Instructional Design, Project Management / September 15, 2023

Making the Career Transition from Teaching to Instructional Design

If you are a teacher interested in making a career transition to instructional design, there are three steps you can take. Do you know what those three steps are? If not, stick around because I am going to fill you in during this episode of AcceleratedID!

Teaching is a noble profession, filled with passion, dedication, and the desire to make a difference in the lives of students. But what if you’re a teacher who is ready for a new challenge? What if you want to step outside the traditional classroom setting while still utilizing your valuable skills and experience? 

In this blog post, we will explore the misconceptions around teachers becoming instructional designers and provide actionable steps to support your transition into this exciting field. Get ready to reignite your passion for education with a fresh twist on using your existing skills!

Why Transition from Teaching to Instructional Design?

Instructional design is a field that allows educators to build a fulfilling career while embracing their love for education in a fresh and innovative way. 

Your passion for teaching is a love for developing people. As an instructional designer, you can take that passion and apply it to the adults whose lives you improve through your learning solutions. 

Was one of your main reasons for getting into teaching because you wanted to make a difference? Good news! That desire carries over into an instructional design job. As an instructional designer, you get to create learning experiences that positively influence your adult learners. 

Finally, as a teacher you have many skills you can leverage immediately as an instructional designer. You can check out a full list of those skills and how they transition into instructional design in this article. 

Busting Common Myths About a Career Transition from Teaching to Instructional Design

Before we get into how to set yourself up for a successful career in instructional design, let’s get some misconceptions out of the way. These are some narratives that I don’t want to be stuck in your head! Misconceptions are like bad rumors. 

Once they’re out there, they start taking on a life of their own and growing. You might hear the following myths in Facebook groups or blog posts. The more you see them, the more you start to believe them! Instead, I want you to focus on the truths behind the rumors. So let’s dig in.

Misconception #1: Teachers are automatically instructional designers

There are some programs out there that sell you based on the idea that teachers are already instructional designers. 

This isn’t true and it’s bad for everyone, because teachers are submitting applications for instructional design jobs without getting reskilled. This can make all teachers who aspire to be instructional designers look bad!

The truth is: teachers can be instructional designers with development.

We already mentioned that teachers have a lot of skills they can leverage. This sets them up to be great instructional designers, with development. It’s important to understand this going into a career transition. 

As a teacher, you can’t just start sending out your resume and expect to land an instructional design job. You do have those essential skills to build on, but they need some work so you can be successful in instructional design. There are a few ways you can do this that we’ll touch on later in this article!

Misconception #2: You need another degree to become an instructional designer.

You may be thinking a career transition is unattainable because you don’t have the time/money to get another degree. Well, I’ve got good news for you!

The truth is: You don’t need another degree to transition into instructional design!

You already have a professional degree. In all of the years I’ve led L&D teams, the majority of people I worked with have degrees in something completely different. 

Most instructional designers come to the field from a different route. It’s up to you how you choose to fill your skills gaps and an instructional design degree might not be the right choice for the skills you need to develop. 

Misconception #3: Start by learning the technology.

In my position as Chief Trainologist for The Instructional Design and Tech Accelerator system, I get to chat with a lot of aspiring instructional designers. A really common fear that these instructional design newbies have is that they won’t be able to grasp elearning development or video editing. Or, that they’re worried about purchasing these expensive tools and then having to learn how to use them independently.

The truth is: You should start with a foundation in instructional design. 

There’s a difference between becoming skilled in using a tool and being an instructional designer who knows how to use a tool.

If you’re looking to become an instructional designer who can also use development tools, you’ll need to start with a foundation in instructional design. This means you have to first understand adult learning theory, audience engagement, writing learning objectives, scripting content, and more. 

Once you have the principles down, you can learn how to effectively bring all that knowledge into the technology to develop assets like eLearning or videos. 

Also, if you’re not super excited about using tools like Articulate Storyline or Adobe Premiere Pro, understand that not all instructional designers use those tools. 

Misconception #4: The field of instructional design is too saturated.

Between February 2020 and May 2022, 300,000 public school teachers left the classroom. Around that time, word started getting out that instructional design was a good fit for exiting teachers. That teacher exodus might be the spark that ignited this myth.

Instructional design was a pretty well-kept secret for awhile. I think it’s great that so many educators are learning about this field. What’s not great is that, because of that misconception that all teachers are already instructional designers, we’re seeing a huge increase in unqualified applicants for instructional design jobs.

That means that an instructional design job posting may get thousands of applicants! Of those applicants, most are thrown out by the Applicant Tracking System because they don’t have the required job skills. 

The truth is: Education is a $1.4 trillion industry which is expected to grow to $3.1 trillion by 2030. 

As the industry grows, that means more opportunities for all qualified instructional designers. These might be in ed tech, corporate, freelancing, non-profit, and higher ed. 

Education Paths for a Career Transition to Instructional Design

So I mentioned earlier that as a teacher you do have some skills to develop before you’re ready for an instructional design job. I also said that I don’t think you need a master’s degree in instructional design.

How do you upskill to prepare for an instructional design job? Here are some paths you might consider:

Self-Study

You can teach yourself the skills you need to become an instructional designer. Even better, you can usually do this for free (or close to it). By teaching yourself using Youtube, books, or LinkedIn Learning for example, you can cherry-pick the skills you want to work on for a customized experience. 

Certificate Programs/Academies

There are also some great certificate programs out there that will guide you through the upskilling process. These can range in cost from $1,000-$6,000 and take anywhere from 2-9 months to complete. 

You may want to pay for a program like this if you need some structure to your learning. A good program will also offer built-in support from experts and a community. This has an added benefit of motivation and having a group of people you can work with and get feedback from. 

Check it Out: The Instructional Design and Tech Accelerator System  

Master’s Degree

I did say you don’t need another degree, but if you want to get one this is still an option. Most degree programs will take upwards of 2 years to complete and can cost $30,000 and up. 

Some companies pay for their employees to further their education in their current field. So keep that in mind!

Which Path is Right for You?

Each path has its pros and cons. Think about what kind of learning environment you need, how much time you can take to upskill, and how much you want to spend. If you have a 3-year plan before you want to make a career transition, self-study might make a lot of sense.

Most of the teachers I hear from are eager to have an exit plan by the end of the school year. In that case, I suggest looking into a certificate program. If you’re interested in a certificate program, I highly recommend you check out The Instructional Design and Tech Accelerator System and Certificate Program. 

Whichever path you choose, make sure it’s a fit for you and that it includes the skills you’re looking to develop. Be sure you’ll work on an instructional design portfolio. 

Another area to inquire about when deciding on a path is AI. There are a lot of use cases for AI in instructional design, so you want to be prepared to explore those skills. My prediction is that instructional design jobs will soon list experience with AI tools as a job requirement. 

Wrapping it Up

As an educator, you got into this field because you want to make a difference. Now you know that you can still make a difference and impact people’s lives positively in the field of instructional design.

So, what now? Well, if you want to learn more about instructional design and how you can make a career transition, I recommend this 4-step process. 

For more support as you consider this change, check out The Instructional Design Hangout. A place to chat, ask questions, and learn about all things instructional design.