[Article] “Why and how to keep your options open” by Benjamin Todd

Some of the steps you could take in your career open up a greater range of career options than others. The more paths a steps opens up, and the better these paths are in terms of impact, the more it "keeps your options open". For example, an undergraduate degree opens up a wide range of jobs: it is essential for around 25% of jobs, and an advantage in a huge number of others. By contrast, many vocational qualifications only prepare you for a single career and are of little use elsewhere.

Narrated by AI.

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Outline:

(01:02) Why should I keep my options open?

(02:59) How can I keep my options open?

(03:32) Build flexible career capital

(04:13) Build a public platform

(04:36) Earn and save money

(05:10) Design flexible organisations

(05:31) Think tactically

(06:05) Appendix – An illustration of the importance of keeping your options open

The original text contained 4 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:
October 26th, 2014

Last updated:
October 30th, 2014

Source:
https://80000hours.org/articles/keeping-options-open

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.