The Local Career Advice Network recently completed a pilot workshop to help group organiers develop and implement robust career 1-1 strategies. During this process we compiled all existing EA careers advice & strategy, and found several open questions. This post provides an overview of the different kinds of careers research one could do. We will write more posts trying to explain the value of the different kinds of research.
Movement-level research
This research identifies bottlenecks in top causes and makes recommendations on specific actions individuals can take to address them.
Risks: The EA movement does not have as much impact as it could, unaddressed bottlenecks impede progress on certain causes, community members don’t know what the top options are an settle for something less impactful.
Non-EA examples: Studies predicting which jobs will get automated
Individual-level research
This research idenitifes best practices, framworks and tips on how to have a successful, fulfilling career. This research could help them find a career that is the right choice for them: that is aligned with their values, that they can excel at, and that they are motivated to stay in in the long-term.
Risks: Causing harm by reducing an individual’s impact in the long-term, or pursuing a path where they don’t have a good personal fit. They might be turned away from the EA movement.
This research identifies interventions that can help achieve both movement-level or individual-level advice. Interventions prioritise
Risks: All of the above if it doesn’t balance between the two.
EA Examples: Animal Advocacy Careers is preregistering a study of their career 1-1 calls, Literature review on what works to promote charitable donations
Non-EA Examples: Research on the effectiveness of coaching/​mentoring.
I think movement-level advice is most useful for setting movement-level strategy, rather than informing individual actions because personal fit considerations are quite important. However, I think this has the consequence that some paths are much more clearly defined than others, making it difficult for people who don’t have those interests to define a path.
A Typology of EA Careers Advice
The Local Career Advice Network recently completed a pilot workshop to help group organiers develop and implement robust career 1-1 strategies. During this process we compiled all existing EA careers advice & strategy, and found several open questions. This post provides an overview of the different kinds of careers research one could do. We will write more posts trying to explain the value of the different kinds of research.
Movement-level research
This research identifies bottlenecks in top causes and makes recommendations on specific actions individuals can take to address them.
Risks: The EA movement does not have as much impact as it could, unaddressed bottlenecks impede progress on certain causes, community members don’t know what the top options are an settle for something less impactful.
EA examples : 80,000 Hours cause profiles, Animal Advocacy Careers skills profiles, Local Priorities Research (More on LPR)
Non-EA examples: Studies predicting which jobs will get automated
Individual-level research
This research idenitifes best practices, framworks and tips on how to have a successful, fulfilling career. This research could help them find a career that is the right choice for them: that is aligned with their values, that they can excel at, and that they are motivated to stay in in the long-term.
Risks: Causing harm by reducing an individual’s impact in the long-term, or pursuing a path where they don’t have a good personal fit. They might be turned away from the EA movement.
EA Examples: 80,000 Hours’ 2017 Career Guide and Career Profiles
Non-EA examples: So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
Advice intervention research
This research identifies interventions that can help achieve both movement-level or individual-level advice. Interventions prioritise
Risks: All of the above if it doesn’t balance between the two.
EA Examples: Animal Advocacy Careers is preregistering a study of their career 1-1 calls, Literature review on what works to promote charitable donations
Non-EA Examples: Research on the effectiveness of coaching/​mentoring.
I think movement-level advice is most useful for setting movement-level strategy, rather than informing individual actions because personal fit considerations are quite important. However, I think this has the consequence that some paths are much more clearly defined than others, making it difficult for people who don’t have those interests to define a path.