The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right

by Gorick Ng

Overview

Named one of 10 Best New Management Books for 2022 by Thinkers50

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller

"...this guide provides readers with much more than just early careers advice; it can help everyone from interns to CEOs." — a Financial Times top title

You've landed a job. Now what?

No one tells you how to navigate your first day in a new role. No one tells you how to take ownership, manage expectations, or handle workplace politics. No one tells you how to get promoted.

The answers to these professional unknowns lie in the unspoken rules—the certain ways of doing things that managers expect but don't explain and that top performers do but don't realize.

The problem is, these rules aren't taught in school. Instead, they get passed down over dinner or from mentor to mentee, making for an unlevel playing field, with the insiders getting ahead and the outsiders stumbling along through trial and error.

Until now.

In this practical guide, Gorick Ng, a first-generation college student and Harvard career adviser, demystifies the unspoken rules of work. Ng distills the wisdom he has gathered from over five hundred interviews with professionals across industries and job types about the biggest mistakes people make at work. Loaded with frameworks, checklists, and talking points, the book provides concrete strategies you can apply immediately to your own situation and will help you navigate inevitable questions, such as:

• How do I manage my time in the face of conflicting priorities?
• How do I build relationships when I’m working remotely?
• How do I ask for help without looking incompetent or lazy?

The Unspoken Rules is the only book you need to perform your best, stand out from your peers, and set yourself up for a fulfilling career.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647820442
Publisher:	Harvard Business Review Press
Publication date:	04/27/2021
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	357,760
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

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

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction The Unspoken Rules 1

1 The Three Cs Competence, Commitment, Compatibility 9

Secrets to Getting Started

2 Think, "Let's Give This a Shot!" 21

3 Show Up Like a High Performer 31

4 Be Proactive 41

Secrets to Shaping Others' Perceptions

5 Know How to Tell Your Story 53

6 Manage Your Appearance 69

7 Send the Right Signals 79

Secrets to Getting the Job Done

8 Take Ownership 97

9 Manage Your Workload 119

Secrets to Getting Along With Everyone

10 Read between the People 141

11 Spark Relationships 151

Secrets to Getting Ahead

12 Master Meetings 171

13 Manage Feedback 189

14 Resolve Conflicts 205

15 Show Your Potential 223

Afterword 241

Notes 243

Index 245

Acknowledgments 253

About the Author 263

Editorial Reviews

"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

From the Publisher