LessWrong (Curated & Popular) “Stop Applying And Get To Work” by plex
Nov 24, 2025
Stop waiting for approvals; it's time to take action! With an overwhelming number of applicants, entry-level positions in AI safety are harder than ever to secure. Instead of focusing on applications, prioritize impactful work directly aligned with your skills. Offering specific help to existing projects can build credibility and showcase your competence. Volunteering your time can be a more effective strategy to make a real difference in the field.
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Prioritize Direct Action Over Applying
- Do stop optimizing for application signals and start doing concrete work that creates value immediately.
- If you have short timelines and financial runway, prioritize direct action over more applications.
Seven Months Spent Applying
- Plex spent seven months heavily focused on applying for jobs and fellowships when transitioning into AI safety full-time.
- The repeated rejections and rising applicant numbers made that strategy discouraging and low-impact.
Applications Signal More Than Skill
- Entry-level roles have become filled with many applicants, making them effectively unreachable for true beginners.
- Applying repeatedly optimizes for signaling rather than building real competence and impact.