Thanks for the feedback Constance, that’s great to know!
Emily Grundy
Karma: 375
Prioritisation: A Beginner’s Guide
The Role of Behavioural Science in Effective Altruism
Getting Started with Impact Evaluation Surveys: A Beginner’s Guide
Thanks for sharing this! I really appreciated hearing your personal experience and perspective on this.
I agree that it’s important to consider the realistic counterfactual (maybe that term is already implying ‘realistic’, but just wanted to emphasise it). There’s definitely a world in which I could have spent six months doing something that was even better for my career on the whole. But, whether I actually knew what that alternative was or would have actually done it is a different story.
Your message that almost everything is suboptimal is also really insightful. I agree, and think that trying to pursue the ‘optimal’ path can lead to some anxiety (e.g., “What if I’m not doing the best thing I could be doing?”) and sometimes away from action (e.g., “I’m going to say no to this opportunity, because I can imagine something being better / more impactful”). I obviously still think it’s worth considering impact and weighing different options against each other, but while always keeping in mind what’s realistic (and that what you choose might not optimal in the ideal world).
Thanks again for the reflections, William.
Thanks so much for your comment. I hadn’t thought about that perspective in the context of this post, and will spend some more time thinking on this. It definitely wasn’t my intention to imply malintent—I actually think the opposite, that almost all this advice is provided with good, positive intentions.
I appreciate the prompt to to reflect on this!
I agree Nathan, there’s definitely a lot of content there for future interviews. I’m sure the interviewers will get tired of me saying, ‘Well, when I hiked...’
That makes me very happy to hear, Zan!
I went on a (very) long walk, and it was a great career decision
Yeah I recommend checking that curriculum. I also found it really useful to discuss the content with others (which could be through signing up to the actual AGISF course or finding a reading buddy etc.)
I agree Jenny—I think educational materials, especially those that collate and then walk you through a range of concepts (like AGISF) are really useful.
Thanks for sharing Yonatan, it’s always interesting to hear which barriers are the most salient for different people! I imagine those ones are pretty pervasive, especially with regards to AI safety (I can definitely empathise).
Why people want to work on AI safety (but don’t)
Did you end up writing that intro to EA and would you be able to share it? I’m currently looking for a similar list of examples to use in a talk I’m giving on EA, and it would be useful to read what you ended up with.
I loved this write-up Luisa, thanks so much for sharing! This line made me laugh (and resonated with me quite a bit):
“Sure, that might be the case for people who are really suffering from imposter syndrome, but I’m an actual imposter”
Really interesting topic, thanks for sharing James! I was wondering whether you could share any info about your lit review methods (e.g., how you found your included articles)?
What interventions influence animal-product consumption? Plain-language summary of a meta-review
I’m late to the party but this is a great post. In particular, I think this is really important:
Follow up with the person: Let them know what you changed because of their advice.
I meet with quite a few people to ask for career advice and always try to email them afterward to:
Express gratitude for their time
Dot-point key takeaways
Highlight any ways in which my view point has shifted after meeting with them (e.g., ‘I was thinking of doing X, but now I think Y’)
The intention is that this:
Provides clear examples of what I got from our meeting (rather than just vaguely repeating that it was very useful)
Strengthens the connection
Provides them with the opportunity to correct anything I have misunderstood (e.g., ‘You said that X was a key takeaway, but I actually meant Y’)
Provides an indication of what advice would be useful if talking to others in a similar position to me
Hopefully encourages them to meet with others in the future because it was a positive experience
Makes me feel like I’m giving them a little something back for being so generous with their time
Hi Ajeya, that’s a wonderful idea—I have a couple of questions below that are more about how you find working as a Senior Research Analyst and in this area:
What do you love about your role / work?
What do you dislike about your role / work?
What’s blocking you from having the impact you’d like to have?
What is the most important thing you did to get to where you are? (e.g., network, trying out lots of jobs / internships, continuity at one job, a particular a course etc.)
Thanks so much for this comment, Robert—I appreciate the engagement.
It’s interesting to hear what mistakes you see, and what you’ve experienced as working better.
It sounds like you’re really considering who your audience is – something that I think is crucial. For example, you don’t assume that people (especially those not involved in EA) will be sold by more philosophical arguments. These arguments can work for some, but definitely not everyone. I also agree that having a positive reputation (e.g., being seen as credible and honest) can attract people. Plus, it sounds like you’re cultivating some supportive and cooperative relationships with others which is fantastic.
I think I have a slightly different take on the role of behaviour in your theory of change – I still see it as being quite central. To me, the impact we have always comes back to behaviour. You may not be using the more philosophical arguments to encourage donations, but it sounds like you’re still trying to get people to support the movement (which can involve some level of behaviour) by setting a positive example—a different technique. I also think that getting the charities themselves to be more impactful (Element #2 of your framework) also involves some important behaviour change elements. E.g., The charities need to be aware that they could increase their impact, be motivated to do it, have the resources to do it and so on. Definitely open to hearing push back on any of that!
It sounds like you’ve thought through your approach a lot, Robert—thanks again for sharing.