Transitioning from Academia to Corporate Leadership
April 21st, 2025 by Elizabeth Southerland
A career transition like mine – from being an academic in Philosophy to a professional in technology/pharma. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked questions like: “Philosophy…what are you going to do with that?” and “How did you get into Information Technology (IT) from Philosophy?” Studies such as this one from the Bureau of Labor Statistics attempt to explain the value of a Liberal Arts education. Some of the key benefits highlighted include speaking and writing well, problem solving, and bringing perspective to decision-making. Statistical as well as case studies highlight how individuals with Liberal Arts degrees can be successful in the work force. Interestingly in this study, Philosophy didn’t make the list of assessed disciplines, and none of the common careers-types mentioned for other disciplines approximate what I currently do for work Are such studies helpful in understanding potential career paths for those of us with a Liberal Arts education. Do they adequately justify the value of these degrees?
Are such claims justifiable generally? I don’t know. My story is the only one I can tell.
What Can You DO With That?
My dad was among the first to ask that question. My mom quickly gave him the right answer: “Anything she wants.” Mom didn’t know exactly how – I didn’t know how – but she, as usual, she was well ahead of the power curve. It was a couple of decades later that George Anders wrote You Can Do Anything: The Surprising Power of a “Useless” Liberal Arts Education. Dad wasn’t wrong—funding the degree turned out to be a challenge. Dad just didn’t realize that taking the road less traveled could take me to lots of nice places.
BLOG: Mentoring: The art of engaging students early and often in their careers
As liberal arts education costs continue to rise, so the idea dies. The number of graduates in the humanities declined from 28.6%. The pandemic made things even worse. This is nothing new or particularly terrible: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines and vocational training – as well as the school of hard knocks – can all pave rich paths in the vast forest of options, including leadership jobs. However, the bias and continuing trend which doesn’t favor the value of the liberal arts is misguided: it poses a false dichotomy between making money and learning for the sake of learning, which is misconceived at best.
After completing my undergraduate degree in English, I earned a master’s degree in Philosophy and pursued a Ph.D. at Boston College. I got to learn broadly and think deeply, explore beyond fixed bounds, and perhaps most valuably I got to teach at universities including Rochester Institute of Technology. Yes, an institute of technology. I had the gall to teach Wittgenstein in intro courses and the opportunity to teach a course in the Philosophy of Science at a technology-focused university… learning just a step ahead of my students.
One reason I left Philosophy as a discipline is that, by and large, it’s derivative. My experience has shown me that original thinking is essential for leadership – be it in the academic or corporate environment. Further, thinking needs to do something, to get somewhere. Super simple, super powerful. Like corporate roadmaps, only trails that get trod have value.
One catch to the trail: you have to actually get the education, not just get the degree.
How – and WHY?
My snarky comeback on this: I was (surprisingly enough!) broke. But that’s not the whole story. Turns out there is not a large market for Philosophy professors, especially without a Ph.D. I didn’t want to live on ramen in the tundra, so at some point it did in fact come down to money (this is where Dad was right).
I took what I had – my abilities to write and teach, and moreover a well-developed ability to learn. I didn’t even know how to wield a spreadsheet when I was fortunate to land a 6-month contract gig for a pharma company. Starting as a technical writer and corporate trainer, I ended up becoming a systems implementation specialist and, in the heyday of CFR 21 Part 11, designed risk-based approaches to computer systems validation from the world where we generated, printed and signed every page of the tests, which at the time were measured by the pound.
I learned to use spreadsheets and much more. I fell in love with the intricacies of the industry as well as the challenges of ever-changing technology. So, that 6-month contract turned into a 20-year career (so far). Upshot: I learned much and got the opportunity to learn more and more.
Make it Simple
Tech and pharma – and their intersection – can be deep and complicated…not unlike dense philosophical texts. One of the best leadership tactics is boiling to doable without losing the point. I’m known for saying things like: “maybe I don’t understand…but isn’t it just…?” and it usually is.
Anecdotally, my take on Wittgenstein, if I were to write my dissertation, is:
- That of which we cannot speak, we must pass over in silence.
- Everything exists between zero and one.
- Frameworks get us by in this world.
- Logic, metaphysics, and ethics are not fundamentally different.
BLOG: That Science CV into a Resume for the Real World!
Theoretical physicists and mathematicians don’t disagree…but personally I’ll stick to “isn’t it just…” and avoid the footnotes.
Tools for the Trade
The main points I can offer from my personal experience – whether in a professional or academic dimension – that benefit us in the real world:
- Know your assets: learning leads the pack
- Asking questions: this is how to go from thought to action in the main
- Innovation: knowledge + lack-thereof makes new ideas and outcomes
- Versatility: the one who can figure out the new thing gets the gig
- Ambiguity: is a fact; dealing with it is empowered by expecting the unknown
It’s Not All Academic…
Though some of it is, even in the professional domain. As a lifelong learner, I love its indulgence. Learning can – and must – also move outside the classroom. Technology – while not unique but ubiquitously – moves fast. Staying current is both challenging and rewarding. It’s trendy to call oneself a lifelong learner. To actually do it is an art.
Comments are closed.
