How do I?

It is important to choose a career where you will enjoy and do well, but how do you know what that is? You can start by reflecting on how well you’ve performed in previous roles (assuming they’re relevant to the job you’re interested in) and what that suggests about your suitability. Did you enjoy yourself? Did you have talent for the profession? How do you think you would develop in the future?

If you do not have previous experience, we recommend that you do “cheap tests”. It’s about getting the greatest possible insight into a profession with as little investment of time as possible. Start with the simple tests – it is unnecessary to spend several years on an education if a conversation with a professional is enough to realize that a job is not for you.

Here are some suggested tests:

1. Read up on the profession, for example online, in books or take a short online course that teaches you the basics
2. Talk to people who are already working in the field
3. Make study visits or ask to shadow someone during a working day
4. Take on a small project where you get to test the tasks included in the job. For example through volunteer work, a freelance assignment or an internship. If you are considering doing research – initiate your own research project for a few weeks and see what you think.

It can be particularly valuable to try different career paths if you are young. Investing a few months or years at the beginning of your career to find a job that really suits you is probably something you will get back for several decades.

Our main point is that it’s hard to just imagine how well you’d fit a role. We therefore recommend that you see your options as hypotheses and do tests to get more information about how well they work in reality.

Exercise

Create hypotheses and start testing your options

In previous exercises, you have written down which problems and roles could be promising for you. If not, you can do it now. You can use the “Problem Profiles” on the 80,000 Hours website. If you click on the respective problem profile, there are tips on roles at the bottom.

1. Compile a list of all your career options (roles and problem areas). It could be, for example, “researcher in AI security”, “work with policy linked to biorisks” or “entrepreneur in plant-based foods”.
2. Rank your options according to expected impact and how well they would suit you. Sort out those with the lowest potential.
3. Write down the uncertainties you have about your remaining options and the information you need to evaluate them. For example: Would I enjoy being a researcher? Do I have the opportunity to get a job in the Riksdag? What potential is there in focusing on extreme climate change compared to other problems?
4. Are there uncertainties you can reduce quickly? If so: do it. If you don’t know how you would be comfortable in a certain role, you can for example read 80,000 Hours “Career Reviews” or talk to someone in the field. Update your ranking as you receive new information.
5. Select the 3-5 options that seem most promising. Write down what information you need to make a decision about which one seems best.
6. Write down 1-2 ways to find out that information given your time frame. It may involve initiating a shorter project, taking an internship or starting an online course. Here you can get inspiration on how to proceed.