Philosophers, social scientists and a Nobel-prizewinning economist on how researchers can get satisfaction from their work — and make a difference to the world.

1. Make what you love benefit the world
One conventional framework for thinking about meaningful work is to look for the intersection between what you are good at, what you love, what you can be paid for and what the world needs. Unfortunately, few careers land neatly in the middle of this Venn diagram, says Michaelson, with laboratory work probably falling into the category of worthwhile but underpaid.

Rather than wrestling with whether we should serve ourselves by doing what we love, or instead serve the needs of others, Michaelson says a pragmatic answer is to think about how to turn what you love into something that is beneficial to the world, or vice versa. For a researcher, this might involve directing a passion for artificial intelligence into regulation of the technology, or tilting research on car emissions towards work on low-emission cars. Or it might mean choosing work that is worthwhile — and becoming good enough at it that satisfaction will follow...

...2. Choose a pressing problem
In 2011, University of Oxford philosophy students Will MacAskill and Ben Todd were trying to work out how to pursue worthwhile careers. They found that standard career advice fell short because it didn’t show which path might help the world most. That prompted them to start 80,000 Hours, a careers advisory organization in London, that aims to help students have the biggest positive impact with the 80,000 working hours in their lives (40 hours × 50 weeks × 40 years). It became a foundational group in the worldwide ‘effective altruism’ movement, which seeks the most impactful ways to help others.,,

...3. Be prepared to work behind the scenes
Having an impact when it comes to research often means shaping governmental or other policies. But early-career researchers often don’t know where to start, says Paul Cairney, who studies evidence and public policy at the University of Stirling, UK. Some “don’t even know what impact means, or what is expected of them”, he says...