Of course Warren, hope it’s helpful! I had a strong sense of what each company was looking for before investing time in a project. Usually this was from talking with them first, though in the case of AI Impacts it came from a public call for collaborators on the 80K podcast. I also always submit a normal job application, and usually I would only do a work project after speaking with someone and learning what they’re looking for, which usually comes from the application. (When I have a dream job that I know a ton about, then I’m more inclined to take the time to build a project before sending an application that would be otherwise unimpressive.)

I have only ever successfully applied to organizations of <100 people. My best guess is that large organizations get far more applications per role, have more general purpose hiring needs, and look for more traditional skills and credentials in their applications. Smaller organizations are instead often hiring to fill a very particular need, far more specific than the job title would let on, and will be very impressed by direct proof that you can do exactly what they need you to do. (Also, I’ve mainly applied for part-time remote work, and several large organizations have told me that this was a dealbreaker for them.)

But, an important counterpoint! I would also recommend sending out a bunch of really quick applications to places you’re not even sure you’d like to work. I’d say make these resume-only, no cover letter necessary. Over the course of a few hours you could send low effort applications to a dozen or more job postings, which could realistically lead to an interview. Perhaps you’d then want to invest more time learning about the organization and demonstrating your interest, but in general, EAs seem to be too averse to applying quickly rather than the opposite.

Here’s a great recent post on the topic: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/Fahv9knHhPi6pWPEB/don-t-think-just-apply-usually