“What I wish I knew when I started out in animal advocacy” by SofiaBalderson

Tl;dr: I identified 15 pieces of advice that I wish knew earlier in my animal advocacy career, and provided personal stories to show how they were relevant in my life. This article will be most useful for early career professionals, especially those considering roles in animal advocacy, and people who like reading personal accounts. Choose work experience over post-Bachelor's education when possible Start doing relevant work, even if unpaid, to showcase skills and test fit Be open to changing jobs for better opportunities, but consider financial security Use current jobs to build career capital for future animal advocacy roles Consider earning to give as a way to support the movement financially Offer concrete skills to solve specific problems when seeking roles Network actively, including with senior people, and learn to ask good questions Seek growth opportunities beyond what your employer provides Don't be afraid to be ambitious [...] ---Outline:(03:38) Getting work:(03:41) Choose work experience over post-Bachelor's education(05:25) Sometimes you just have to start doing something(08:36) Don’t be afraid of leaving your job for other opportunities (with caveats!)(12:42) Your current/next job can be for career capital(14:56) Consider earning to give(18:03) Offer a concrete skill or solution to those who need it(20:02) Maximising your growth(20:06) Speak to people outside of your organisation and learn what's going on in the movement.(22:36) Start building your network as soon as possible (including very senior people) and learn to ask good questions(25:35) Ask your employer to help you grow. If they don’t, help yourself.(26:44) Don’t be afraid to be ambitious (if you want to be) and you don’t always have to follow other people's advice(28:23) Don’t take rejections too seriously or personally(30:37) Invest in improving your productivity(31:30) Logistics and “boring stuff” I wish I knew starting out as an animal advocate(31:37) Spend more time with your family and friends: there is always more work to be done(34:04) Prioritise your physical and mental health(35:51) Even if your salary is low, consider putting money towards your pension, emergency fund, buying a house and other big purchases(36:16) Pension(39:11) Buying a house(41:06) Having a solid emergency fund(41:59) Budgeting and learning how to save moneyThe original text contained 2 images which were described by AI. --- First published: July 30th, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/JtExMoxdkSfiajiwo/what-i-wish-i-knew-when-i-started-out-in-animal-advocacy --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.