80,000 Hours Podcast

Serendipity, weird bets, & cold emails that actually work: Career advice from 16 former guests

277 snips
Apr 24, 2025
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ADVICE

Build Transferable Career Aptitudes

  • Focus early career on building transferable aptitudes like management or research skills.
  • These aptitudes apply across causes and increase your effectiveness regardless of career changes.
INSIGHT

Improv Lessons for Doing Good

  • Improv comedy teaches valuable lessons like collaboration and adaptability through embracing others' ideas.
  • Indirectly pursuing goals and trusting processes can lead to more effective, sustainable good.
ADVICE

Test Passion and Reach Out for Help

  • Don’t rule out impact areas just because you suspect low passion; investigate motivation more deeply.
  • Reach out clearly and concisely to people for advice; most experts are happy to help if you make a specific ask.
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