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  Some solutions are far more effective than others
  Our list of high-impact careers
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  Fit is more important than you think
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  What is career capital?
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  Coordination and impact
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  Aim higher: a rational case for dreaming big
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- Problem profiles Find out about the world's biggest and most neglected problems.
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  Create a high-impact career plan
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  2017 career guide
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Read the full guide →
Introduction
Your most important decision
Summary
Foundations
A definition of impact
Future generations & their moral significance
Effective altruism
Global priorities
Why problem selection is crucial
The case for reducing existential risks
This could be the most important century
Our current list of pressing problems
Contribution
Which careers let you contribute most?
Some solutions are far more effective than others
Our list of high-impact careers
Personal fit
Fit is more important than you think
Strategy
What is career capital?
How much to explore?
Coordination and impact
Balancing impact and doing what you love
Aim higher: a rational case for dreaming big
Three career stages
Conclusion
How much do careers differ in impact?
Read the full guide →
Go to problems hub →
Top areas to work on
Preventing an AI-related catastrophe
Catastrophic pandemics
Building effective altruism
Global priorities research
Nuclear war
Epistemics and institutional decision making
Climate change
Great power conflict
Other promising areas
Promoting positive values
Space governance
See more →
Go to problems hub →
See all our career reviews →
Key categories of impactful careers
Government and policy
Organisation-building at effective nonprofits
Research
Applying an unusual strength to a needed niche
Communication
Earning to give
List of top-recommended career paths
AI safety technical research
Long-term AI policy
Founder of new projects
Helping build the effective altruism community
Grantmaker
Operations management in high-impact organisations
Research into global priorities
Biorisk research, strategy, and policy
China-related AI safety and governance
Forecasting research and implementation
Sometimes-recommended paths
High-impact but especially competitive
Promising but under-researched
Impactful if you're an especially good fit
Recommended career capital
Steps to build your skills and network
Making the most of your current job
Doing good in any career
How to invest in yourself
See all our career reviews →
See all planning resources →
Create a high-impact career plan
8-week career planning course
Summary
Career plan template
Annual career check-up
Make good career decisions
Make an immediate decision
Improve your decision-making skills
See all planning resources →
Selected topics
Moral philosophy
Skills
Job satisfaction
Anonymous advice
Unconventional advice
What to study
Advocacy
Catastrophic risks
Meta-causes
Priority paths
See all topics →
Top articles from outside our guides
What makes for a dream job?
Best charities to donate to
Misconceptions about effective altruism
High-impact research questions
What are your chances of getting elected to Congress, if you try?
How many lives does a doctor save?
What's the impact of voting?
Advice for undergraduates
All articles →

2017 career guide
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Big picture (105)
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Topic archive: Finance

Subtopics in "Finance":

Asset Management (7)
- Quantitative hedge funds (4)
Investment Banking (8)

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All18
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2022

April

#127 – Sam Bankman-Fried on taking a high-risk approach to crypto and doing good
Podcast

March

Engineering
Career review

2021

October

Earning to give in a high-paying role, such as quantitative trading
Career review

2017

August

#5 – Alex Gordon-Brown on making millions for charity each year by working in quant finance
Podcast

May

How much do hedge fund traders earn?
Blog post
Which industry has the highest-paying jobs?
Article

April

Why and how to earn to give (Updated)
Article

2015

July

Is wealth inequality so extreme that it’s OK to be a ruthless trader?
Blog post
80,000 Hours thinks that only a small proportion of people should earn to give long term
Blog post

February

The Chronicle of Higher Education on who gets ‘elite’ jobs
Blog post

2014

September

Update: In which career can you make the most difference?
Blog post
Why and how to earn to give (First published)
Article

February

Case study: earning to give compared to medical research
Blog post

January

Case study: can I earn more in software or finance?
Blog post

2013

November

Case study: Working in the financial sector to promote a flourishing long-term future
Blog post

October

Why consider becoming a trader?
Blog post

July

Show me the harm
Blog post

January

Trading, donating and charter cities: An interview with Ben Gilbert
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2012

January

Is banking harmful?
Blog post

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80,000 Hours is a project of the Effective Ventures Foundation (England and Wales registered charity number 1149828 and registered company number 07962181) with a registered 501(c)(3) Exempt Organization in the USA (Centre for Effective Altruism USA Inc., EIN 47-1988398).

Please contact us to suggest ideas, improvements, or corrections.

We do our best to provide useful information, but how you use the information is up to you. We don’t take responsibility for any loss that results from the use of information on the site. Please consult our full legal disclaimer and privacy policy.