One thing I’ve noticed is that direct work tends to put you much more in contact with reality (for lack of a better term) than community-building; it’s much easier to see what you’re accomplishing and what is and isn’t working. This can be especially important for people trying to build and/or demonstrate skills.
I strongly second this. This doesn’t even have to mean direct EA work—I think you learn a lot even by volunteering for non-EA causes (a few hours knocking on doors for a political candidate, an evening at a soup kitchen, etc.). It’s good to see how nonprofits of all stripes organize their events and volunteers, and also good to be able to discuss the different nonprofit experiences you’ve had. (It’s easy to come across as “do-nothing philosopher idly speculating” when you talk about EA with someone who spends every weekend volunteering, and that’s not a good look.)
One thing I’ve noticed is that direct work tends to put you much more in contact with reality (for lack of a better term) than community-building; it’s much easier to see what you’re accomplishing and what is and isn’t working. This can be especially important for people trying to build and/or demonstrate skills.
I strongly second this. This doesn’t even have to mean direct EA work—I think you learn a lot even by volunteering for non-EA causes (a few hours knocking on doors for a political candidate, an evening at a soup kitchen, etc.). It’s good to see how nonprofits of all stripes organize their events and volunteers, and also good to be able to discuss the different nonprofit experiences you’ve had. (It’s easy to come across as “do-nothing philosopher idly speculating” when you talk about EA with someone who spends every weekend volunteering, and that’s not a good look.)