[Career review] “Academic research” by Jess Whittlestone

Are academic careers a good option if you want to have a positive impact? A review of the pros and cons.

Narrated by AI.

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Outline:

(01:13) Summary

(02:37) Pros

(02:51) Cons

(03:07) Key facts on fit

(03:25) Next steps

(03:49) Recommended

(03:59) Review status

(04:04) What is this profile based on?

(05:09) If you choose well, you can do valuable research

(10:27) Research isn't the only way academics can have a large impact

(10:59) 1. Public outreach

(14:01) 2. Apply your research to problems outside of academia

(18:33) 3. Influencing academia and research management

(23:17) If you're in doubt, it's often worth staying in academia

(23:23) Keeping options open

(24:43) Good backup options

(25:20) The work can be very satisfying

(27:29) What are the main downsides?

(27:33) Highly competitive and low chances of progression

(32:35) Academic incentives aren't always aligned with doing valuable research

(35:10) Lower salaries

(36:17) Long training time

(37:31) Lower flexibility

(38:19) How to assess your personal fit

(38:37) What are the entry requirements?

(39:24) What does it take to excel?

(39:29) Track record

(40:15) How important is intelligence?

(47:17) How much difference does hard work make?

(49:22) What about other personality factors?

(51:24) How to assess your personal fit at each stage of your career?

(55:58) Maximising your impact within academia

(56:03) Which field should you go into?

(56:19) How to establish your career early on

(57:30) Maximising your impact later on

(57:35) 1. Maximising the impact of your research

(01:02:25) 2. Maximising your impact in academia beyond research

(01:04:42) Conclusion

(01:05:31) Think you have a good shot at becoming an academic researcher focused on a pressing problem?

(01:05:56) Learn more

(01:05:59) Top recommendations

(01:06:20) Further recommendations

(01:06:25) Articles and resources

(01:06:54) 80,000 Hours podcasts related to academic careers

The original text contained 37 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:
October 1st, 2018

Last updated:
December 15th, 2023

Source:
https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/academic-research

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.