Thank you so much, Patrick! I just applied to the career advising program. Reading Moneer's post was also motivating. This was exactly the kind of reality check and information I needed. 

I was going to wait until the website was up so I'd have some proof, but if it could make all the difference, I'll put it on there now. Thank you again!!

Thank you, Joris. I think I've skimmed them before but I'll go back and take a deeper look. I appreciate it! 

I really appreciate these comments, thank you. It does seem like every org I've applied to mentions an epic story of past EA accomplishments under each staff member's bio, as though the entire team has been part of the ecosystem for a decade before joining. Which is of course something to be proud of and motivates me to be part of the team, but adversely does make it seem like I don't fit in, and like there's no way they'd let me start my EA career journey there. 

I've started an EA group in my community since there's not much going on in this area, maybe once that's grown a bit and I can put it on my resume, I'll see a difference.  

As for work tests, despite their length, I don't mind them. I get excited for opportunities to prove myself outside of my resume and interview, and have only received a rejection as a direct result of a work test once so far. Sometimes it feels like the work tests are my best hope since my resume might not make me appear as a perfect candidate. 

Thank you again for commenting!

I really enjoy the question you're asking here. I'd say that you make a good point, and on the surface, it might seem like there's a stronger argument for not giving a moral pass for family time, hobbies, etc.  However, I would imagine this is counter productive in the long run, ironically making it immoral. 

EA seeks to relieve suffering, but why? Just so we can float around and exist? No. In hopes that beings may have fuller lives, to enjoy loved ones, to maintain the freedom and the potential for joy that we should all have a right to. Human history has often shown that when we eliminate these fruits of life, it drives us crazy, and we create unnecessary kinds of suffering for ourselves and others all over again. If we cut out all personal enjoyment, I'd say we're destined to cause more problems, even if we're cutting it out for a noble cause. Not to say we shouldn't be frequently reevaluating ourselves and seeing what other ways we can contribute to EA outside of money, we just need to prioritize a balance. 

It's like that Robin Williams quote in Dead Poets Society, "...And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for".