I am really late to the party on this, but I’d like to offer the industry perspective. Like Anne and Richard, I found out about HF very late in my academic career (after I already had a BS) because of a chance conversation with a professor at the coffee shop. I had assumed that I would end up working in government, since the majority of my grad school work was done in support of government grants. When it came time to look for a job, though, I thought back on the classes that really resonated with me (HCI) and opted to go into industry, since I wasn’t finding HCI-related options in government at that time.

As Paul has posted, there are differences between the areas that you can go into. I will say that I have gotten some very unique opportunities while working in industry that I believe have made me a better professional. My day involves a lot of work and a lot of phone calls with other team members in different areas. It has also given me the opportunity to do some traveling. Unlike Richard and Anne, you generally do not get to choose the things that you work on. I do get to work with a lot of interesting technologies before the public sees them.

I hope that you’ve continued to pursue HF work and that you find enjoyment there.

Academia vs. Industry vs. Gov vs. Consulting: http://www.hfes.org/Web/EducationalResources/careerresourcesmain.html

Other info on HF: http://www.hfes.org/web/EducationalResources/educresourcesmain.html