Have you thought that an instructional design job might be a good fit for you? Maybe you’re unsure how to leap from your current role to an instructional design position. Don’t you wish there was a map you could follow that would lead you to your dream instructional design job?
You’re in luck! At The Instructional Design Company, we’re all about laying out the path for new instructional designers and supporting them. That’s why we’re talking all about your roadmap to a new career in instructional design.
Your Roadmap to an Instructional Design Job
Follow along by downloading this free Roadmap to Instructional Design pdf. I’ll be walking you through the details below. Also, don’t miss the Instructional Design Company Action Plan for each stop on the Roadmap.
You can also check out this episode of Accelerated ID. Director of Learning Solutions, Katie Short, walks through all the stops on the instructional design roadmap. She’s joined by Alumni and Mentor of The Instructional Design and Tech Accelerator certificate program, Gayle Bower. Gayle offers how each stop on the map looked for her throughout her instructional design journey.
First Stop: Build Your Foundation
Knowledge of adult learning theory and instructional design models is essential for instructional designers. Therefore, the first step to landing your instructional design job is to build your foundational knowledge of these important instructional design concepts.
Check out the Roadmap to Instructional Design pdf for a list of other essential concepts to building your foundation.
Instructional Design Company Action Plan:
Identify which basic instructional design concept you need to build first. Then, what resources or courses do you need to grow your knowledge in that area?
Second Stop: Grow Your Skillset
Next up on your roadmap to an instructional design job is to grow your skillset. Developing your skillset allows you to expand on the base you built back in stop one. Once you have a working knowledge of instructional design concepts, it’s time to develop skills that support that knowledge.
Examples include conducting a training needs analysis (here’s an article you can use to get you started) or storyboarding. Check out the Roadmap for a complete list of ideas.
Instructional Design Company Action Plan:
If you’re trying to kickstart your new career, it’s important to identify what you can start doing right now. So, what steps can you take in the next 30 days to develop your skills? What resources or courses do you need to help you?
Third Stop: Build Your Instructional Design Portfolio
With your instructional design knowledge in place, it’s time to showcase your skills. On this stop, you need to build your portfolio to have a better chance of landing an instructional design job.
You can’t have a portfolio without assets. So first, create the learning materials that show your knowledge and skills as an instructional designer. The assets you showcase should represent your best work and the role you hope to fill.
Some examples include instructional videos or eLearning modules. This is a significant stop on your instructional design roadmap. You can check out this article or even schedule a one-on-one coaching session with our portfolio expert if you need extra support.
Instructional Design Company Action Plan:
Identify the knowledge, tools, and skills you need to build your portfolio assets. Hopefully, there are some overlapping skills from those you identified earlier in your roadmap. If not, it’s time to find some new resources or courses to help you with those skills!
Fourth Stop: Get Your Instructional Design Job
We’ve reached the last stop on our roadmap! But don’t worry, this isn’t your final destination. Once you land your instructional design job, you have a new journey ahead.
Let’s talk about what you need to do to get an instructional design job.
First, you need an instructional design resume. I have some tips for writing your instructional resume collected in this ebook.
Next, share your portfolio. You can include a link when you apply to jobs and on your LinkedIn page.
Finally, prepare for your interviews. In this video, I walk you through what you should expect in an instructional design interview. Check out some common interview questions and my tips for nailing it!
Instructional Design Company Action Plan:
What do you need to prepare your resume to attract potential employers? Then, make a plan to fill those gaps so you can land an instructional design job!
It’s one thing to have a roadmap guiding you in the right direction. Some of us need an extra push to get us off the starting line and moving towards an instructional design job. Self-study is a great way to get your toes wet and lots of instructional designers got their start this way- without formal education.
But if you need more structure to get to the finish line, we’re here to help. The Instructional Design and Tech Accelerator certificate program is a guided, 12-week program that will equip you with the knowledge and practical skills you need to succeed in an instructional design job.
Our team is with you every step of the way. One of the benefits of this program is that you’ll get support and feedback on your work from real instructional designers.
Not to mention, the program has flexible offerings depending on your needs. If you want to jump in the fast lane using this roadmap, learn more here! Not ready to commit to a full program? We understand. That’s why we also offer our knowledge library, template shop, and coaching sessions to non-students.
Wrapping It Up
Now you have a clear path to your instructional design job and an action plan. So what’s stopping you from working towards your goals? If you haven’t already, you’ve got to join The Hangout, a community for instructional designers at all levels. You’ll find amazing support there.
Feel free to post any questions you have or share where you are on your instructional design roadmap!
