What are the most effective uses/tips to become an Instructional Designer?

I did not deliberately enter the world of Instructional Design and performance improvement. I fell into it. I have a B.S. in Scientific and Technical Communications. This degree provided a solid background in communicating information via print, audio, and audio/visual media. I learned the importance of understanding the audience and their needs, and then writing to that audience. Since becoming an Instructional Designer, this background has served me well. I’ve realized that the methodology I use for communicating information to an audience is not that much different from what I learned in college.

I think one of the keys to success in this industry is to keep current on trends in all aspects of learning and performance improvement. I do that by reading books, attending conferences, being an active member of the International Society of Performance Improvement, and actively searching out thought leaders in a variety of fields through Twitter and LinkedIn. In the last year I’ve been very interested in what happens in the brain when we learn. I’ve used that knowledge in both classroom training and eLearning that I’ve designed, with great results. Keeping current is invigorating and results in engaging courses.