My route into eLearning followed a move to the UK’s largest instructor led training (ILT) IT training company back in the early 90s. Before then I’d worked in a number of IT companies as a finance and also an HR specialist. But it was while I was working with ILT, that I developed a real interest in combining emerging technologies to reach people in new and more effective ways. That interest has since played a big part in my life; so much so that I set up a company to focus on it.
Most folks I come across in eLearning seem to have taken a similarly circuitous and indirect route. In our US operation, I see people who are academically qualified in a closely related field at College, but in the UK that is much rarer and the industry draws more upon media people and sometimes qualified teachers. But in both regions people cross over from widely unrelated fields with different academic specialties.
There are low barriers to entry in setting up a small eLearning company. But selling its services will usually be a lot harder, but with modern tools and right amount of time and effort, it is easy to get started. But to really learn the craft, then I would always advise starting with an established company who can locate you alongside experienced people, who will be able to mentor and guide your training and personal development. Experience counts for a lot, so get this while working alongside a good team. How to use a particular tool is less important, as modern tools are quick to learn. The key to success is to appreciate how people learn, understand the thought process that goes into instructional design, what works well, and a range of different ways of achieving goals.