How to Pivot Into Ontology: Jobs, Skills, and the Future of the Field

In this video, I respond to a viewer asking whether a mid-career pivot into ontology is realistic without a strong background in logic, data science, or quantitative methods. I walk through what skills actually matter, why qualitative thinkers — especially philosophers and religious studies scholars — are often better prepared than they realize, and what the retraining curve looks like in practice. Age isn’t a blocker, and a lack of formal logic training isn’t disqualifying; the real question is how willing you are to learn some technical basics while leveraging the strengths you already have.

I also cover the job landscape: where ontology and taxonomy roles actually hide, what search terms to use, what entry-level positions look like, and how to find “learn-on-the-job” opportunities. Then I zoom out to whether the field has a long-term future (short answer: yes), how AI affects these roles, and what adjacent fields — from Graph RAG to information architecture — make good alternatives or stepping stones. If you're trying to figure out whether ontology is a viable next career chapter, this video maps out the terrain.