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 :))
Hi Libby! I’m glad you’re applying broadly to a range of roles. I think consulting can provide a solid foundation for generalist skills, but if you’re able to find work for a directly impactful organization that aligns with your values, I’d encourage you to consider that. Sometimes these organizations can provide valuable networks, growth opportunities, and context for the pressing problems you care about. In addition, many impactful causes allow you to work on personal projects in your evenings/weekends to upskill if ops isn’t your goal forever (BlueDot courses, personal writing projects, putting work on a GitHub, etc.) Depending on where you work, consulting sometimes provides less work life balance to continue this kind of learning.
Without knowing your specific cause area interests and longer term goals, it’s hard to say more. But I’d encourage you to check out Consultants for Impact’s resources on the pros and cons of a consulting career, as well as 80,000 Hours’ many guides (high impact ops, top problems, etc.)
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 :))
Hi Libby! I’m glad you’re applying broadly to a range of roles. I think consulting can provide a solid foundation for generalist skills, but if you’re able to find work for a directly impactful organization that aligns with your values, I’d encourage you to consider that. Sometimes these organizations can provide valuable networks, growth opportunities, and context for the pressing problems you care about. In addition, many impactful causes allow you to work on personal projects in your evenings/weekends to upskill if ops isn’t your goal forever (BlueDot courses, personal writing projects, putting work on a GitHub, etc.) Depending on where you work, consulting sometimes provides less work life balance to continue this kind of learning.
Without knowing your specific cause area interests and longer term goals, it’s hard to say more. But I’d encourage you to check out Consultants for Impact’s resources on the pros and cons of a consulting career, as well as 80,000 Hours’ many guides (high impact ops, top problems, etc.)