In her new book, How to Start, New York Times investigative journalist Jodi Kantor aims to help young people navigate the daunting task of finding a career they love. The book, born from a commencement address at Columbia University, offers practical advice for a generation she describes as “battered” by anxiety and uncertainty.
Kantor was moved to write after speaking to Columbia students who, despite political divisions, shared a common dread about starting their careers. “When everything feels so broken, how do we start? How do we find our life’s work in this environment?” they asked. This question, Kantor says, “seized me” and led to the book, written in early mornings before her reporting job.
The book also emerged from a period of personal transition: Kantor was diagnosed with breast cancer, successfully treated, turned 50, and saw her daughter leave for college. “Tick-tock, do it now, don’t wait,” she recalls. Though known for exposing Harvey Weinstein and investigating the US Supreme Court, Kantor felt called to write an advice book. “If there are five young people in the universe who would be helped by this book, I want to act on that,” she says.
Kantor observes a shift in cultural attitudes towards work, from shows like Parks and Recreation portraying colleagues as family to Severance offering a dark take. She notes that even prestigious university students feel unequipped. The book, aimed at young people but useful for midlife career changers, offers a punchy, wise guide to starting out in a broken-feeling world.
