A ridiculously in-depth guide to finding a fulfilling career that does good.

Based on 15+ years of research and what we’ve learned advising thousands of people.

Released May 2026 worldwide.

Preorder now

A ridiculously in-depth guide to finding a fulfilling career that does good.

Based on 15+ years of research and what we’ve learned advising thousands of people.

Released May 2026 worldwide.

Preorder now

A ridiculously in-depth guide to finding a fulfilling career that does good.

Based on 15+ years of research and what we’ve learned advising thousands of people.

Preorder now

Released May 2026 worldwide.

A ridiculously in-depth guide to finding a fulfilling career that does good.

Based on 15+ years of research and what we’ve learned advising thousands of people.

Released May 2026 worldwide.

Preorder now

If you're worried about wasting your life, read this book.
Rutger Bregman
author of Humankind

If this had been published a decade earlier, it'd have saved me many restless nights.
Hannah Ritchie
author of Not the End of the World

Every college grad should read this.
Tim Urban
creator of Wait But Why

Your career is the most important decision you’ll ever make

A typical career lasts 80,000 Hours: 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year, for 40 years. Choose well, and you can have a more rewarding, interesting life, and also help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. Choose poorly, and you could waste decades. So what should you do?

Most advice is based on no research, instead offering (misleading) platitudes like ‘follow your passion.’ It’s surprisingly out of date, focusing on traditional paths rather than those most likely to thrive in an age of AI. And if you want to help others, the advice is even more simplistic: telling you to choose careers like nurse or doctor, when there are paths in which almost anyone can save more lives.

Drawing on 15 years of research, our book introduces a tried-and-tested toolkit that has already led thousands of people to change their path. It covers:

What makes for a dream job?

And why it probably doesn’t involve “following your passion.”

What are the world’s most pressing problems?

And why they might involve AI as much as climate change.

Which jobs will be automated?

And how you can take steps to ensure yours isn’t among them.

Which jobs are highest-impact?

And how you can save more lives than a doctor.

What’s new?

Originally written ten years ago, our book has been fully revised and updated, including:

Updates for the age of AI, with new chapters on the most valuable skills for an AI future and the most pressing AI risks
Expanded practical advice on career planning, guidance on career decisions, and more useful material for people further into their careers
All new design and layout, with fresh data visualisations and cartoons

Why preorder?

Preordering ensures you get your copy as soon as possible after the book launches. It also helps us reach more people, because it increases the chance we’ll hit the bestseller lists and get even more coverage.

We want everyone to be able to access our advice, so it’ll be possible to view the guide online and we plan to give out some free copies later. But if you’re excited to help us help more people find impactful careers, preordering (especially from a physical retailer!) is a great way to support us.

Preorder from your preferred retailer

About the author

Benjamin Todd is the founder and president of 80,000 Hours. Dissatisfied with the career advice he received at university, he began researching the guidance he wished he’d had. Over the next ten years, he grew 80,000 Hours from a student society in Oxford into a non-profit with millions of readers that’s been covered in the Financial Times, Guardian, Wall Street Journal and BBC News. Today the organisation has over 50 staff, and has led thousands to change career path, including people who have helped launch the field of AI safety, taken key roles preventing the next pandemic, and donated hundreds of millions of dollars to charity. Benjamin holds a Master’s degree in Physics and Philosophy from Oxford, and speaks Chinese, badly.

About the organisation

80,000 Hours provides research and support to help talented people move into careers tackling the world’s most pressing problems, via online advice, free one-on-one consultations, a job board, YouTube channels, and podcasts.

Our advice has led thousands to change career path, including people who have helped launch the field of AI safety, taken key roles preventing the next pandemic, and (collectively) donated hundreds of millions of dollars to high impact charities.