Ambitious graduates shouldn't join the organization doing the most good in year one, but rather the one that best equips them with skills and networks. This builds "career capital" that prepares them to achieve far greater impact in years 10, 20, and 30 of their careers.

Instead of predicting the exact arrival of AGI, focus your career planning on the period where your contributions will be most valuable. This shifts the focus from an abstract date to a practical, personal time horizon for action and skill-building, as advised by 80,000 Hours founder Ben Todd.

While AI will eliminate jobs, it simultaneously creates the largest financial opportunity for the under-25 generation in history, bigger than the internet. It is a tidal wave that young, adaptable individuals are best positioned to ride, while older professionals may struggle to pivot.

Instead of lobbying for systemic changes against AI, young people should focus on personal adaptation. This involves continuous skill acquisition, leveraging AI as a tool to gain a competitive edge over established professionals, and maintaining financial flexibility by minimizing debt.

You don't need to be an AI engineer today to contribute later. Strategic career paths include founding any tech company to learn entrepreneurial skills, gaining expertise in fields like diplomacy or forecasting, or joining key government institutions to be ready to integrate these tools when they arrive.

Even if AI progress stopped today, it would take 10-20 years for the economy to fully absorb and implement current capabilities. This growing gap between what's technologically possible and what's adopted in the market creates a massive, long-term opportunity for innovators.

While the prospect of AGI shortens career planning horizons, it doesn't eliminate the value of building skills ('career capital'). A simple calculation shows that if you can spend one year to become 20% more effective, that investment pays for itself within five years, making it a rational choice even under moderately accelerated timelines.

Given the possibility of a rapid AI revolution, traditional long-term investments in human capital (e.g., a 40-year career path) may not pay off. Focusing on shorter payback periods and enjoying the present is a more rational strategy.

In an unpredictable, AI-driven job market, the winning strategy for young people is not to find a stable career path but to maximize their ability to pivot. This requires aggressively acquiring new skills (especially using AI) and ruthlessly minimizing personal debt to remain agile and adaptable.