Hi All! Back when the economy took a turn for the worse I had just earned my masters degree in training and performance improvement. Because of my lack of concrete work experience in this field, I have not been able to find a job doing what I really want to do...I have been working in training/performance improvement roles "unofficially" in almost every job I've had, but it doesn't really translate to my resume. And, the more I learn about instructional design, the more I really want to work in the field. I recently read an article with a great suggestion that even if you don't work in the field currently, you can still put a portfolio together using practice scenarios (for example: https://community.articulate.com/series/e-learning-challenges/articles/how-to-show-comparisons-elearning). However, these are hard to do without the proper software! I feel like I have a good background in the theory and concepts of the field, and I just really need someone to take a chance on me! Does anyone have any suggestions on things I can do to help me become a more marketable candidate? Are there additional key strengths that I can illustrate when trying to get a job in the field or suggestions for other ways to demonstrate my knowledge and abilities without that concrete work experience? I am very willing to start at the very bottom and go from there. Thanks for your time!
riverafigueroa.stephanie1
Sep 26My name is Stephanie, and I'm currently coursing a master's degree in Instructional Design and Technology in the eLearning track. As part of the course I'm taking at the moment, I must interview an instructional designer and ask general question about the field. If you know of anyone I can get in touch with to conduct this interview, please don't hesitate to reply. I really appreciate your time and consideration. Thank you,
One of the best ways to get started and make yourself more marketable in the ID field is to learn basic eLearning tools (Captivate, Camtasia, Articulate, etc.) I would also become familiar with Learning Management Systems (TalentLMS, Litmos, etc.) Almost all of these tools allow for a free trial account. Although your long term goal is probably not to be an eLearning developer, there is much more demand in this space and it gets your foot in the door. Very rarely will an ID be hired for their learning theory prowess alone; employees want individuals who can create and deliver great instructional products. Overtime as your build/write/publish effective learning content, you will have the opportunity to use your design and theory skills as more doors will open. I hope this helps.
Thank you! That's very helpful!