I believe that academia and industry both have strong arguments for working in both categories. Academia will definitely give you more time for research because you work on your own schedule. You teach people the basics of your passion and interests while expanding your own knowledge. You have more of an opportunity to help others to become more experienced and successful through academia. There are also some negatives to academia such as spending time grading paperwork, more schooling required to become a professor, a lot of writing required for publications, and you’re also dealing with students who could be difficult to handle sometimes. Also, when you’re teaching a class, you’re stuck with the same materials to teach each semester/year which can get boring.

For people working in industry, they have a better paying job with less schooling required compared to academia. You can go on business trips and travel to different places for networking and learning what different companies do in those areas. Industry has more opportunities to move up in the company to become successful. Being in the industry gives you a chance to be involved in the creation of something new or modifying something that will be helpful to those in need. Industry also has many different types of jobs to pick from (depending on experiences). There are also some negatives to industry such as the possibility of working more than the 9am-5pm hours, there’s less free time, and more deadlines for projects.

Both the pros and cons have to be looked at before deciding which route you want to take. Depending on what type of person you are, academia will be a better fit verses industry and vice versa.

For me personally, I’d prefer working in industry because there’s more room for growth and finding different experiences in the field. Even though each position will require experience, I want to help make a difference in the world through technology. I also do not mind working a 9-5 job or even more if it is something that I am passionate about.