick

WHAT I’M READING

PS: Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“The problem with career planning in science” (Nature)
“First kiss dates back 21 million years, say scientists” (BBC)
“A generation in crisis: Why young people are so unhappy” (EL PAÍS)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 3 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

Simplify the complex

Gorick Ng — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 13:00:20 +0000

One of my favorite tools over the past few years?

Canva.

If you follow me on LinkedIn or you’ve been subscribed to my newsletter for a while, you’ve probably seen at least one photo or graphic that I tweaked or put together in Canva.

So, I’m honestly shocked that it took me so long to write about Canva’s beginnings.

Here we go!

—Gorick

(PS: This isn’t a Canva endorsement, but if anybody from Canva is reading…)

But first, a quick word from today’s sponsor!

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Thank you for supporting the sponsors who help keep this newsletter free. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future edition and getting in front of 35,0000 professionals, reply to this email.

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Make life easier for others.

It’s a surefire way of increasing your likability, whether you’re trying to impress a manager, client, or customer.

THE STORY

A tutor looking to make life easier for her students

It was 2006. 19-year-old Melanie Perkins, a full-time university student and part-time graphic design tutor in Perth, Australia, noticed that her students were struggling to use graphic design software.

“People would have to spend an entire semester learning where the buttons were, and that seemed completely ridiculous,” Perkins observed.

Perkins had an “aha” moment: Why can’t this be easier?

So, with her partner Cliff Obrecht, she launched Fusion Books, a website that lets schools create their own yearbooks “really, really simply.”

Perkins and Obrecht in 2006

But Perkins had a “crazy, big dream”—to create an “all-in-one design platform…on one website” that anybody could easily teach themselves to use.

4 years later (by 2010), Perkins was pitching her idea to investors in Silicon Valley.
Over the next 2 years (from 2010 to 2012), Perkins and Obrecht faced over 100 funding rejections.
In 2012, the platform finally received backing.
1 year later (in 2013), “Canva” was pushed live to the world.

Canva co-founders Cliff Obrecht, Melanie Perkins, and Cameron Adams in 2025 at Canva’s “Uncharted” keynote event

Today, 19 years after Perkins started looking for a way to simplify digital design, Canva has over 220 million users and is used by 95% of Fortune 500 companies.

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

Make life easier for others.

Canva became a massive tech company because it took something complicated–and made it user friendly. (It’s 1 of the 8 forms of innovation I discussed a few weeks ago.)

But being user friendly is just as valuable in your own career, no matter if you’re an employee who needs to “manage up” or a contractor or freelancer who needs to manage clients.

Here are 3 ways to be more user friendly:

1. Setting up a meeting… and want people to reply quickly?

Don’t say, “What time works for you?”
Instead, say, “Do any of these times work for you? (All times in [the other person’s time zone])...”
That way, all others have to do is pick a time (rather than have to type out their own availability)

2. Not sure what to do next… and want to get an answer without a meeting?

Don’t say, “What do I do next?”
Instead, say, “We have X options: A, B, and C. I recommend A because of D. Thoughts?”
That way, all others have to do is say “yes” or “no” (rather than sit on the question)

3. Trying to get introduced to someone… and want others to help you?

Don’t say, “Is there anyone you could introduce me to?”
Instead, say, “Might you be close enough to X to make an introduction? I noticed you’re connected on Y and I was hoping to ask them Z.”
That way, all others have to say is “yes” or “no” (rather than have to think… only to move on to something easier)

(All of these scripts, by the way, go back to demonstrating your Three C’s—and particularly compatibility as noted in the blurb from my book below.)

From The Unspoken Rules, page 109 (Chapter 8: Take Ownership)

What Canva taught me is that it’s not that people don’t want to do something (whether it’s to create beautiful designs or answer your email). It’s that it’s too time consuming.

Make life easy for others!

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“Why High Performers Build Smaller Networks, Backed By Organizational Science” (Inc)
“The Hidden Math of Ocean Waves” (Wired)
“The surprising truth about why some people have better jobs than others” (Fast Company)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 3 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

STORY SOURCES

Getting interviews but not the job

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 14:00:55 +0000

Welcome to Ask Gorick Anything, Edition #48.

This week's question is: “How to help a job seeker who gets interviews but no offers?”

Keep reading to find out.

But first, a quick word from today’s sponsor!

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Thank you for supporting the sponsors who help keep this newsletter free. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future edition and getting in front of 35,0000 professionals, reply to this email.

ASK GORICK ANYTHING

“How to help a job seeker who gets interviews but no offers?”

Use these 2 exercises to diagnose any underlying issues and prepare more effectively.

THE QUESTION

“How do I help someone who has been unemployed for 9 months from the footwear industry(sneakers) and who gets interviews and is still getting interviews but who has not found a. job. I think that they should pivot to another industry. ”

—Sandra M. from Freeport, NY

GORICK’S RESPONSE

Hi Sandra,

To anyone who’s struggling to get a job, my first instinct is to ask:

Is this a resume problem?
Is this a networking problem?
Is this an interview problem?

I ask because…

If someone isn’t getting interviews, it's probably because (a) their resume isn’t good enough, or (b) it was, but the interview went to someone better networked.

If someone is getting interviews but not job offers, they were probably good enough resume- and networking-wise, but someone interviewed better and got the job.

Of course, someone with a stronger resume and connections could still get hired over someone who otherwise performed better in the interview room.

But the fact that the person you’re helping is consistently getting interviews but not offers indicates to me that they have an interview problem, not a resume or networking problem.

If what I’m sharing feels more right than wrong, let’s continue (and if not, please send me a follow-up email if I misread or misdiagnosed the situation at all!).

There are 2 parts to every interview:

The behavioral interview
The job-specific interview

BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW:

Before your mentee gives up, I’d do a mock interview with them and ask them the following questions:

“Tell me about yourself”
“Why you?”
“Why this role?”
“Why our firm?”
“Where do you see yourself in the future?”

Next, I’d ask myself: “Does this person sound Competent, Committed, and Compatible (defined here) enough for me to hire them?”

If my answer is “no” or “not sure”, then I’d have them rethink the substance and delivery of their responses until my answer is “hell yes!”

Why do this exercise?

These are the most commonly asked questions at the start of any interview. And first impressions matter! So, if an interviewee can’t convince their interviewer of their Three C’s from the get-go, the interviewer is unlikely to be interested enough to even pay attention to the rest of the interview.

Did you know that How to Say It®, my flashcards for professional communication, have an interview version? Learn more here: https://www.gorick.com/flashcards/impressive-interviews

JOB-SPECIFIC INTERVIEW:

Assuming your mentee has “hell yes’ed” you with their fit interview answers, their next step is to wow you again with their answers to your job-specific questions (often called a “case interview,” “case study,” “situational interview,” or “technical interview”).

Every job type has its quirks, so I won’t be able to explain how to master every type of interview here.

But! No matter the job type, here’s what I’d do to prepare for the job-specific interview:

Google “most common interview questions and answers” + [role] + [industry / company]

Open up all the relevant tabs

Copy and paste the questions and answers into a document

Use this question bank to test myself

Or, if you’re an AI user, ask your favorite AI tool this:

“I’m interviewing for [role] in [industry] at companies like [insert examples]. Give me the 100 most common technical interview questions I can expect to be asked, the best answers, and why.”

(Note: AI can “hallucinate”, i.e., make up stuff that doesn’t exist—see an interesting article about this below!—so, when in doubt while using an LLM, i.e., a Large Language Model, be sure to click on “Sources” and make sure that whatever questions you’re seeing can be traced back to a half-reputable source.)

Hope this helps get your mentee moving again!

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,

Gorick

Want me to answer your own career question?

Ask me here: https://forms.gorick.com/askgorick

WHAT I’M READING

PS: Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“AI hallucinates because it’s trained to fake answers it doesn’t know” (Science)
“Why the midlife crisis for Millennials looks different from elder generations” (NPR)
"How social norms evolved over time and differ across countries” (Phys Org)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 3 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question

Know who you want to impress

Gorick Ng — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 14:01:34 +0000

Today’s newsletter was inspired by the latest iPhone.

Apple released its most recent model about 2 months ago—and it immediately caught my eye.

Though this edition isn’t like some of my other stories, I hope you’ll still find the takeaway useful for your own career and life.

Like this story? Hate it? Let me know through the poll at the bottom of this email.

—Gorick

But first, a quick word from today’s sponsor!

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Thank you for supporting the sponsors who help keep this newsletter free. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future edition and getting in front of 35,0000 professionals, reply to this email.

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Know what matters to those who matter.

Career success is all about knowing who you need to impress—and what they will be impressed by.

THE STORY

Apple knows its iPhone Pro audience

You’ve probably seen ads for Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro. You may have even gotten one yourself.

And, if you’re like me, the first thing you may have noticed about the 17 Pro is the color: Unlike the iPhone 16 Pro’s neutral palette of silver and black, the 17 Pro comes in a sleek blue and bold orange.

Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro comes in blue, orange, and silver.

Feeling validated that Apple would release iPhones that mimic the color of my book, The Unspoken Rules, I decided to ask some friends for their perspective.

“It’s fire,” said a guy friend. (Fire = awesome in slang.)

“They look so masculine,” said a girl friend. “It feels like I’m looking at the truck version of an iPhone!”

“Is Apple trying to copy the Harry’s shaving cream color palette?” my own wife wondered.

The iPhone 17 Pro’s aesthetics were quickly compared to Harry’s Shaving Cream and the Ram TRX.

Intrigued by the gender split by my admittedly-not-at-all-scientific polling experiment, I decided to dig into the data—and I was surprised by the findings:

According to a 2022 study by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, men are more likely to buy iPhone Pro models than women, with 41% of men opting for the “Pro” models compared to 33% of women.

Then, I asked myself: With iPhone 16 sales lagging, could it be that Apple is doubling down on what’s silently working?

If so, could it be that Apple is subtly trying to attract…

Men to the 17 Pro (with its “masculine” aesthetic)
Women to the 17 (with its “feminine” aesthetic), and
Everyone to the Air (with its neutral aesthetic)?

After all, look at these ads and decide for yourself if there’s a gender skew:

Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro

Apple’s iPhone 17

Apple’s iPhone Air

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

Know who you want to impress—and what they are impressed by.

Everything I shared above is merely a theory.

Nevertheless, success isn’t about pleasing everybody.

It’s about understanding who the real decision makers are and what they care about—and then giving them what they’re looking for.

Before your next big move—whether it’s a presentation, pitch, or job interview—take a minute to define who you want to impress and what actually impresses them by asking yourself 2 questions:

Who is the real decision-maker in this situation?
What do they most want to see?

Cheatsheet!

Your “decision-maker” is likely…

The board of directors (if you’re looking for the top job)
The CEO (if you want a C-suite role)
The SVPs (if you want a VP role)
The VPs (if you want a director role)
The senior managers (if you want a manager role)
The senior partners (if you’re in professional services)
The hiring managers (if you’re looking for a job)
The admissions committee (if you’re looking at college or grad school)
The selection committee (if you’re looking at an award or scholarship)
The investors (if you’re trying to get funding for your idea)
The budget holders (if you’re trying to sell a product or service)

Things your decision-maker might want to see…

Skills (e.g., fundraising)
Knowledge (e.g., supply chain operations)
Networks (e.g., journalists)
Experience (e.g., leading a $X P&L—defined here)
Reputation (e.g., founder with a prior exit—defined here)
Background (e.g., military veteran)
Results (e.g., greater than $X MRR—defined here)
Features (e.g., SOC 3 compliance)

Before long, you’ll realize that you don’t have to be perfect at everything to succeed. You need to be excellent across some dimensions, yes, but you merely need to be enough in others.

Here’s how I put it in The Unspoken Rules, page 112 (Chapter 8 — “Take Ownership”):

Tap here to access the first chapter of my book

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

“How have funding cuts affected early-career scientists’ futures?” (The Transmitter)
“Research Highlights How Your First Job Can Define Career Trajectory More Than Your Major” (Investopedia)
“How to live well for less: Hacks for new grads and the rest of your life” (The Washington Post)

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 3 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

Gorick Ng
hello@gorick.com
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

Follow me on LinkedIn
Ask me a career question