My previous job was at an international engineering consulting company, where I worked with a 13-person library team (except it was not called a library, it was called a “knowledge center”). A corporate library is classified under the category of special libraries as it provides information and resources for very specific client needs. I worked in the central location that the corporate library was based in – we were tucked under the stairs on the main floor like Harry Potter, and instead of books on our shelves we mostly had IEEE standards with their ridiculously long call numbers (if you know, you know). Our little team was spread across multiple countries and responsible for all of the information management and research requests of an entire company, yet most engineers I spoke with had no clue we existed…or what we did. In a way, this prepared me for working in academia, and armed me with a skillset needed to undergo such a career change.

Ability to Pitch the Value of a Library

At the corporate library, it did not seem to matter how many big projects we assisted with, how much time we saved on research, or how many databases we managed – we still had to fight to justify our very existence. Engineers who procured our help fell into two categories: eternally grateful or disdainfully dismissive of our work. Most individuals did not even understand the scope of our responsibilities, and a significant part of our role involved explaining the value of the library and promoting our services.

The ability to pitch the library and measure impact is still a vital skill in academia. I use it when reaching out to professors as part of my liaison librarian work, in the workshops I run, in meetings with students, and in general daily communication. Having the “elevator pitch” clearly highlighting the benefits of your services is helpful when communicating with busy professionals, regardless of where you work. 

Building Research Skills

Doing research and reference work was a daily part of a corporate library, and that has not really changed in academia. The databases and purpose of my research has altered but the skill itself (and ability to teach that skill!) remains. 

Independent Initiative

Project time management – the ability to multitask while on deadlines and build new initiatives – are traits that have served me well as I wear many hats in my current academic librarian role. I went from working on a tiny team with daily check-ins to working at a large university with minimal supervision. Academic librarians are expected to balance their service on committees with research, instruction, reference, and professional practice. My confidence to take initiative on self-directed projects and ability to balance ongoing tasks now was built upon my time fighting to stay afloat of tight deadlines and numerous demanding clients in corporate work. 

Practicing Empathy 

Finally, I have a stronger sense of empathy and appreciation for the stressed students who seek my research assistance on unfamiliar topics with their assignment deadlines looming. That was very much my entire experience working in the corporate environment! It did not matter that I had no background in engineering, I still had to know the ins and outs of the taxonomy and put together research packages on what the competitive companies were up to within a few days. I could relate to the feeling of being overwhelmed by how much you don’t know and the pressure of needing to figure it out anyways; because of this, I am better equipped to handle student consultations.

Why I Chose Academia Over Corporate 

There are perks of “going corporate”: higher salaries, cool niche research into specialized topics, the ability to get promoted without needing to face the daunting task of applying for tenure. But there are also downsides, at least in my experience: the constant need to justify your existence when budget cuts occur, the ungrateful clients, the monotony. 

I made the switch to academic libraries because I really struggled with finding personal satisfaction in my work at a corporate library. Assisting a large company in increasing their revenue did not provide the same sense of fulfillment as working in academia. I love my current job and the satisfaction that comes with directly helping students and researchers. While not every interaction I have is positive, and there are still some who do not view the library as a vital part of the institution, these instances are fewer compared to those encountered in the corporate environment. I would much rather be facing a lecture hall with anxious first-year students than a room full of men in suits who don’t believe I’m worth the time or paycheck. 

As I’ve said, this is all my personal experience. Academia is not for everyone, and it is not without its own critiques, but now I am much happier. My values align with the university library’s goal of lifelong learning and information literacy. Ultimately, I am grateful for my time working in corporate as it gave me vital transferable skills. Without these experiences, both positive and negative, I never would have been able to make the switch to academic libraries.