My EA Journey

Summary:

This is the story of my EA journey. Sharing it as I believe that my story could be relevant to others particularly those who arrive in EA mid-career or not having worked on a cause area before.

Background:

Around two years ago a podcast appeared on my spotify playlist. It was one of the 80,000 hours episodes. It piqued my curiosity and after listening to it I wanted to learn more. Listening to some other episodes I realized there are a lot of concepts I don't understand so that drove me to look for more resources online. Up until that point I have not come across EA. I had a broad interest in global health & development, philanthropy and doing good but no practical insight how to go about this. I started reading about EA online, then signed up for the virtual intro fellowship. Within a couple of months I read a few books (Doing Good Better, The Life You Can Save, The Precipice to name a few). I didn't expect that, but soon I started having realizations that would make an impact on my life.

Career:

I work in IT with background in operations and specialize in implementing solutions based on Salesforce platform for organizations. For years I have been working with organizations that I didn't feel particularly aligned with. I kind of accepted the reality that my work is not where my passion is and had other hobbies and interests which I was excited about. The realization that I could use my skills and expertise to do something impactful and meaningful was an important one. I figured out that sooner or later I will come across the right opportunity and in the meantime was actively networking. Here's a post I wrote at the time.

Community:

One of the main sources of inspiration for me was the people I met in the EA community and the stories they shared. Being part of such a community dedicated to doing good was something that resonated with me. I found out that where I live (Amsterdam) has a pretty active EA community (including an awesome co-working space) so had a chance to attend meetups, virtual and in-person events, attended a couple of EAGx conferences, signed up to a bunch of Slack spaces and interacted with people from around the world.

Fast forward:

I signed a giving pledge as I felt this is something that makes sense to me.  I applied to a job with The END Fund and started there earlier this year, feeling excited about using my skills to help an highly effective organization in the field of Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Main lessons:

• Initially it may seem that everyone in EA are so dedicated and it makes you feel you're not doing enough. Don't try to be a maximalist! Just do your bit.
• I found people in the EA community to be helpful, and willing to share their experiences, offer advice, point newcomers to a useful direction. (If you would like to chat feel free to reach out here)
• There are many resources out there such as career advice, coaching, specific professional and cause area groups, podcasts. 
• Networking is perhaps the most important aspect if you're looking for a way to get more involved or make a career change. If you happen to live in a place with an active community - check out local events. If you don't - EA Anywhere is a good starting point. EAGx conferences are a great way to learn more and talk to people.
• Don't feel that only highly specialized experts can contribute to making the world better. Each of us has something to bring.
• Go ahead and take the first step - write a post, go to a conference. Who knows, perhaps it will put you on a life-changing journey?