When Arlina Yang lost her internship at Tesla during the 2024 layoffs, she didn’t see it as the end of the road—she saw it as a new beginning. “I could’ve spent the summer applying to new roles,” she says. “Instead, I built the career resource I always wished I had.”
That’s how CareerNow was born—a newsletter packed with early-career programs, cold DM templates, passion project ideas, and insights from interns and professionals at Fortune 500 companies. Since its August 2024 launch, it’s reached more than 31,000 subscribers worldwide.
As a first-generation Taiwanese immigrant and student from a non-target school, Arlina knows how tough it can be to break into competitive industries. “A lot of students are figuring out their careers alone while balancing school, work, and family,” she explains. “CareerNow is my way of leveling the playing field.”
Her bold, student-centered approach earned her a finalist spot in the 2025 NFTE World Series of Innovation Comerica Quality Education Challenge. The challenge invited young innovators to design a solution that develops platforms or initiatives that teach essential industry skills, enabling youth to participate fully in the economy. It addresses UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education, which focuses on ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all.
For Arlina, stepping into the challenge wasn’t about winning—it was about paying it forward. She saw it as a chance to turn her personal struggle into something that could empower thousands of other students.
“NFTE gave me a platform to share solutions, not just stories,” she says. “It reminded me that real change starts when we build for people like us—people who’ve been left out.”
Now, she’s focused on scaling CareerNow, growing her social media presence, and continuing to share resources with students who need them most. She’s also using her own journey—through LinkedIn, blogs, and personal projects—to inspire others to take the first step.
Her story is a reminder that the real win isn’t in the spotlight—it’s in showing up, starting small, and building something that lasts. To other young women with bold ideas, Arlina shares this message: “Just start. Don’t wait until it’s perfect. Don’t count yourself out before you’ve even tried. Your voice matters—and someone out there needs to hear it.”
What started as a personal pivot became something much bigger: a global resource for students overlooked by traditional systems. “I wasn’t trying to win anything,” Arlina says. “I just wanted to make sure other students didn’t feel as lost as I once did.”
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