To tackle the world’s most pressing challenges, we need to attract the brightest minds. That’s why The School for Moral Ambition is launching a set of highly selective fellowships that pay ambitious professionals to transition into careers dedicated to creating impact. It’s time to redefine success.

A recent study by two Dutch economists revealed that 25% of employees doubt the social value of their work.

These aren’t nurses, teachers, or plumbers, of course. And if you assume it’s mostly government workers, think again: private-sector employees are three times as likely to say their job feels pointless. More often, it’s the bankers, marketers, consultants, and corporate lawyers — those with hefty salaries, polished resumes, and corner offices — who experience this disconnection.

This waste of talent is the greatest waste of time: countless people who could spend their careers improving the world, but don’t.

In his newly published book, Moral Ambition, historian and author Rutger Bregman (Humankind, Utopia for Realists) shares this powerful message. The School for Moral Ambition is bringing this vision to life through a range of programs designed to help ambitious idealists find a more impactful path in their careers and lives.

The world’s most pressing issues

When people start considering their careers, they often begin with what excites them: follow your passion. But at The School, we advocate for a different approach.

“Follow your passion is terrible career advice”, says Rutger. “A better question to start with would be: what are the biggest problems in my community, in my country, and in the world, and how can I make a substantial difference?”

Where do you begin? Start by researching what is at the top of the world’s to-do list. “We made a long list of the most pressing, neglected global issues, and then ranked them,” Rutger explains.

A helpful framework for assessing these issues is the ‘triple-S’ method: problems that are sizable, solvable, and sorely overlooked. This allows you to focus on challenges that are not only urgent, but where your efforts are also most likely to have a significant impact.

Currently, at The School for Moral Ambition, we’re focusing on three critical issues:

First, we believe we must revolutionize the production of proteins and transform the global food system to protect our planet and improve animal welfare. Second, we need to end the harmful effects of the tobacco industry, which claims 8 million lives annually. And finally, to safeguard our democracies, we must address the problem of ineffective taxation for the super-rich, restoring fairness to our tax systems.

Redefining success

It’s one thing to know what needs to be done; it’s another to actually get people to take action.

Too often, the most ambitious people are lured into high-paying, prestigious jobs because they define success by salary, title, and social status. That’s why we believe we need to make working on the world’s most urgent issues prestigious, and ensure that people who choose this path work alongside others who are not only idealistic but also the best at what they do.

Our approach to this is to use a fellowship model: highly selective programs for ambitious professionals, who receive a salary to commit full-time to transitioning into impactful fields. This week, we announced programs for the three focus areas mentioned: the food transition, tobacco control, and tax fairness.

It may be hard to imagine these small, dedicated groups dramatically changing their fields, but our first year has already shown incredible results. Our fellows have founded organizations, published research, spoken in parliaments, built new coalitions, and influenced change in numerous ways.

If you’re an ambitious professional wondering if you could make a difference, we’d say: it’s not as far-fetched as it seems. As the late anthropologist Margaret Mead wisely said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Want to learn more about our Fellowships? Read more and express your interest in applying today.