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Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller
"Incredibly smart, nuanced, and evidence-based career advice." — Cal Newport, author of Slow Productivity and Deep Work
Have you ever started a new job and felt like you missed a memo everyone else received? Do you struggle with impostor syndrome, confidence, or self-doubt? Or have you watched colleagues get promoted over you despite your hard work?
Most career advice fails because it ignores the unwritten rules of the workplace. They're the secret handshake that separates those who get ahead—and those who get left behind in today's competitive job market.
The Unspoken Rules is the essential career guide for ambitious professionals. It demystifies the hidden currents of the workplace and offers concrete strategies for thriving in any corporate environment.
As a Harvard career advisor, UC Berkeley educator, and Fortune 500 consultant, first-generation college graduate Gorick Ng shares wisdom from over 500 professionals across industries and job types. His evidence-based approach translates these insights into practical strategies, empowering professionals of all backgrounds to level up, managers to achieve peak performance, and leaders to create a more inclusive workplace.
Inside, you'll discover the secrets to fast-tracking your professional development:
- From Onboarding to Promotion: Master the "Three Cs" to decode your boss's evaluation criteria. It is the essential toolkit for those who manage up—helping you stop guessing and start delivering.
- Build Strategic Visibility: Go beyond your resume to demonstrate high-level value and navigate workplace politics so your hard work is recognized, rewarded, and reflected in your salary.
- Unlock Closed-Door Opportunities: Master effective communication at work to demonstrate an ownership mindset, learn how to find a mentor, and build an inner circle of advocates, even if you do hybrid work or remote work.
In today's competitive market, being good at your job isn't enough. You must understand how to onboard quickly, stand out to leadership, demonstrate executive presence, avoid that dreaded Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), and advocate for yourself.
Whether you're starting your first corporate role or seeking mid-career growth, The Unspoken Rules equips you to stop guessing and start taking control of your future by strategically owning your career.
Hailed as "a perfect graduation gift for any student who could use a boost for success in the working world" by the New York Post, The Unspoken Rules has become a trusted resource for early-career professionals—and a book Harvard Business School has gifted to its MBA students as they prepare to enter the workplace.
"This is a must-buy as a gift for someone starting an internship, summer job, or their first professional job . . . His clear, concise, accessible advice will be valuable to anyone who wants to advance their career, whether they are a part-time store clerk, or joining a Fortune 500 company." — Boston.com
"A perfect graduation gift for any student who could use a boost for success in the working world." — New York Post
"…entertaining and informative…" — Forbes
Advance Praise for The Unspoken Rules:
"With practical tips and colorful vignettes of people from all walks of life, The Unspoken Rules is a blueprint for anyone starting their career, entering a new role, or wanting to get unstuck." — Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO, Thrive Global
"Gorick Ng has written an outstanding guide on what school doesn't teach about how to be a top performer at work. Backed by detailed research and filled with relatable stories and practical tactics, The Unspoken Rules will benefit so many people as they begin their careers." — Rich Lesser, CEO, Boston Consulting Group
"The Unspoken Rules is an invaluable resource for new recruits—regardless of background—as they seek to excel. Gorick Ng has written the book I wish someone had given me when I started my career." — Edith Cooper, cofounder, Medley; board director, Slack and Etsy; and former Global Head of Human Capital Management, Goldman Sachs
"We like to think that if our intent is good and we work hard, success will come knocking on our door. If only! In this practical and insightful book, Gorick Ng helps us plot a clear, intentional path toward success." — Julie Zhuo, former Vice President of Product Design, Facebook; author, The Making of a Manager
"We all have a role to play in shaping an economy that works for the many, not the few. With this important book, Gorick Ng is advancing this work, arming disadvantaged people with critical but unseen skills needed to navigate the modern workplace." — Ginni Rometty, Executive Chairman, IBM
"The Unspoken Rules will equip professionals and students alike with skills that are often overlooked in traditional education. Readers will find this to be a very helpful book in the years ahead." — Ratan Tata, former Chairman, Tata Group
"Incredibly smart, nuanced, and evidence-based career advice. If you're just getting started in your professional journey, you absolutely must read this book." — Cal Newport, author, Deep Work and Digital Minimalism
Gorick Ng is a career adviser at Harvard College, specializing in coaching first-generation, low-income students. He has managed new employees at Boston Consulting Group, has worked in investment banking at Credit Suisse, and is also a researcher with the Managing the Future of Work project at Harvard Business School. He has been featured in the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, the New York Post, World Journal, and on CBC. Gorick Ng, a first-generation college student, is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School.
You can find the author at:
gorick.com
linkedin.com/in/gorickng
instagram.com/gorick.ng
twitter.com/gorickng