Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: What I wish I knew when I started out in animal advocacy, published by SofiaBalderson on July 30, 2024 on The Effective Altruism Forum.
Tl;dr:
I identified 15 pieces of advice that I wish knew earlier in my animal advocacy career, and provided personal stories to show how they were relevant in my life. This article will be most useful for early career professionals, especially those considering roles in animal advocacy, and people who like reading personal accounts.
1. Choose work experience over post-Bachelor's education when possible
2. Start doing relevant work, even if unpaid, to showcase skills and test fit
3. Be open to changing jobs for better opportunities, but consider financial security
4. Use current jobs to build career capital for future animal advocacy roles
5. Consider earning to give as a way to support the movement financially
6. Offer concrete skills to solve specific problems when seeking roles
7. Network actively, including with senior people, and learn to ask good questions
8. Seek growth opportunities beyond what your employer provides
9. Don't be afraid to be ambitious, and critically assess other people's advice
10. Don't take rejections too personally; persistence often pays off
11. Invest time in improving your productivity
12. Prioritise relationships with family and friends: there will always be more work to do
13. Take care of your physical and mental health
14. Plan for long-term financial security (pension, savings, housing) even on a low salary
15. Learn to budget and save money effectively
Who is this post for?
Early career professionals, especially in animal advocacy. People who like reading personal accounts.
Disclaimer:
Please note that this wasn't intended as comprehensive career advice, it's just my own personal take on what mistakes I think I've made and what I could have done better during my 6+ years in animal advocacy so far. This is the advice I wish I heard in my early twenties. I started my journey at Veganuary, then volunteered and was a contractor for a number of charities, then worked at Animal Advocacy Careers, then started Hive, a community building charity for farmed animal advocates.
Depending on your life and work circumstances all or some of this advice may not apply to you. What worked for me may not work for you, as my journey is the result of a unique combination of my strengths, opportunities and weaknesses. I think overall I'm quite risk-tolerant in comparison to an average advocate, and I spent all my twenties with no significant financial commitments, so that's worth taking into account.
Do critically assess whether this advice will actually apply to your situation (see
Should you reverse any advice you hear). This advice may apply to other causes, not just animal welfare, but since I am working in animal advocacy, I give resources and examples for this cause area only. There may be some hindsight bias because I have been working in the movement for over 6 years and forgot what it's like to be an early career professional. These lessons and tips are in no particular order, but I've tried to organise them in themes.
Acknowledgments:
Thanks so much to Allison Agnello, Constance Li, Kevin Xia, Hayden Kessinger and Cameron King for reviewing this post and providing valuable suggestions. All mistakes are my own.
Getting work:
Choose work experience over post-Bachelor's education
I feel like pursuing post-Bachelor's higher education (e.g. a Master's) may be the default option for people to go, but in many career paths in animal advocacy it is far from obvious that an advanced degree would benefit you. I considered doing a Master's in 2020 and even tried a module. But I've soon realised that direct work experience is considerably more valuable for my career than the formal education I was looking into.
I do think ...

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