A typical question that many PhD students, especially those close to graduation, will have is: should I go into industry or academia?
While this is definitely a choice that depends on lifestyle, career goals, personal motivation, and so on, it is also related to how easy or hard it is to transition from one to the other. A common belief in academia is that once you leave for industry, it becomes much harder to return. This makes the choice feel more like a long-term commitment. In contrast, switching between companies within industry (say, from Google to Apple) is rarely viewed as a major life decision. The tech industry has a culture of mobility, where changing jobs is relatively common and low risk. Because of this difference, choosing between academia and industry often carries more weight and requires more serious thought about long-term options. So, to make an informed decision, it’s important to understand the chances of transition between the two paths.
While apparently it is hard to find statistical evidence for this question, I want to share my two cents, particularly on the advantages and disadvantages of having industry experience, when compared to candidates coming directly from academic backgrounds, such as PhD students or postdocs.
A quick disclaimer: What I’m sharing here is based purely on my personal experience, along with some takeaways I’ve gathered from talking to others. This is by no means a universal guideline that applies to every situation. Also, my perspective comes specifically from working in an industry research lab, where we still publish regularly and stay closely connected to the academic community through conferences, talks, and collaborations with universities. Some of the observations may not directly apply to other types of industry roles, such as software engineer or working at a startup. For additional context, I have a PhD in computer science, and my work mainly focuses on the intersection of HCI, AI, and AR/VR. I mainly applied for faculty positions in computer science departments in the US.
With that in mind, here are some strengths and challenges I’ve experienced personally as an industry researcher considering a move to a faculty position:
Many research labs in industry offer internship programs. These programs often give you the chance to mentor interns and work with them on research projects that aim to be published. In many cases, you can bring in strong PhD students from top universities to work full-time for three months or more on a project that matches your research interests.
If you have the chance to mentor students and publish papers with them, that’s a big plus for your faculty application which can help you stand out. While PhD students and postdocs may also mentor undergrads or junior students, the main advisor is usually still the PI, who is often listed as the last author in computer science field. But when you mentor interns in industry, you are more likely to be recognized as the primary mentor. This kind of experience can make a strong impression in your application materials.
One of the key qualities faculty search committees look for is independence, specifically whether you can define and lead your own research agenda. For PhD students or postdocs, it can be tricky to disentangle their research independence from their advisor’s influence, especially when the work closely follows an established agenda set by the advisor.
In an industry research lab, researchers often have the freedom to identify and lead their own projects (within limits, as these may still need to align with business goals). If your published work clearly demonstrates that you initiated and led the research, it can strongly support your case as an independent researcher.
This is a benefit that may not be obvious on your resume and may not directly improve your chances of getting a faculty job, but it is something I feel I benefit a lot from the industry environment. In industry, you will have the chance to work on larger-scale, cross-functional projects that involve collaboration with people in different roles, such as engineers, product managers, designers, and other stakeholders.
This experience helps you develop strong communication and interpersonal skills. In many cases, you need to explain complex technical ideas to non-technical audiences, quickly grasp key takeaways from people in other domains, and align different perspectives and goals across teams to move a project forward. These are valuable skills that are not always emphasized during PhD training but are essential for a faculty role.
Of course, a direct benefit of all this experience is that you may have stronger connections in industry, especially with your former employer, which could potentially help your faculty career through funding opportunities, or internship positions for your students.
One advantage that people may not immediately realize is that, as an industry researcher, you may have a greater margin for error compared to PhD students or postdocs. Transitioning from industry to academia can feel more like switching jobs between companies. This gives you the option to compare offers with your current position and only accept one if it truly feels like the right fit.
This difference can shift your mindset during interviews. For PhD students or postdocs, applying for faculty jobs may feel like a high-stakes, one-shot deal. As interviews progress, the pressure builds, especially if you feel like you must land an offer. In contrast, industry researchers already have a stable job¹ , so they can approach the process with more confidence. Industry position also gives you the flexibility to try the faculty job market across multiple years. You’re not forced to take the only offer you get if it doesn’t feel like a good match. The academic job market can be random, and sometimes the right opening just isn’t available in a given year. Being in industry gives you the patience, stability, and of course, financial security to try again.
¹ relatively stable job, as layoffs in industry are becoming more common these days.