Grateful for Job Choice

TLDR

When we look across all jobs globally, many of us in the EA community occupy positions that would rank in the 99.9th percentile or higher by our own preferences within jobs that we could plausibly get.^[1] Whether you work at an EA-aligned organization, hold a high-impact role elsewhere, or have a well-compensated position which allows you to make significant high effectiveness donations, your job situation is likely extraordinarily fortunate and high impact by global standards. This career conversations week, it's worth reflecting on this and considering how we can make the most of these opportunities.

Intro

I think job choice is one of the great advantages of development. Before the industrial revolution, nearly everyone had to be a hunter-gatherer or a farmer, and they typically didn’t get a choice between those.

Now there is typically some choice in low income countries, and typically a lot of choice in high income countries. This already suggests that having a job in your preferred field puts you in a high percentile of job choice. But for many in the EA community, the situation is even more fortunate.

The Mathematics of Job Preference

If you work at an EA-aligned organization and that is your top preference, you occupy an extraordinarily rare position. There are perhaps a few thousand such positions globally, out of the world's several billion jobs. Simple division suggests this puts you in roughly the 99.9999th percentile of job preference.

Even if you don't work directly for an EA organization but have secured:

• A job allowing significant donations
• A position with direct positive impact aligned with your values
• Work that combines your skills, interests, and preferred location

You likely still occupy a position in the 99.9th percentile or higher of global job preference matching. Even without the impact perspective, if you are working in your preferred field and preferred country, that may put you in the 99.9th percentile of job preference.

EA Perspective on Job Impact

Benjamin Todd, the president of 80,000 Hours, once noted in an EA Forum comment:

"The point I’m trying to get across is that earning to give to top EA causes is still perhaps (to use made-up numbers) in the 98th percentile of impactful things you might do; while these things might be, say, 99.5-99.9th percentile."

Precise quantification of impact is challenging and depends heavily on your values, but let’s just look within donating to start. About 5% of US private philanthropy goes overseas, so conservatively estimating that GiveWell charities are 2.5x as effective as average international charities, and with the cost per life saved of GiveWell vs typical US charities, you get that GiveWell is ~50x more cost effective than average US donations. Since American households with ~$10 million net worth donate ~$40,000 per year, that’s equivalent to ~$800 per year of effective donations. This is much less than earning to give and most EAs do it (and a large majority of non-student EAs do it).^[2] And yet only about 2% of US households have >$10 million net worth, implying 98th percentile in impact by donations. Furthermore, this is a household versus an individual, and a much lower percent of global households would be worth this much, and you might think you could do even greater cost-effectiveness ratio to average US donations by donating to animal welfare or global catastrophic risk reduction. This does need to be tempered by ways of having impact other than donating, but I don't think you need to donate very much money effectively to get at least 99th percentile globally impact.^[3] 

I think the percentile of job preference is somewhat easier to estimate.

Dimensions of Job Preference

Consider what makes your current job match your preferences:

1. Field alignment - Being in your preferred sector alone puts you ahead of most people globally
2. Location choice - Working in your country of choice adds another significant filter
3. Role fit - Having responsibilities that match your skills and interests
4. Impact potential - The opportunity to create positive change through your work
5. Compensation - Being paid well enough to meet your needs and potentially donate

Each dimension represents a significant filter on the global job market. If you can get all these, it makes your percentile of preference very high.

Gratitude as Motivation

I guess that most readers of the EA Forum are in the 99.9th+ percentile of their job preferences. If that is you, I invite you to reflect on this good fortune. Not to induce guilt, but to:

1. Recognize our fortune - Understanding the rarity of our positions
2. Fuel our commitment - Using this awareness to redouble our efforts
3. Maintain perspective - Remembering our position even during workplace challenges or failing to get an even more preferred job

Conclusion

When you consider all the jobs in the world and where yours ranks by your own preferences, many in the EA community likely occupy positions in the 99.9th percentile or higher. This is something to be genuinely grateful for.

As you reflect on your blessings, consider your job among them. And perhaps let that gratitude inspire how you use this rare opportunity to create positive change in the world. And I would love to hear what percentiles others estimate for themselves in the comments - I’ll add mine too.

1. ^{^}

    Or you could do the exercise for all jobs including things like movie star and president of a country, but I don’t think the percentiles would change that much.

2. ^{^}

    I could only find data from 2020 - is there more recent giving data for EAs?

3. ^{^}

    Though I do think that EAs could comfortably give more-many of them give less than the average American at ~4%.