80,000 Hours

1. Career decisions shape your life's impact and fulfillment

You have about 80,000 hours in your career: 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year, for 40 years. This means your choice of career is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make.

Career choices matter. Your career decisions have a profound impact on both your personal satisfaction and your ability to make a difference in the world. With 80,000 hours of your life devoted to work, it's crucial to make informed choices that align with your values and maximize your potential for impact.

Impact of choices. The right career choices can lead to:

• Solving pressing global problems
• Personal fulfillment and growth
• Financial stability and success
• Development of valuable skills and networks

Long-term consequences. Career decisions have ripple effects throughout your life, influencing:

• Your daily experiences and happiness
• The people you meet and collaborate with
• The problems you work on and the solutions you contribute to
• Your ability to make a positive impact on the world

2. Job satisfaction stems from meaningful work and supportive conditions

What really matters is not your salary, status, type of company and so on, but rather, what you do day-by-day, hour-by-hour.

Key ingredients for job satisfaction:

• Work that helps others
• Work you're good at
• Engaging tasks that allow for flow
• Supportive colleagues
• Basic needs met (fair pay, reasonable hours)
• Fit with personal life

Misconceptions about satisfaction. Many people focus on extrinsic factors like high salaries or prestigious titles, but research shows that these have limited impact on long-term happiness. Instead, intrinsic motivation and the nature of the work itself are far more important for sustained job satisfaction.

Balancing factors. While meaningful work is crucial, it's important to consider all aspects of job satisfaction. A role that allows you to make a difference but lacks supportive conditions or doesn't fit your personal life may lead to burnout. Strive for a balance that enables you to sustain your impact over the long term.

3. You have the power to make a significant difference in the world

Any college graduate in the developed world can make a major difference to the lives of hundreds of people.

Leverage your position. As a college graduate in a developed country, you have extraordinary opportunities to create positive change. This power comes from:

• Access to education and resources
• Global interconnectedness
• Ability to influence large systems and institutions

Concrete ways to make a difference:

• Donating 10% of your income to effective charities
• Using your political influence through voting and advocacy
• Applying your skills to solve pressing global problems
• Inspiring and supporting others to maximize their impact

Overcome limiting beliefs. Many people underestimate their potential for impact. Recognize that your actions, when strategically directed, can have far-reaching consequences. Embrace this responsibility and seek out opportunities to leverage your unique position for good.

4. Focus on the most pressing global problems for maximum impact

The most pressing problems are most likely to have the following qualities: Big in scale, Neglected, Solvable, Personal fit.

Identify high-impact areas. To maximize your impact, focus on problems that are:

• Large in scale: affecting many people or having long-term consequences
• Neglected: receiving less attention than their importance warrants
• Tractable: with clear paths to making progress
• Well-suited to your skills and interests

Examples of pressing problems:

• Risks from artificial intelligence
• Global health and poverty
• Climate change and environmental risks
• Animal welfare and factory farming
• Improving institutional decision-making

Reassess regularly. The landscape of global problems evolves over time. Stay informed about emerging issues and be willing to shift your focus as new information becomes available or as your skills and interests develop.

5. Consider various approaches to doing good, not just direct work

If you could make your career just 1% higher impact, or 1% more enjoyable, it would be worth spending up to 1% of your career doing so. That's 800 hours – five months of full-time work.

Diverse paths to impact. Consider multiple approaches to making a difference:

• Direct work: Solving problems hands-on
• Earning to give: Maximizing income to donate effectively
• Research: Advancing knowledge in crucial areas
• Advocacy: Raising awareness and influencing others

Evaluate your fit. Assess which approach aligns best with your skills, interests, and circumstances. Your highest-impact path may not be the most obvious one.

Combine approaches. You don't have to choose just one method. Many impactful careers combine elements of multiple approaches, such as a researcher who also advocates for policy changes or a high-earner who donates strategically while volunteering their skills.

6. Build flexible career capital to maximize long-term impact

Because technology and the world are changing so fast, being successful requires constantly learning new skills.

Invest in yourself. Prioritize building career capital – skills, connections, credentials, and resources that increase your future impact potential. Focus on developing:

• Transferable skills (e.g., communication, analysis, management)
• Valuable knowledge in promising fields
• A strong professional network
• Financial runway for future opportunities

Aim for flexibility. In a rapidly changing world, adaptability is crucial. Develop a diverse skill set that allows you to pivot between different roles and industries as needed.

Continuous learning. Adopt a growth mindset and commit to lifelong learning. Regularly assess your skills and seek out opportunities to develop in areas that will be valuable in the future.

7. Explore and experiment to find the right career path

To really work out what you'll be good at, you need to speak to people, learn about the options and try things out. The closer you can get to actually doing the work, the better.

Test your assumptions. Don't rely solely on introspection or career tests to determine your path. Instead, gather concrete information through:

• Informational interviews with professionals
• Internships and volunteer experiences
• Side projects and freelance work
• Online courses and skill-building activities

Create a exploration plan. Systematically explore your top career options:

1. Research potential paths thoroughly
2. Identify "cheap tests" to quickly gain insights
3. Pursue more in-depth experiences in promising areas
4. Reflect on your experiences and adjust your plan

Embrace uncertainty. Accept that finding the right career is an iterative process. Be open to surprises and willing to change course as you gather more information about yourself and various career paths.

8. Develop a flexible career plan and review it regularly

Your plan should change as you learn more, but it's easy to get stuck on the path you're already on.

Create an A/B/Z plan:

• Plan A: Your ideal scenario and primary focus
• Plan B: Attractive alternatives if Plan A doesn't work out
• Plan Z: A reliable backup option for financial security

Set review points. Schedule regular times to reassess your career plan, such as:

• Every 6-12 months
• After major life events or career milestones
• When you encounter new information about career opportunities

Stay adaptable. Be willing to adjust your plans as you gain new information and experiences. Avoid the sunk cost fallacy – don't stick with a path just because you've invested time in it if it's no longer the best option.

9. Master the art of getting a job through strategic networking

Employers prefer to hire people they already know, or failing that, to hire through referrals – an introduction from someone they know.

Leverage connections. Focus on building and utilizing your professional network:

• Seek introductions and referrals from existing contacts
• Attend industry events and join professional organizations
• Use LinkedIn and alumni networks to find connections

Demonstrate value. When seeking opportunities:

• Do pre-interview projects to showcase your skills
• Offer to do a trial period or internship
• Clearly communicate how you can solve the employer's problems

Prepare thoroughly. For interviews and networking:

• Research the organization and role extensively
• Practice articulating your key selling points
• Prepare thoughtful questions for your interviewers

10. Join a community to amplify your positive impact

If you become a valued member of a community, you'll gain hundreds of connections at once, because once one person vouches for you, they can introduce you to everyone else.

Power of community. Joining a community of like-minded individuals can:

• Provide support and motivation
• Offer valuable connections and opportunities
• Amplify your impact through collaboration

Effective Altruism community. Consider engaging with the Effective Altruism (EA) community:

• Attend local meetups and conferences
• Join online forums and discussion groups
• Collaborate on high-impact projects

Contribute actively. To get the most out of a community:

• Share your skills and knowledge
• Offer help to others when possible
• Engage in discussions and debates
• Seek mentorship and provide mentorship to others

Last updated: January 25, 2025