Episode 1: Leaving Academia isn't Failure. It's Strategy.

Aim

To evaluate how reframing academic career transitions as strategic, data-driven decisions, rather than personal failure, influences PhD holders’ perceptions of career legitimacy, professional identity, and willingness to pursue industry roles.

Plain-Language
To understand whether helping PhDs view leaving academia as a strategic career move, rather than a personal failure, reduces guilt and increases confidence in pursuing industry careers.

Study Objectives

1. To assess the prevalence of academic guilt and “Plan B” framing among PhDs considering or undergoing transition from academia to industry.

2. To examine the role of the sunk cost fallacy in prolonged retention of PhDs within postdoctoral or non–tenure-track academic positions.

3. To compare perceived definitions of “impact” in academic versus industry settings, including citations, publications, patient outcomes, product delivery, and real-world implementation.

4. To evaluate whether exposure to a strategic, CEO-style framing of career decision-making alters PhDs’ confidence, perceived agency, and alignment with long-term professional goals.

5. To explore changes in self-identification from “failed academic” to “successful professional” following narrative reframing interventions.