What Do eLearning Designers Do?
Depending on the size of an organization, leaders may have various requirements for their eLearning designers. Although their job description states that they create strategically organized yet engaging content for online courses, they are responsible for many other tasks. Some of them include storyboarding scripts, incorporating interactive elements into courses, overseeing projects, working closely with employee training instructors, and conducting skills and performance analyses. But what we want to explore in this article is how one can become an eLearning designer. Read this guide to find out how you can kickstart your career in eLearning design.
6 Steps To Become A Successful eLearning Designer
1. Get Formal Education
Related fields can be a solid foundation for anyone who wants to venture into this profession. Many designers have degrees in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, graphic design, web development, and multimedia. Designers should also participate in as many online courses and workshops as possible to gain proficiency in subjects such as accessibility, authoring tools, gamification, and storytelling. Furthermore, knowledge and training in educational psychology are powerful tools any designer should possess. By understanding how effective learning is fostered, they can design courses accordingly and use the best teaching methods and assessment techniques.
2. Develop Your Technical Skills
Before becoming an eLearning designer, you may need to delve into eLearning to familiarize yourself with widely used software and programs for course creation. Use this theoretical knowledge and practice in your free time by editing videos, writing texts, and even creating games. Since time management is critical, make sure to set a time limit for your tasks. You need to set clear goals, prioritize effectively, organize your workload, and manage your stress. Additionally, you must learn the fundamentals of Instructional Design and become familiar with web development languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You may also have to polish your development skills. Depending on the different forms of content you create, different authoring tools must be used to complete the project. It may take time to learn all these functions, but it shows recruiters your determination to work in the eLearning field.
3. Develop Your Soft Skills
Being experienced in handling the technical aspects of the job is not enough. Soft skills, like communication, are also highly needed. More specifically, an eLearning designer works closely with other professionals, including graphic designers and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Therefore, they must be excellent at written and verbal communication to effectively collaborate on a project. Also, they should keep clients updated and offer them a detailed description of what their product looks like. Depending on the feedback they receive, designers must use critical thinking to overcome any hurdles and come up with innovative solutions. They must practice active listening to understand what the end goal is. Their problem-solving efforts must be based on the data they gather to prove a method's effectiveness. Last but not least, time management is another crucial soft skill eLearning designers must possess.
4. Build Your Portfolio
Regardless of the formal education and training courses you've completed, employers still require you to provide practical evidence of your experience. Building a portfolio is the perfect way to showcase your knowledge. Look at similar portfolios to get a clear picture of what yours should look like, and start creating sample projects that highlight your abilities. Include information for each project, such as learning objectives, design methods you followed, samples of learning materials, challenges you faced, solutions you applied, and the eventual outcome. If you don't have any real-life experience, describe projects you completed in school or freelancing tasks. It doesn't matter how many professional gigs you've had but how well you can showcase your talents. That's why you can build a website to display your portfolio, along with screenshots, links to live sites, or the ability to download each project.
5. Build Your Presence
Networking and presenting yourself as an eLearning designer are the most challenging steps. First, you must build an online presence by creating a professional profile on LinkedIn. This is where most recruiters publish their job listings, and they usually check each candidate's profile before arranging an interview. Write your title and summary using keywords relating to your position. Also, you can join eLearning communities that bring you in touch with other professionals in the field. Outside the online world, start going to events, networking with people, and volunteering for eLearning projects.
6. Understand The Different Job Titles
In the eLearning field, job descriptions often differ, and a variety of titles can be used for practically the same position. For example, someone may refer to an eLearning designer as an Instructional Designer, a learning experience designer, or a learning professional. You should not be too worried about the title and instead check the detailed qualifications. A role and its responsibilities may fit you perfectly, even if they don't identify your position as a designer. Keep in mind that most jobs in the designer spectrum focus on curating engaging written courses with various interactive elements and multimedia. As long as you meet all the requirements, you can create a strong resume and send it to the recruiter.
Conclusion
Starting from zero to become an eLearning designer is hard work, and it may take years to succeed in your efforts. However, it is worth your time and money if you are serious about this career. A report predicted that by 2026, the global eLearning market will have reached a size of $457 billion. So, if you are now beginning your design journey, you should consider this astonishing prediction and how you can find success in this industry with the necessary training and education.
