Over four million Gen Zers are currently unemployed and AI is eliminating many entry-level roles, making degrees insufficient for many job seekers. Competition for entry-level and unpaid roles in professional sports is exceptionally fierce. Daniel Sung cleaned his college basketball team's laundry, mopped courts, and volunteered as team manager to stand out despite ridicule. Sung secured an internship with the NBA's LA Clippers at 19 and began receiving multiple job offers. Early family immigration experiences helped shape Sung's drive. The case illustrates that doing overlooked work and demonstrating commitment can open rare opportunities in crowded job markets.
Gone are the days when showing a passion in a subject was enough to land an internship. With over 4 million Gen Zers currently unemployed (and AI continuing to wipe out entry-level roles), even a degree is no longer enough to get your foot in door. And in an industry like professional sports, where competition for even unpaid roles is cutthroat, breaking in often takes even more creativity and sometimes, a willingness to do the jobs no one else wants.
That's why Daniel Sung resorted to cleaning his college basketball team's laundry and mopping the court floors to stand out-and he ended up securing a courtside seat to success as one of the youngest interns in NBA history at just 19 years old. "When I was mopping floors, people would come take pictures of me and call me 'mop boy'. I'm a human being. At some point, when people keep laughing it does get to you," the Vanderbilt University scholarship student tells Fortune.
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