The Instructional Design Career
Author: Travis Jordan
Job Sectors
Instructional design related jobs are in high demand worldwide as organizations are turning towards IDs to solve performance problems and deliver rich learning experiences. Instructional designers are hired across a broad range of organizations including:
Government
Medical
Non-profit
Business
Academia
Each of these sectors require learning materials to sustain change. Below are a few common instructional design related jobs that you will see across each of these organizations.
"THE DEMAND FOR INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNERS WHO CAN CREATE EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS HAS INCREASED. IN 2018, THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS PROJECTED JOB GROWTH OF 9% IN THIS FIELD DURING THE NEXT 10 YEARS—HIGHER THAN AVERAGE FOR ALL OTHER CAREER FIELDS."
Instructional Design Jobs
For many in the field of instructional design, they describe "falling into the job". This means that instructional design was not a deliberate career path but rather an opportunity. Sound familiar? Because of this, a career in instructional design is not always a predictable linear path. With that being said, a common career progression in the field generally starts with development, moves to design, and then into management. Experience developing online courses is a good way to get your foot in the door as an instructional designer. See common instructional design related jobs below:
Course Developer
Course developers create learning materials and experiences such as eLearning courses and video tutorials. They generally do not design, manage, or evaluate courses. This is often an entry level ID job, but generally provides a foot in the door that leads to even greater opportunities.
Instructional Designer
Instructional designers are the architects of the learning experience. They design, develop, implement, and evaluate learning courses. They generally wear multiple hats and have diverse responsibilities throughout the learning development process. A master's degree in instructional design or a related field (or a bachelor's degree with experience) is generally required.
Learning Experience Designer (LXD)
Learning experience designers (LXD) are a hybrid between instructional designers and user experience designers. The major difference is that LXD focuses more on the learner experience vs. learning outcomes. The job duties and responsibilities are very similar to that of an instructional designer.
Project Manager A learning project manager oversees the scope, schedule, and budget of learning related projects. In some cases, a senior instructional designer plays the role of project manager.
Learning Team Manager (or Director)
A learning team manager is a resource manager that hires, trains, and oversees the day-to-day work of a small group of instructional designers and/or developers. They often act as ID champions to help foster a learning culture within an organization. They generally have a strong background in both instructional design and management.
Chief Learning Office (CLO)
The Chief Learning Office (CLO) is usually the highest ranking position in the learning field. The CLO directs the learning function for an entire organization. They are frequently responsible for enterprise learning and development initiatives both internally and externally for an organization.
Instructional Design Job Requirements
You may be wondering, "what are common job requirements for an instructional designer"? Or "do I need a degree or certification to get a job"? Although requirements differ from one company to another, below are some common job requirements required by employers:
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