Benjamin Todd

We don't just mean formal credentials like having a law degree, but also your achievements and reputation.

Or anything else that acts as a good signal to future collaborators or employers.

If you're a writer, it could be the quality of your blog.

If you're a coder, it might be your GitHub.

If you're interested in doing good, how can you show you've cultivated that interest?

Character.

Will this option help you cultivate virtues like generosity, compassion, humility, integrity, honesty, good judgment, and respective important norms?

In particular, will you be able to work alongside people with good character, since that has a huge influence?

These traits are vital to being trusted, working with others, and not doing harm.

They also determine whether, when faced with a high-stakes decision, you'll be able to do what's best for the world.

And runway.

How much money will you save in this job?

Your runway is how long you could comfortably live with no income.

It depends on both your savings and how much you could reduce your expenses by.

We recommend aiming for at least six months of runway to maintain your financial security, while 12 to 18 months of runway gives you the flexibility to make a major career change.

It's usually worth paying down high-interest debt before donating more than 1% per year or taking a big pay cut for greater impact.

How can you get the best career capital?

Get good at something useful.

If we were going to summarize all our advice on how to get career capital into one line, we'd say, get good at something useful.

In other words, gain abilities that are valued in the job market, making it easier to bargain for the ingredients of a fulfilling job, as well as those that are needed in tackling the world's most pressing problems.