The Nonlinear Library EA - The Impact Case for Taking a Break from Your Non-EA Job by SarahPomeranz
Oct 4, 2023
11:22
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: The Impact Case for Taking a Break from Your Non-EA Job, published by SarahPomeranz on October 4, 2023 on The Effective Altruism Forum.
Epistemic status: Speculative opinion piece mostly based on anecdotal evidence from running workplace and professional groups (especially the EA Consulting Network) and hiring. We might be overestimating the value of leaves based on our small sample size, but thought it would be useful to share the idea, some sample case studies, and considerations on when not to take a leave of absence.
Executive Summary
More professionals should consider taking a leave of absence - a paid or unpaid break from their day job. Leaves of absence provide space to reflect on life, recharge, explore EA, and evaluate high-impact career opportunities in a low-risk and intentional way. We know a few people who've found these breaks to be useful in their careers and think they could be useful for more people in similar situations.
Call to action
Consider taking a leave of absence yourself and take one if it's the right fit for you
Share this post with someone who should consider taking a leave of absence
An impact-motivated person who spends time in San Francisco to upskill on AI, connect with the AI community and enjoy the city, courtesy of DALL-E 2.
The problem - it's hard to consider switching while you are working
Working in a job such as consulting, a tech start-up, or a policy role is excellent for gaining career capital and building aptitudes.
It could be the case that you should stick with that job for the long-term - perhaps you have the opportunity to influence policy or you have a lucrative path for earning-to-give. But it's likely that at some point it will be your best option to switch to higher impact work.
However, there are key barriers that make it hard to switch careers while working:
Barriers to considering the questions of "should I switch?" and "what should I switch to?"
Not having the headspace, time, or support to consider your long-term career or cause prioritisation
Barriers to making the best decision
Status quo bias towards the option you're most familiar with as you have much more information on your current role than any other options. You may not even know what other options there might be, and may not be realising how valuable your skills could be in other roles
Cultural influences from your colleague's values and preferences (e.g. valuing job security, job legibility or prestige more and impact less)
Barriers to making a switch
Not having time to upskill in new areas, build your network or apply for jobs (especially EA jobs, which often involve work tests and trials) while you're working full-time
Personal and financial risk of quitting without a new role secured
One solution - take a leave of absence
What is a leave of absence?
A leave of absence is any opportunity that frees up significant time from your day job like unpaid vacation, an educational leave, a secondment, an externship, a sabbatical etc.
Leaves are a great tool for overcoming the barriers to switching into higher impact work. They take you out of your day-to-day environment and can give you both the time and headspace to consider your career, make decisions, and switch if you want to.
Many organisations offer paid or unpaid leaves of absence (e.g. Bain's social impact "externships", PwC's unpaid leave, the UK civil service career breaks). But you may not have even realised it was an option for you.
If your organisation doesn't have a formal leave policy, you might still want to have a conversation with your employer to see whether they'd be willing to give you several months off. If you're considering quitting anyway, they might be open to letting you take some time away if the alternative would be you resigning immediately.
Some leaves of absence are unpaid and...
Epistemic status: Speculative opinion piece mostly based on anecdotal evidence from running workplace and professional groups (especially the EA Consulting Network) and hiring. We might be overestimating the value of leaves based on our small sample size, but thought it would be useful to share the idea, some sample case studies, and considerations on when not to take a leave of absence.
Executive Summary
More professionals should consider taking a leave of absence - a paid or unpaid break from their day job. Leaves of absence provide space to reflect on life, recharge, explore EA, and evaluate high-impact career opportunities in a low-risk and intentional way. We know a few people who've found these breaks to be useful in their careers and think they could be useful for more people in similar situations.
Call to action
Consider taking a leave of absence yourself and take one if it's the right fit for you
Share this post with someone who should consider taking a leave of absence
An impact-motivated person who spends time in San Francisco to upskill on AI, connect with the AI community and enjoy the city, courtesy of DALL-E 2.
The problem - it's hard to consider switching while you are working
Working in a job such as consulting, a tech start-up, or a policy role is excellent for gaining career capital and building aptitudes.
It could be the case that you should stick with that job for the long-term - perhaps you have the opportunity to influence policy or you have a lucrative path for earning-to-give. But it's likely that at some point it will be your best option to switch to higher impact work.
However, there are key barriers that make it hard to switch careers while working:
Barriers to considering the questions of "should I switch?" and "what should I switch to?"
Not having the headspace, time, or support to consider your long-term career or cause prioritisation
Barriers to making the best decision
Status quo bias towards the option you're most familiar with as you have much more information on your current role than any other options. You may not even know what other options there might be, and may not be realising how valuable your skills could be in other roles
Cultural influences from your colleague's values and preferences (e.g. valuing job security, job legibility or prestige more and impact less)
Barriers to making a switch
Not having time to upskill in new areas, build your network or apply for jobs (especially EA jobs, which often involve work tests and trials) while you're working full-time
Personal and financial risk of quitting without a new role secured
One solution - take a leave of absence
What is a leave of absence?
A leave of absence is any opportunity that frees up significant time from your day job like unpaid vacation, an educational leave, a secondment, an externship, a sabbatical etc.
Leaves are a great tool for overcoming the barriers to switching into higher impact work. They take you out of your day-to-day environment and can give you both the time and headspace to consider your career, make decisions, and switch if you want to.
Many organisations offer paid or unpaid leaves of absence (e.g. Bain's social impact "externships", PwC's unpaid leave, the UK civil service career breaks). But you may not have even realised it was an option for you.
If your organisation doesn't have a formal leave policy, you might still want to have a conversation with your employer to see whether they'd be willing to give you several months off. If you're considering quitting anyway, they might be open to letting you take some time away if the alternative would be you resigning immediately.
Some leaves of absence are unpaid and...