Date of Publication :29th September 2023

Abstract: The primary purpose of the present study was to explore and analyze the career transition from the industry to the academe. Lived experiences are particular to the influencing drivers that triggered career shifters' decisions, the challenges encountered, and the meaningful insights they learned. Employing a phenomenological inquiry approach, the researchers utilized an expert-validated interview protocol formulated according to the study's objectives. Accomplished audio-taped online semi-structured interviews among purposively-selected participants (n=14) who have changed careers from industry to academe were performed. Based on the interpretative phenomenological analysis approach and themes' validation through focus group discussion, decision influences were grounded on professional and personal growth, a sense of fulfillment, passion for the teaching profession, and the return of service. The findings also highlighted the common challenges experienced by the participants, such as overwhelming workloads, varied work ethics in the academe, lack of knowledge and skills—particularly in classroom management, instruction, and assessment, and compliance with the profession's requirements set by the regulatory organizations. The findings also provided insights and salient learning among the career shifters. To successfully reinvent the transition in working from the industry to the academe, the study recommends collaborative actions, workflow evaluations and policy reviews on recruitment, training, and faculty development.

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