Brooks began his career serving as an intern at the National Review. He then worked as a reporter and later op-ed editor for The Wall Street Journal. Brooks moved on from there to serve as a senior editor at The Weekly Standard when it was created. Brooks has also been a contributing editor for Newsweek magazine and The Atlantic Monthly. He often appears as a commentator on National Public Radio as well.

So far in his career, Brooks has authored four books: Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There, On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense, The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, which was a No. 1 New York Times Bestseller, and The Road to Character.

In addition to his journalistic efforts, Brooks teaches at Yale University, is a board member at the University of Chicago, is a board member on the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2015, Brooks spoke at Dartmouth's commencement and received an honorary degree.