The measurable difference a job makes in improving lives or advancing solutions that address specific problem areas. 

More generally, we define “impact” or “kingdom impact” as a concrete change that conforms with God’s redemptive plans to renew our fallen world.

Why does impact matter?: As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors and work toward the flourishing of others. Jobs with high direct impact often address pressing needs in tangible ways.

You can read more about how we define impact here.

Problem areas include:

• Global Poverty

• Preventable Diseases

• Missions

• Politics and Policy

• Climate Change

• Animal Cruelty

• Pandemics

• Nuclear War

There is strong biblical evidence that God cares deeply about each of these problems and strong secular evidence that each of these problems is important, tractable, and neglected. Read more about the ITN framework here.

We recommend using reason and evidence to find the best ways to tackle the world's most important problems.

This concept is called effective altruism.

The name of a career strategy of pursuing a high-earning career (or higher-earning than one would otherwise pursue) with the deliberate goal of donating a substantial portion of one’s earned income.

Why is earning-to-give impactful?: Since the world’s most effective charities are incredibly efficient at using money to save lives (or help in other ways), earning to give can have a larger impact than many careers that help others directly. 

E.g. The average annual income of a person living in the United States is about $60,000. By donating 10% of their income to effective charities such as the Against Malaria Foundation, the average American could save dozens of lives over the course of their career. This is like the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) - the Samaritan uses his resources to care for someone in need.

The skills, connections, and experience a job provides that enhances long-term impact potential. It matters because developing expertise and credibility in your field opens doors for greater influence and effectiveness in future roles.

You can read more about career capital here.

We are referring to the opportunities a job provides to share the gospel and disciple others.

Why does evangelism at work matter?: The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) calls Christians to make disciples of all nations. Jobs with high evangelism opportunities integrate faith into daily work.

We refer to the difficulty of entering and succeeding in a particular career path. Understanding competitiveness is important because it helps in assessing the feasibility of pursuing a specific job, given your skills, background, and resources.

The degree to which a job allows for personal well-being, family commitments, and community involvement such as in the Church.

Why do we think work-life balance matters?: As Christians, we are called to steward our health, relationships, and time. Jobs that offer good work-life balance help maintain a sustainable lifestyle that enables us to serve others.

Please note that each person may prioritise the criteria differently based on their, strengths, and individual circumstances. These rankings aim to provide a holistic perspective, but we encourage readers to prayerfully consider their own path.

Also remember - no job will perfectly score high on all criteria! Identifying the trade-offs you are willing to make is crucial in finding a fulfilling and impactful career.