Marty Nathan Nemko (b.1950) is an American career coach, radio talk host, and columnist.
Born in New York City’s Bronx to Polish Holocaust survivors, Nemko got a PhD in the evaluation of education from the University of California, Berkeley. He has since lived in Oakland, California, and is among the nation’s most sought-after experts on both career and education issues. He has authored Cool Careers for Dummies (2018,) How to Do Life (2012,) What’s the Big Idea? (2012,) and seven other books on career, education, and life philosophy.
Nemko hosted the Work with Marty Nemko radio show 1987–2019 on an NPR affiliate in San Francisco. As a pastime, Nemko is also a playwright, theater actor, director, pianist, and rose breeder.
More than 500 of Nemko’s articles and chapters of his books are available on his website and his blog.
More: Website • READ: Works by Marty Nemko
Long-winded? Constantly ask yourself, “Does the person really need & want to know this phrase?” And keep utterances to <30 sec.
—Marty Nemko
Might you be wise to focus more on self-acceptance than self-improvement? That might even motivate you to self-improve.
—Marty Nemko
If you have a clearly good idea, to avoid getting talked out of it, get input only on how to better execute it.
—Marty Nemko
If you’ve been beaten up in Rounds 1-9, it’s hard to come out for Round 10.
—Marty Nemko
Giving advice makes the recipient feel less efficacious, so weigh that against the benefit your advice will likely yield.
—Marty Nemko
In your desire to stand out from the horde, beware of hyping yourself, your ideas, or taking inappropriately extreme positions.
—Marty Nemko
Don’t confuse tact with cowardice. Sometimes, it’s wise to speak up boldly.
—Marty Nemko
Most of us think ourselves bold, individualistic thinkers when in fact we’re tepid if not downright lemmings.
—Marty Nemko
To disagree without creating enmity: “I can see why you’d X. (explain.) And (not but) I’m wondering if Y. What do you think?”
—Marty Nemko
The desire to be right usually trumps the desire for truth.
—Marty Nemko
Topics: Equality
Far better than a course is self-study + a tutor to get you past your trouble spots.
—Marty Nemko
To boost motivation: what’s your next 1-second task? It feels good to get even a tiny task done, make progress, and maybe learn something.
—Marty Nemko
It’s hard to change people’s work style: aggressive vs passive, hardworking vs moderate. So it may be wise to praise their status-quo.
—Marty Nemko
No matter how brilliant you are, if your style is too intense, most people will dismiss you.
—Marty Nemko
Topics: Legacy, Biography
Key to being liked: While retaining integrity, do more agreeing, amplifying, empathizing. do less arguing, one-upping, yes-butting.
—Marty Nemko
Where at all ethically possible, we must give others hope. Without it, a person figuratively or even literally dies.
—Marty Nemko
Whatever bad awaits, don’t let it spoil the present moment.
—Marty Nemko
Topics: Information
To boost self-esteem: accept you’re flawed like everyone, do what you’re good at, & accomplish: Even little wins boost self-esteem.
—Marty Nemko
The pursuit of happiness is often the pursuit of emptiness. Far wiser is the pursuit of contribution.
—Marty Nemko
Good conversationalists choose a topic that enables each participant to contribute.
—Marty Nemko
Sometimes, a problem has both a rational and an irrational component. It may help to try to solve those separately.
—Marty Nemko
The only God resides within us: It is our wisest attitudes and actions.
—Marty Nemko
I even take care to tear-off single sheets of toilet paper. Because I’m cheap? No. Because it’ll help the environment? No. I just think wasting is wrong.
—Marty Nemko
Just because you can prove someone wrong, doesn’t mean you should.
—Marty Nemko
It all comes down to this: Do good.
—Marty Nemko
A mantra to cure procrastinators: It needn’t be perfect; it needn’t be fun; it just has to get done.
—Marty Nemko
Topics: Procrastination
If you relentlessly pursue a big goal with laser-beam focus, you will likely like your life and be a most worthy person.
—Marty Nemko
If possible, slightly under-schedule yourself. That gives you the time to make your work higher-quality.
—Marty Nemko
What skill of yours has given you the must success? Use it more.
—Marty Nemko
Topics: Failure
When you think you can nail someone with your argument, take a breath & see if you can phrase it as a face-saving question.
—Marty Nemko
Be tough where you must be, kind where you can be.
—Marty Nemko
Facing our parents’ aging forces us to confront our own mortality. It reminds us to appreciate and live each moment wisely.
—Marty Nemko
We dun perfectionism, e.g., as causing procrastination. Yet haven’t your perfectionist efforts yielded the most good & satisfaction?
—Marty Nemko
The most powerful motivator may not be fear—people go back to bad habits after a heart attack. Could it be proving themselves right?
—Marty Nemko
Topics: Politics
People see counselors when they could journal on their own. People take classes when they could read on their own. Why? They’re forced to act.
—Marty Nemko
You can do everything right and still fail, not just once, but overall in life. Luck is more important than we acknowledge.
—Marty Nemko
If someone smiles at you with pursed lips, they’re generally forcing the smile—either because they’re shy or don’t like you.
—Marty Nemko
A resume rarely helps—it’s too filled with chemistry-inhibiting cliche. Write & tell the “resume” that’d reveal your true story & self.
—Marty Nemko
Some people are nice to compensate for not being good.
—Marty Nemko
You’ll likely learn more of enduring value from an hour of wise googling than from any course.
—Marty Nemko
Topics: Learning, Education
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