In the summer of 2016, I decided to continue self- and university training as a software engineer instead of switching to study biotechnology (I was accepted for two bachelor programs). The main influencers of the decision was my high uncertainty in having an impact in the latter case (relative to a much less risky E2G career), made more salient by my chronic depression.
Having been working as full-time software developer in Berlin since summer ’18, I find the job^ de-moralizing, the environment of the “common” people intellectually toxic and my impact in terms of reducing suffering in the world (via E2G in this case) insignificant. I think, dedicated EAs can do better than spending their productive time like this.
If I manage my worsening mental health, I will quite this summer to find a better EA application of my life. (I would like to switch from software engineering to a different field, but due to my Russian citizenship and the official training, I don’t yet see how I could get a visa in any promising country.)
^ The company does media monitoring SaaS business. I felt desperate enough to accept the offer.
My E2G experience:
In the summer of 2016, I decided to continue self- and university training as a software engineer instead of switching to study biotechnology (I was accepted for two bachelor programs). The main influencers of the decision was my high uncertainty in having an impact in the latter case (relative to a much less risky E2G career), made more salient by my chronic depression.
Having been working as full-time software developer in Berlin since summer ’18, I find the job^ de-moralizing, the environment of the “common” people intellectually toxic and my impact in terms of reducing suffering in the world (via E2G in this case) insignificant. I think, dedicated EAs can do better than spending their productive time like this.
If I manage my worsening mental health, I will quite this summer to find a better EA application of my life. (I would like to switch from software engineering to a different field, but due to my Russian citizenship and the official training, I don’t yet see how I could get a visa in any promising country.)
^ The company does media monitoring SaaS business. I felt desperate enough to accept the offer.