Tanya at FHI first took the position of executive assistant to Nick Bostrom. She explained in the 80,000 Hours podcast how very, very valuable this has been for Nick Bostrom’s research—and after that, for FHI operations.
I have, in some ways, done some PA work in the past year. I do think that some tasks are really helpful to take on some mental load off a busy researcher, such as helping with scheduling, answering emails, and choosing between different opportunities. Over time, this PA function becomes more and more those of a “project manager”, with the delegation of some important projects for the researcher and the organization. I believe that, for some weeks, I have saved about 10 hours of work. I also made possible some high-value projects that wouldn’t have been otherwise, measured in above $50K of value.
Being a PA (not in the sense of “research assistant”, but in the sense of personal assistant) requires specific skills and personality traits: organization skills (being super organized with everything), communication skills (notably being excellent at emails), analytical skills (decide to say yes or no to opportunities), and being a generalist ready to roll up their sleeves on many different topics. It is also a role where you are in the shadow and let the other person shine, though there are also plenty of opportunities to grow a skill you’re specifically focused on.
It’s not surprising that many organizations are looking for PAs (80K, CSER, etc) as this role is truly an impact multiplier, and it’s hard to find people that are really excellent PAs.
I would be very excited if more EAs took on this kind of role! If you’re interested, I would strongly recommend doing a few short and longer tests to see if you like the kind of tasks the job entails. Also, anyone reading this: please contact me by PM if you want to talk more about it.
Tanya at FHI first took the position of executive assistant to Nick Bostrom. She explained in the 80,000 Hours podcast how very, very valuable this has been for Nick Bostrom’s research—and after that, for FHI operations.
Thank you for the in-depth response! This seems like a really underexplored path, and I’d like to see (or even make) a full review of the subject. Sending you a PM with some more questions.
Tanya at FHI first took the position of executive assistant to Nick Bostrom. She explained in the 80,000 Hours podcast how very, very valuable this has been for Nick Bostrom’s research—and after that, for FHI operations.
I have, in some ways, done some PA work in the past year. I do think that some tasks are really helpful to take on some mental load off a busy researcher, such as helping with scheduling, answering emails, and choosing between different opportunities. Over time, this PA function becomes more and more those of a “project manager”, with the delegation of some important projects for the researcher and the organization. I believe that, for some weeks, I have saved about 10 hours of work. I also made possible some high-value projects that wouldn’t have been otherwise, measured in above $50K of value.
I think being a PA to someone at the top of their fields (or to someone just doing generally doing extremely high-impact work) is indeed a very high-impact path. It also gives amazing organizational, communication, and analytical skills. If you become a PA, you should probably aim to become a top-notch one (“The Chief of Staff/The Executive Officer”). It’s important to note that this is a tough and high-impact job, that is often undervalued compared to what the person brings.
Being a PA (not in the sense of “research assistant”, but in the sense of personal assistant) requires specific skills and personality traits: organization skills (being super organized with everything), communication skills (notably being excellent at emails), analytical skills (decide to say yes or no to opportunities), and being a generalist ready to roll up their sleeves on many different topics. It is also a role where you are in the shadow and let the other person shine, though there are also plenty of opportunities to grow a skill you’re specifically focused on.
It’s not surprising that many organizations are looking for PAs (80K, CSER, etc) as this role is truly an impact multiplier, and it’s hard to find people that are really excellent PAs.
I would be very excited if more EAs took on this kind of role! If you’re interested, I would strongly recommend doing a few short and longer tests to see if you like the kind of tasks the job entails. Also, anyone reading this: please contact me by PM if you want to talk more about it.
Interesting comment, thanks!
For people who don’t know the latest chapter of that story: Tanya is now the Director of Strategy and Operations at FHI.
Thank you for the in-depth response! This seems like a really underexplored path, and I’d like to see (or even make) a full review of the subject. Sending you a PM with some more questions.