Your career is your
biggest lever for good.
80,000 hours — that's how much time you'll spend working in your lifetime. Choosing the right path can mean the difference between helping hundreds of people and helping millions.
"The most important career decision is which problem to work on — not which employer to join."
— 80,000 Hours, Oxford UniversityIn Somalia's context, this means asking: where is talent most scarce? Which problems are most important and neglected? Where can one skilled person have the greatest multiplier effect?
A policy advisor who shapes one major intervention may do more good than ten direct service workers. A software engineer who builds health data infrastructure at scale may save more lives than a clinic doctor.
Visit 80,000 Hours ↗The INT Framework
Three criteria to evaluate which problems deserve your attention most.
Importance
How many people are affected, and how severely?
The problem affects a large number of people significantly. We consider scale, duration, and depth of impact when assessing this dimension.
Neglectedness
How much attention is this problem already getting?
The more neglected a problem, the higher the marginal value of extra attention. Somalia-specific challenges are often overlooked globally.
Tractability
How much progress can be made with more resources?
Some problems yield dramatically to focused effort. We look for strong evidence that additional talent and funding produces real, measurable change.
Food Security
Digital Infrastructure
Remittance Efficiency
Climate-Resilient Agriculture
High-impact career paths
Four broad archetypes for creating outsized impact in Somalia and beyond.
Research
Generate the evidence base that guides policy and funding. Researchers in Somalia can quantify intervention effectiveness and open access to global datasets.
Policy & Advocacy
Shape the rules governing how resources are distributed. One well-placed policy professional can influence how billions of shillings are spent on public programs.
Entrepreneurship
Build solutions that scale. Social entrepreneurs in Somalia can create businesses that directly solve critical problems while generating employment and sustainable revenue.
Earning to Give
Use a high-income career to fund work others can't. Diaspora professionals earning in hard currency can fund multiple full-time roles in effective Somali organizations.
Your step-by-step guide
Whether you're a student, mid-career professional, or diaspora returnee — here's how to begin.
Read the 80,000 Hours career guide
Free online. The most rigorous research on high-impact careers available. 80000hours.org →
Explore Somalia-specific cause areas
Use the INT framework above to identify where your skills can have the most leverage given Somalia's current situation.
Attend an EA Somalia meetup
Join our Mogadishu chapter. We meet regularly to discuss ideas and support each other's career moves. See community page →
Book a free coaching session
Get 1-on-1 guidance from an experienced mentor. Free for all members. Learn about mentorship →
Browse high-impact job listings
Our job board curates roles in global health, governance, climate, and AI safety. View open roles →