Strongly endorse this post. I came to the EA movement relatively late in life. And I notice that A LOT of younger EAs are really invested in getting an EA org job, to an extent that makes me uncomfortable. I think this is actually unhealthy for the movement, not just the individuals. But there’s an incentives problem, where the orgs all say “no, people should apply even though it’s super-competitive; let us make the decision about who’s the best fit”, and that really is optimal from the narrow perspective of that org. But especially given the time commitment required to put together a serious application, it doesn’t really account adequately for all time being wasted by unsuccessful job applicants. I can’t blame the orgs for following their incentives, but those of us with a more neutral perspective should probably somewhat discourage the current levels of persistence in applying to EA org jobs, and/or encourage EA orgs to use less time-consuming hiring processes.
A few years ago I told a college-aged EA that I would be inconvenienced but not devastated if the movement collapsed, because as much as I enjoy being a part of it and having people to collaborate with or even just share ideas with, the underlying principles and not the movement are the thing that really matters, and I would still do my best to live up to the principles even if I had to do it all alone. This person was visibly offended by my comment. That’s not a healthy response, and I’ve been worried about the young’uns ever since.
Strongly endorse this post. I came to the EA movement relatively late in life. And I notice that A LOT of younger EAs are really invested in getting an EA org job, to an extent that makes me uncomfortable. I think this is actually unhealthy for the movement, not just the individuals. But there’s an incentives problem, where the orgs all say “no, people should apply even though it’s super-competitive; let us make the decision about who’s the best fit”, and that really is optimal from the narrow perspective of that org. But especially given the time commitment required to put together a serious application, it doesn’t really account adequately for all time being wasted by unsuccessful job applicants. I can’t blame the orgs for following their incentives, but those of us with a more neutral perspective should probably somewhat discourage the current levels of persistence in applying to EA org jobs, and/or encourage EA orgs to use less time-consuming hiring processes.
A few years ago I told a college-aged EA that I would be inconvenienced but not devastated if the movement collapsed, because as much as I enjoy being a part of it and having people to collaborate with or even just share ideas with, the underlying principles and not the movement are the thing that really matters, and I would still do my best to live up to the principles even if I had to do it all alone. This person was visibly offended by my comment. That’s not a healthy response, and I’ve been worried about the young’uns ever since.
I think both matter a lot. I want the principles to be acted upon, and in a coordinated fashion.