(about careers)
Note that advisors only committed to answering questions during Career Conversations Week. Don't expect responses past EOD Friday.
As part of Career Conversations Week on the EA Forum, I’ve gathered together some impact-focused career advisors to answer any questions you might have.
Career Advisors from Probably Good, Successif, Animal Advocacy Careers and 80,000 Hours will be online throughout the week to answer your questions. Interested and knowledgeable readers are also welcome to chip in! Leave your questions as comments below.
If your question is about applications at impact-focused orgs, ask some recruiters directly, on this AMA.
Some details on our advisors:
Probably Good is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to helping people build careers that are good for them and good for the world. They offer online guides, a job board, and one-on-one advising, among other services.
Successif offers tailored one-on-one career guidance to experienced professionals interested in transitioning into technical AI risk or AI governance and policy work.
Animal Advocacy Careers bridges the critical talent gap within the effective animal advocacy movement, ensuring passionate, skilled professionals are matched with the roles where they can do the most good. By anticipating organisations’ staffing needs, AAC helps animal‑focused nonprofits accelerate towards their visions, thereby reducing animal suffering worldwide. AAC does this through its free career guide, free online course, numerous blog posts, targeted workshops, constantly updated job board, and one‑to‑one advising calls that empower individuals to transform their careers into powerful tools for change.
80,000 Hours is a nonprofit that helps people use their careers to solve the world’s most pressing problems. They’re currently especially focused on helping people positively shape the trajectory of AI, because they think it presents the world’s most serious and urgent challenges. They provide resources (including a career guide, job board, and one-on-one advising calls) to help people understand the issues, get jobs working on them, and make connections with others doing the same thing. You can sign up to 80k’s career advising here.
The kind of questions you might like to ask:
Don’t feel restricted by this list; it’s just here to get you thinking!
- I’ve recently graduated from university with a degree in computer science, but I don’t want to work on AI. Where can I have the most impact?
- I want to have an impact with my career, but I really just want to dance! What should I do?
- I’ve got five years experience as a digital marketer, but I want to do something that helps animals. Should I volunteer?
Note that we can't guarantee that the advisors will have time to answer every question.
What is your general advice for people with no formal education or qualifications?
It seems to me that most of the career advice, on 80,000h for example, concerns people with a university education or with good financial capital, because they are obviously over-represented in this field. But what advice can you give to ‘blue-collar’ people who would like to have a useful career in line with EA ideas?
As the question is broad and impersonal, I don't know if you have any relevant answers to give.
Thanks for the question! I agree with what Tom Rowlands wrote in his response, and just want to add a couple things. The world is full of neglected problems that cause a lot of harm, and people working in the information economy don't have a monopoly on identifying or solving them. For example, your question reminded me of Jesse Smith's article in Asterisk Magazine about HVAC, indoor air quality, and pandemic prevention. Jesse is an HVAC technician that has been following the EA community and its ideas for years, and I think he thoughtfully applied the framework to his area of expertise. I'd imagine that firsthand arguments like this could help policymakers improve indoor air quality, such as Alex Bores' bill in New York State.
So applying rare and valuable skills to a pressing problem can take many forms. I'm not sure what your version of this is, but I bet there is something. We're lucky that for all its flaws, the internet helps us "work in public" to make our skills legible and apply them to real problems.
Hi,
I am from a lower-middle-income country (Lesotho) and have a Masters in Public Health. I want to use my career to do impactful work related to Health, but there are few organizations in the Effective Altruism community considered as 'impactful' in the country, for example none suggested by Givewell. At the same time, the country faces high unemployment rates if I were to consider having an impact through civil service. Options to do good according to effective altruism feel out of reach for me as a citizen of Lesotho. How do I navigate having an impact in a low-resource setting? Thanks so much.
Thanks in advance for any nudges! I'm a 52yr old with 25yrs experience as a veterinary specialist and have already experienced compassion fatigue/burn out/depression/physical exhaustion as many other ER vets have), and am now semi-retired by starting my own veterinary consulting company (myself and my spouse only, no other employees). I am now 5 years into earning to give (GWWC pledge signed, giving ~$40k USD/yr, expected to continue this for ~10-15yrs). My life goal is to end factory farming. My question: Is there a monetary amount that you would say is "enough" that it would justify continuing to earn to give, rather than investing time in skills development/training to start a not-for-profit or volunteer part or full time in an aligned field? Thanks for providing us (via Magda's post) with the Probably Good's profile on veterinary medicine. I am quite certain that from a mental health perspective, I do not want to spend my time fighting with US policy-makers who support the carnistic approach to our US food system, nor am I willing to immerse myself in research to improve slaughter methods, but possibly could help increase enrichment/happiness for animals who are trapped within ... (read more)
What % of roles are filled with job applications vs other methods (what are the other methods?)
What are some reasons hires did not work out and how did that affect the hiring process?
also posted on AMA with recruiters at impact-focused orgs
I'm curious what advice people have for confused undergraduates. It often feels as if the majority of the career advice is targeted to people who already show promising potential in one form or another, however some people like me might find it especially difficult to figure out their aptitudes and interests at an early level.
I dropped out of high school at some point and was somewhat of a delinquent. I used to do pretty well across the board back in middle school, but I don't think that gives much insight (middle school is not that difficult). My st... (read more)
Switching from strategy consulting to high-impact strategy & ops roles – how to build traction beyond applications?
Hi all – quick background
What I’ve already done
- Applications: ~6 months of targeted apps (80k Hours job board, climate-tech start-ups, i
... (read more)Thank you for doing this!
I am a software engineer with now 10 years of experience. While I think I am doing very well, one of my biggest issues always has been socially: I am a very introverted, anxious person who is immensely stressed out by travel, afterwork and other things that are considered essential for the "family spirit" as some companies like to call it. I can communicate well and get along with people inside the work context, but I need a lot of recharge time, so to speak. While I tried to just get used to it, it exhausted me too much and didn't... (read more)
Hi all!
I’m currently transitioning out of a senior nonprofit marketing and communications role and exploring how to apply my skills toward greater impact. Ideally, I want to be involved in global health, development, or effective giving.
I’ve led multi-channel campaigns, built donor journeys and messaging systems, and advised on org-wide strategy. I’m also pursuing an MBA in Global Sustainable Development and am open to joining an EA-aligned org or possibly founding one.
A few questions I’d love your thoughts on:
- What kinds of roles or orgs could most b
... (read more)As a newcomer and CS undergrad student, I’m considering pursuing a career in safety research. I’d like to know how deeply I need to understand the core concepts of math (linear algebra, probability), machine learning (model training, loss functions, evaluation), and programming (testing, version control, reproducible workflows) to meaningfully contribute to a research project. I’d also like to know how can I succeed as a largely self-directed learner. Which resources should I be using to build and demonstrate these skills?
Quick context: I'm a philosophy graduate aiming to transition into AI governance/policy research or AI safety advocacy. As part of this path, I'm planning to work at for-profit companies to build experience and financial stability during the transition, and I’m seeking advice on which for-profit roles can best build relevant skills.
My question is: what kinds of roles (especially outside of obvious research positions) are valuable stepping stones toward AI governance/policy research? I don’t yet have direct research experience, so I’m particularly intereste... (read more)
Hi everyone, thank you so much for doing this AMA – it’s incredibly valuable.
I’m currently tying to transition into the social impact space after 15+ years leading operations, project teams in sectors like banking, UX/UI, service design and innovation. My background combines private sector experience with community-building and political organising — including managing volunteer teams and co-leading a small political party.
Over the past months, I’ve been exploring the EA ecosystem more intentionally: reading, connecting with people, applying to impact-driv... (read more)
Hi everyone,
I’m Didem Özcakır, currently finishing my Master’s degree in Economics at Koç University in Istanbul. Before this, I completed a double major in Economics and Political Science at Boğaziçi University.
My academic interests are broadly in political economy, development economics, and how public policies, governance, and infrastructure shape social and economic outcomes. Over the next few months, I plan to apply for PhD programs in Europe or the US, aiming for an academic career at the intersection of economics, political science, and policy impac... (read more)
Hi! Thanks for this thread <3
What are your views on insider vs outsider strategy for someone who wants to have an impact on biosecurity/pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response (PPR) policies at the European Union level? - More specifically, how would you compare potential impact between landing a pivotal position in the EU where you could influence policy implementation directly versus for instance creating a think tank focused on advocating for a specific intervention (such as far-UVC)?
I know the short answer is probably 'it depends' (of ... (read more)
I recently (May 2024) graduated with two bachelor's degrees in computer science and philosophy. Currently, I work as a software engineer for a utility company in my home state of Arkansas. I would like to do what I can to have a career that helps effectively. However, as someone born and raised in Arkansas, with all my family and friends here, I'm not really considering moving anytime soon. On the 80k Hours job board, most of the positions prefer relocation, at least for openings with my experience level (even the ones listed as remote). How can someone working in middle America contribute to effective causes without relocating?
Hey, I'm finishing my BCs in Computer Science with Math minor after having some AI experience in industry. I want to get into AI Alignment (AIA) research, either with independent funding, as a Masters / PhD student, or with an AI Company.
To this end, I'm publishing a "self study journal" on LessWrong. Basically giving myself assignments and trying to work up to the quality of AIA research worth funding. I've already developed some of my own research tastes, so I'm not looking for just any AIA position, ideally I can work on directions I am interested in an... (read more)
Hello everyone
My name is Dr. Nnaemeka Emmanuel Nnadi. I’m a medical microbiologist and lecturer at Plateau State University, Bokkos (PLASU), Nigeria. A few years ago, I received some funding to establish a Center for Phage Biology and Therapeutics. While the funds were helpful, they weren’t sufficient to make the lab fully independent or commercially viable.
Over time, I’ve developed a strong conviction that phage therapy holds immense potential for addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Africa. Lately, I’ve been seriously considering leaving ac... (read more)
Hi, thanks to the forum team for running this and thank you to all advisors!
In December I get my MSc in Engineering Physics, where I've gone heavy on statistics, machine learning and mathematical modeling. I've also run several student orgs so I'm an adept administrator and leader. I want to leverage these skills to improve alternative proteins.
Core considerations currently:
- Is it worthwhile to take a few years in conventional food industry to learn their needs and skill up?
- Are any sub-fields (fermentation, cellag etc) in particular need of more engin
... (read more)Thanks so much for sharing your background and questions. It’s great to see someone with a strong technical foundation and leadership experience thinking seriously about contributing to alternative proteins.
I’ll offer a few thoughts based on general trends we’ve seen and conversations with professionals, but I strongly encourage you to speak directly with people working in alt proteins—especially engineers and scientists—who can offer deeper, field-specific insight.
Should you spend time in the conventional food industry?
This can be a valuable path if you’re strategic about it. Some people build strong technical skills (e.g. in process engineering or regulatory work) that are directly relevant to alt proteins. But many others learn these skills on the job within mission-aligned companies. Whether this makes sense for you might depend on which specific roles you’re excited by and how motivated you’d feel in a less impact-focused context. People already in the industry can often share which early-career experiences they found most formative—or wish they’d pursued.
Which subfields are most in need of engineers?
Hiring needs change quickly, so I’d recommend checking in with people on the ... (read more)
Thanks for facilitating this thread! The answers have been illuminating and a great source of resources.
I'm looking to get into AI safety, particularly strategy for reducing existing risk from AI.
I'm a math tutor and freelance software developer with a bachelor's in Software Development and math coursework through multivariate calc and linear algebra. I'm reasonable we'll versed in politics and history and good at strategy games. I write flash fiction on the side.
Which sort roles work on strategy for reducing existing risk from AI directly? Indirectly? What's a good way to get guidance about how to proceed?
Thanks so much! 😊
I’m a journalist researching and writing about democratic reforms that would counterweight or constrain populism. The more I delve into this the more it seems like an urgent priority. I think the incentive structure created by today’s media-political environment encourages politicians like Trump to become more populist and that leads to lower quality governance, with visibly much less well informed people in charge.
But governance increasingly seems like an AI problem to me. If super intelligence is coming quickly it will radically increase the power of som... (read more)
Hello, from Brazil, a low-middle income class. Also, I’m a rising Junior pursuing an Electrical Engineer Degree at NYU (in case there are other students that want to connect), I have been always interested in space. My specific ‘end career goal’ would be working on robotics or AI safety for Space Systems, to make sure the robots and AI being used inside and outside earth can be safe, aligned and prevented from hacked. I do feel sometimes that my major can give me a spike on that field but also I feel a lack of skills mainly related to algorithms. To ... (read more)
Hi, I'm 24 years old. Due to past mental health challenges, there is a big gap in my resume. I just started working as a freelancer in an AI tutor position 7 months ago. Also, I couldn't go to university for the same reason.
My skills include:
Currently, my h... (read more)
What is your general advice for someone wanting to leave their job for one that is higher impact? I have a background in environmental governance (MSc from Oxford, BA from UBC). I’ve worked for an environmental consulting firm for about a year and half, and the lack of organization and reluctance to embrace AI is pushing me to leave.
I’m looking for advice for how to quit my job effectively (what kind of conversations I should be having with my managers), and how to move into higher impact (preferably in person roles). I’ve read the 80k book and have started my career plan (and spreadsheet) but any additional advice would be appreciated :)
Cheers!
Gabrielle
What is your general advice for people who are still in college and wanting to work in EA, but are not geographically in any EA heavy-areas?
I am guessing building career capital, but I guess that means accepting I will throw away my impact if AGI comes in the next 10 years. That is okay, I have pretty uncertain AI timelines. I am living in Texas and doing things like moving to DC / silicon valley would mean losing most of my network.
For reference, I just finished freshman year of electrical engineering. I am considering technical sales as an increasi... (read more)
I am a fully qualified science teacher, took a break to do a PhD in Maths, which will be finishing in the next year or two, then will be looking to get into a longer term career. I have a lot of experience in the education sector, but am very interested in new challenges, broadening my horizon and even looking at the EA sector itself, because I find it all very philosophically interesting too.
I want to maximise my impact and don't have much interest in AI (I find it very interesting in general, unrelated to the EA 'interest').
I enjoy thinking long te... (read more)
Hi there, thanks for making this thread!
I'm considering working towards a career in medical engineering, specifically focusing on either frugal design or biosecurity. My question is, how do I get there?
At the moment I am studying for A-levels in Maths, Physics and Biology, expecting good results at the end of the year. I plan to do an MEng in medical engineering at university, but after that I'm lost.
How should I get the most out of uni? What should I do afterwards? What areas in global health need the most attention?
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi! I'm a 22 year old with a Bachelor's in English with software experience. I have a lot of free time on my hands due to living very frugally.
I'm currently interested in starting up an EA non-profit. I would prefer to help people in impoverished countries because the per-dollar impact would be higher. That said, I don't want to leave my home state and know very little about international development. As such, most of my ideas pertain to the area I live in - such as encouraging people to go car-free to fight climate change or finding more effective ways to... (read more)
What are your thoughts on pursuing a PhD compared to 3-4 more years of work experience? How much career capital is a formal PhD degree actually worth?
This answer might depend a lot on the context, so:
- I have a degree in pure mathematics and that is also where I would potentially pursue a PhD. I have high grades, but not from a top university.
- I am living in Germany and am willing, but not eager, to move to another country in order to maximise my impact.
- I am considering Earning to Give as my most impactful option (though I am far from certain yet). If I do no
... (read more)Hi,
I am a doctoral candidate in the final stages of my studies (finalising my thesis for print and submission at this point). I am looking for advise or maybe a direction on where should I begin from if I wish to pursue a postdoc especially from universities abroad, as my education from my undergrad and doctoral studies has been based in India.
In the last few months I have received rejections from every position/place I applied for. I believe that it is the lack of publications that is putting me behind in all these applications, but I am not sure. I... (read more)
Thanks for doing this! I'm a mid-career policy person currently in what I consider to be a relatively high-impact role in a non-ai cause area. I am good at my job but keep thinking about ai and and whether I should be pivoting to an ai policy role. I've been reading books about ai and I've listened to lots of 80k hours, Dwarkesh, and other podcasts on the topic. I have a strong sense of various threat models from ai but I still don't have developed views on what good ai policy would look like. What should I be reading/listening to in order to develop these views? Do you think it make sense to apply to ai policy roles before my views on optimal policy are well-developed?
Hi! I'm considering various job paths, but the three main ones are consultancy, operations, and M&E roles. I'm in various stages of various job applications for all three, but am facing the question of which career move (my first, having just graduated) will help me the most. Some people have said that consultancy will be the biggest up-skilling and career capital move, but equally some of the ops and M&E roles are for EA orgs which feels like immediate positive impact. I'd love any guidance you can offer for this. Thanks :))
I am fourth year university student getting my bachelors in aerospace engineering (space systems design). Based on my trajectory, and the 80000 hours ranking, I think that I can have the most meaningful impact on problems in space tech and governance.
However, I don’t know how to orient myself within that space. My most notable technical skills are in computer vision and control systems. I would really appreciate some insight on which problems I am suited to meaningfully contribute to, and how I might direct my attention to deepen my impact.
Thanks
Junior Software Developer with 2 years of experience looking to move into pro-animal welfare organization / spaces and happy for any advice Animal Advocacy Careers or other advisors can provide.
First, a little background:
I love my job... (read more)
Hello. I have been working in the AI field for 18 months as an AI trainer. I am a freelance worker for a data company, reviewing model responses, and working to improve the model's ability, helpfulness, and output. Before this, I worked as a freelance marketer and content writer. I moved into freelance work while my children were young and I became a single mother. Before I became a freelancer, I worked as a project manager at a digital content provider.
As my children grow and my time opens up, I would like to return to employment, using my skills as a wri... (read more)
Hi all!
I am 31 years old with background in Biology/Biotechnology and pivoted to the world of Information Technology about 6 years ago with a Master's degree in High Performance Computing & Data Science. I am currently based near Barcelona (Spain) working as a research engineer in a supercomputing research center.
Following on from this EA post, I decided I should identify impactful projects/organizations/people that are are doing exceptional work, and see if/how I could help with them. Can anybody point me to the right direction?
Any help or advice woul... (read more)
I have a fairly long career in IT infrastructure behind me; much of it has been working for banks and a few years ago I decided to try to use my skills for a bit more good. I ended up working for a moderately well-known SaaS company that specialises in helping small businesses.
I've recently quit in order to migrate back to the UK, where I did most of my education and built my career. My specialism these days: I have a lot of experience building cloud platforms and my skillset is biased towards today which is mostly useful to large enterprises: AWS, G... (read more)
What are your thoughts on the seemingly over aching demand but lack of supply for impactful work? It seems like most legs are encouraging highly impactful careers and once people are convinced, are left with minimal opportunities. Are there thoughts on encouraging other routes like ETG or Community Building?
Hi ! This is amazing.
I graduated from the LSE in Political Science and Political Economy and now am a Research Fellow at Stanford King Center in Global Development.I might embark on a PhD but I am not sure which topic to choose from since I want to make sure it is useful for others - esp in the EA space in development. Additionally, a lot of my peers go to the World Bank (DIME) for instance, but does that lead to any impactful jobs? The pro is being surrounded with competent people but the con is you are in a bubble and can’t see right through the tangible help your doing for others. What would be a really good course of action ?
So, I used to be a research scientist in AI/ML at Huawei Canada (circa 2017-2019), which on paper should make me a good candidate for AI technical safety work. However, in recent years I pivoted into game development, mostly because an EA friend and former moral philosophy lecturer pitched the idea of a Trolley Problem game to me and my interviews with big tech had gone nowhere (I now have a visceral disdain for Leetcode). Unfortunately, the burn rate of the company now means I can't be paid anymore, so I'm looking around at other things again.
Back in 2022... (read more)
Hi! I'm quite early in my career (and new to EA), as a 3rd year undergraduate completing a BA in Philosophy and Sociology. I am fairly sure that research (academic, industry or other) would be a good fit for me, and I have browsed through many lists of EA theses to consider whether I would be interested in pursuing any of them. It seems like the list that excites me most is the list here, compiled by Spencer Greenberg. I am very interested in completing a phD in either Philosophy or Psychology, with research interests in areas including moral psychology (e... (read more)
Most impact career advice focuses on AI, animals, or global health. I’d love your thoughts on less-talked-about but highly impactful paths, especially around improving how social systems (like immigration, youth integration, or education) treat children and families.
I’ve spent the last 6–7 years working in early childhood, cross-cultural education, and informal programme insight roles, now transitioning toward more systems-adjacent work (like inclusion, programme relevance, or family wellbeing). How would you assess or prioritise this kind of work from an impact perspective? Are there underexplored roles here that deserve more attention?
How likely is it for someone to obtain early-career transition funding either via Open Philanthropy career transition grant or the LTFF (opens back again in August)? Also, how does someone boost their chances of obtaining such funding?
I have been involved in AI Safety for the past 1 year via a multitude of things (e.g. read Human Compatible/Superintelligence, completed AI Safety Fundamental by BlueDot independently, almost finished all of the ARENA content independently, engaged with AI Safety Hungary as a teaching assistant for their online version of ARE... (read more)
I have a more general question on CVs:
I've always held to the school of thought that you should highlight the things that are most relevant for what you're applying for, and basically leave other stuff out - or refer to eg LinkedIn. I've done quite a lot across different areas, and this now leaves me readjusting my CV constantly! I'm also not necessarily sure I'm cutting the 'right' stuff - how do I know if the hiring team are actually interested in something I've done but they haven't put it in the job ad as a requirement... A friend recently told me they were advised to condense the white space on their CV and add more content to it. What are your thoughts on this?
I'm a recent graduate in political science / economics and am looking for internships/ entry level positions in Madrid or Spain more broadly. Are there any specific high-impact or lesser-known organisations you would recommend? Further, what are your thoughts on the impact of sustainability consulting? It is the area where I have found the most opportunities but fear the greenwashing aspect of consultancy. Thank you for taking the time!
Hi; thanks so much for doing this! So, for a long time I had planned to try to become a congressional staffer in order to do good with my career, with my fallback being working as a software engineer at an organization working on one of the world's most pressing problems. After I finished an undergrad degree in applied mathematics, about 2 years went by, and though I was able to find some work in that time, I wasn't able to get a job on a congressional staff, so I decided to pivot to the software engineer plan. I started a master's program in computer scie... (read more)
Hello! I'm a veterinarian (licensed to work in the UK and EU) with 14 years of experience (treating only dogs and cats). What job could I take on that allows me to work remotely and part-time? I already volunteer lots of my time with a small animal charity in a developing country, but I feel I'm not making that much of an impact. I want to be more useful for animals and/or people!
I'm finishing my MSc in NLP (using LLMs for Information Extraction) this December, and I do not plan to start a PhD immediately afterward. I will probably apply to PhDs in September 2026. Do you have any ideas on what I could do in the roughly 6 months in between that would strengthen my applications?
Additional information: I want to shift my field of study to sustainability/governance and currently lack academic experience in this domain.
Thanks a lot to the advisors and to the forum!
Hello,
I have recently graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in Physics. I have written my dissertation all about how ChatGPT works and also conducted an experiment on its effectiveness at marking physics lab reports. (If interested in reading, I have linked below)
I am really keen to start a career in AI safety, as I believe this is the most pressing matter that we face.
I am based in Manchester and would love some advice on what my next steps should be to choose a career in AI that will make the biggest impact.
https://www.lin... (read more)
What can I do to navigate well in my current place of work where I am being marginalized and faced tribalism. I'm a senior faculty member of the institution but my voice must not be heard because I don't belong to their tribe. I'm altruistic in nature but this is their worst worry. I do work secretly and unnoticed for me to make positive impact or otherwise I face severe victimization and difficulty. Will resigning from the institution be the best option for me? What can I do to continue my career in Aquaculture and Fisheries in this situation I found myself. I need advice
Hi all,
I’m a 25-year-old PhD student (just finished my master's) in Turkey, working in wireless communications, with a focus on signal processing, information theory, and physical-layer technologies. I really love the field, especially the math behind it, and while research is sometimes stressful (more than sometimes), I honestly don’t see myself doing anything else long term.
That said, I’ve been engaging with the EA community recently, and I’m unsure how to connect my work with any of the top EA cause areas. The one that feels closest is AI alignment, but... (read more)
Good day everyone,
My name is Chioma Madelin Ikpeamaeze from Nigeria.
My question goes this way.
I have been searching for job for years now. It seems like all the opportunities available requires AI knowledge. Why can’t companies hire people and train them , for people who are trainable in using AI tools for that specific job?
Secondly, I have 5 years of experience working with humanitarian organizations , under a program( National Home Grown School feeding as a food vendor, feeding Nursery and Primary school pupils ) in my Country. Since the program en... (read more)
Hey everyone,
I am Oğuz, and I am currently a political science/international relations PhD candidate located in Türkiye. My current research plan is to focus on how threat perception in politics works and why we see certain events as more threatening than others (even when the harm is less). Through this agenda, I believe we can improve collective behavior and create political institutions that are more effective at handling existential risks.
Previously, I have done some research work on biological weapons and how threats were framed during the COVID-19 pa... (read more)
Hi! Would any of the career advisors possibly be available for a 1-on-1 call?
I currently work in technical AI governance/safety research. I'm contemplating getting into fundraising or donor advising, as well as some other possibilities, and would love to talk through this with someone.
Thanks for considering! 🙏
What do you think of the world of development finance? How do DFIs, MDBs and associates impact investors/foundations rank with the lens of EA. And with that in mind, what would a corporate position within one of these organisations be a good career?
Progress in understanding the human brain could significantly advance our ability to treat neurological and psychiatric diseases, many of which currently lack effective interventions. Computational modeling and large-scale data analysis are increasingly central to neuroscience, but they are often limited by available computing power.
I want to work on the computer science side of this problem by specializing in High-Performance Computing.
I'm currently an undergrad, doing some research on program autotuning and compilers, which is the closest I can get... (read more)
Hello.
Could you provide advice for someone wanting to work in strategic foresight for social/environmental good? Unfortunately I'm unable to just up-sticks and leave my current role for one paid significantly less (ie do an internship or suchlike) due to mortgage and family commitments. It's also something that my current employers are not supportive of me embedding in my current role.
It seems that most of the courses and vacancies that I see come up are for senior level people. Is there scope for someone, with a good level of education (masters) bu... (read more)
I'm 30 years old and for the past 4 years I'm "my own person" (after a long service in the IDF).
I'm a mid-level+ developer, mostly frontend, and I'm looking into making an impact on our local & global political system.
It can be a political impact also in a broad way, for example minimizing social network disinformation & polarization. The important thing driving me to act is to improve society's democratic institutions and decision-making mechanisms - to be more aligned with social welfare.
Oh, and I finished 1 out of 2 years of M.A in Political Sci... (read more)
Hello!
Thank you for the opportunity to ask a question about career advice here.
I'm 35 years old and currently working in the field of human rights. I lead a project focused on human rights education for teenagers via social media. Recently, I also started a new role as project manager for a project that is developing an ethical AI chatbot.
I began my career as a social worker and, alongside my work, completed two master’s degrees - one in legal philosophy and one in law. During my studies, I worked at a university-based human rights institute, where I gaine... (read more)
Hello
I am a fourth year student of international relations. I am currently interested in research writing but I can’t seem to orient myself on how it works as well as how i can merge it with my career path to do impactful work to the society at large so i don’t know if you can recommend a point which i can start from-maybe online courses or advice .
Anything can go a long way. Thank you
What are things orgs are doing to support working parents?
Can you name orgs you find very supportive of people managing a career and parenting?
Are there programs in EA to support people returning to a career after a parenting/caregiving break?
Some people want to switch to part-time for a few years or indefinitely, take a career break, or need flexible hours to raise kids.
Good day, I've Masters in Public Health and have served mostly as research assistant for several public health projects which have equipped me with research skills. I want to continue in this field as a researcher and I've research ideas that can be useful to solve global problems. I'm not sure how or who to go to in real life to help me on how to achieve this desires. I need advice in this area, thanks.
Do you know any sources of funding that accept outside game strategies like mass protest, social media channels run by citizen journalists, supporting whistleblowers and so on?
All the big EA funders like Dustin Moswkowitz, Jaan Tallin, Dario Amodei, etc still clearly fund inside game strategies.
hi im a recent biotech grad but i have profound interest in ai alignment, cognitive science and computational modelling. how do i make an effective career pivot or shift such that my technical and mathematical fundamentals are solid and i can apply for an allied grad school program. Right now my math and programming skills aren’t up to the mark hence i would like to know an effective route to master it asap.