Staying in your current job for a bit to help your family (as well as build a bit of runway) makes a lot of sense.
Re future career paths:
If you are interested in getting into policy in your home country: I’m not sure which South Asian country you’re from, if it’s India, I’ve seen some IAS officers getting degrees from top US policy schools. Having such talents joining the civil service sounds like it could have really positive impact, but I’m not sure if working there will be frustrating. It’s probably good to talk to people who have worked there.
Another idea is to get into a non-profit that works in your home country. E.g. I work at IDinsight and in our India office there are a few Indian nationals with degrees from top US policy schools. They work on engagements with governments, foundations and non-profits in India. Having local connections and context seems to really help with this type of work. Some other options including CHAI and Evidence Action. Also there are a number of EA non-profits working in India, like Fortify Health and Suvita. (Probably more in the animal welfare space if you’re interested.)
Doing tech work for socially impactful orgs could be a good path too, e.g.:
(There are probably lots more; these are just some examples I came across.)
Overall, as long as you are not sick of your current job, as it has a good work life balance it seems like a good place to be while you learn about different options (and gives you some financial security). So you’re in a good place to explore!
Hi,
Staying in your current job for a bit to help your family (as well as build a bit of runway) makes a lot of sense.
Re future career paths:
If you are interested in getting into policy in your home country: I’m not sure which South Asian country you’re from, if it’s India, I’ve seen some IAS officers getting degrees from top US policy schools. Having such talents joining the civil service sounds like it could have really positive impact, but I’m not sure if working there will be frustrating. It’s probably good to talk to people who have worked there.
Another idea is to get into a non-profit that works in your home country. E.g. I work at IDinsight and in our India office there are a few Indian nationals with degrees from top US policy schools. They work on engagements with governments, foundations and non-profits in India. Having local connections and context seems to really help with this type of work. Some other options including CHAI and Evidence Action. Also there are a number of EA non-profits working in India, like Fortify Health and Suvita. (Probably more in the animal welfare space if you’re interested.)
Doing tech work for socially impactful orgs could be a good path too, e.g.:
https://www.macro-eyes.com/
https://www.unicefinnovationfund.org/portfolio
https://auderenow.org/
https://www.descarteslabs.com/
https://www.atlasai.co/
(There are probably lots more; these are just some examples I came across.)
Overall, as long as you are not sick of your current job, as it has a good work life balance it seems like a good place to be while you learn about different options (and gives you some financial security). So you’re in a good place to explore!