Recently I got published an op-ed in The Crimson advocating, sort of, for an Earning to Give strategy.
The Crimson is widely read among Harvard students, and its content runs through many circles — not just those who care about student journalism.
I thought the piece was important to write.
I’ve noticed a recurring trend in conversations about careers here at Harvard: people want to do good, but have no idea how. So either — they give up and “sell out” to a comfy lifestyle, or they follow their passions/work at an NGO/etc. without even considering Earning to Give as a legitimate option.
I’m aware that orgs like 80,000 Hours have moved away from their (original) primary focus on Earning to Give as a career strategy.
But I think, based on folks I’ve talked to at Harvard, it’s still one of the most compelling ways to at least get people on board — it doesn’t require sacrifice of a well-paid lifestyle, but more importantly, it doesn’t require sacrifice of a prestigious career (which is what so many here care about).
80,000 hours also has a set of bulletpoints intended to determine whether you’d be a good fit: https://80000hours.org/articles/earning-to-give/
They ask four questions:
- Do you have high earning potential? (Yes. As I note in the article, Harvard students are lucky enough to be recruited by some of the highest-paying firms in the world.)
- Do you want to gain skills and career capital in a higher-earning option? (Yes as well. Harvard kids want to preserve optionality.)
- Are you uncertain about which problems are most pressing? (Resounding yes. I commonly hear things like “I want to do good for the world, I just don’t know how.”)
- Do you want to contribute to an area that is funding-constrained? (This is fuzzier, I think, seeing as the answer to this question would probably have to come after the last one.)
Anyway, I would appreciate if you gave my article a read. Feedback appreciated!
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/3/26/climaco-harvard-sell-out/
I actually did include a pretty meaty paragraph about the effectiveness of charities (linking this article), and a brief explanation of GiveWell and its mission. Unfortunately we were over the word limit and my editor and I decided to cut it.
Though you're making me wish I'd chopped something else.