80000 Hours: Find a Fulfilling Career that Does Good

80000 Hours: Find a Fulfilling Career that Does Good – Benjamin Todd

The average person spends around 80,000 hours of their life working. That is a huge amount of time, and choosing how to use it is one of the most important decisions anyone makes. Yet many people choose careers with little research or guidance. 80000 Hours: Find a Fulfilling Career that Does Good, by Benjamin Todd, cofounder of the nonprofit organization 80,000 Hours, offers an evidence-based guide to making better career decisions.

Based on research conducted by the organization, which advises people on how to find careers that are both fulfilling and have a positive impact, the book challenges common career advice, such as simply following your passion. Instead, Todd explores what research suggests actually makes for a satisfying job, such as engaging work, supportive colleagues, a sense of contribution and fit with your skills, rather than high salary alone.

The book then addresses the question of how to make a difference with your career. Todd discusses how to compare the importance of different global problems, which approaches may have the biggest positive impact, and the different paths people can take, from working directly on important issues and research to policy, advocacy and earning to give. He also offers practical advice on building career capital, exploring options, making decisions under uncertainty and planning your next steps.

Clear, practical and thought-provoking, the book draws on ideas associated with effective altruism, a movement that seeks to use evidence and reason to do the most good.

80000 Hours is a valuable read for students, graduates and anyone considering a career change who wants to find work that is both fulfilling and meaningful.