How To Create A Distinctive Path From College To An Instructional Design Career
Before getting any further with the tips on how to develop a successful Instructional Design career, there is something we should do: Provide a precise definition for the term.
Instructional Design is the process of analyzing the needs of the learners and developing systematic, relevant instructions that enable them to acquire the desired knowledge and skills. In other words, an Instructional Designer should first determine the current state and needs of the learners, and then construct a teaching system that leads them towards the goal they want to achieve.
You can create your own distinctive path in this industry with any degree you have earned. This profession will enable you to share your knowledge in the subject you have mastered.
What Skills Does An Instructional Designer Need?
This profession is not only related to teaching; Instructional Designers also plan and structure the entire program according to the needs of the target audience. Thus, the first thing you need is curriculum-planning sense.
Due to the fact that an Instructional Designer approaches the teaching methods from a broader perspective, it would be great to gain some teaching experience before you make your first steps into an Instructional Design career. Many of the skills you need overlap between teaching and Instructional Design, so the transition will be easier if you already know how to teach.
For recent college graduates with no experience in teaching, tutoring is a great option. You can offer services as a tutor in your area, but you can also become part of one of the many online platforms that connect tutors with students. As a tutor, make sure to offer personalized experience for your students. Evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and tailor your teaching approach in accordance with their needs. When you manage to do that, you’ll easily understand what Instructional Design is all about.
Needless to say, you’ll also need some technology skills. This profession is intertwined with the eLearning industry, which means that you need to design programs for online courses. Explore course authoring software and learn how to design captivating materials before making your first steps into Instructional Design.
Are you wondering which college courses would make you suitable for an Instructional Design career? There are no specific requirements, but psychology is something you can only benefit from. Since you’ll have to explore the weaknesses of your target audience and you’ll help them to surpass the obstacles, you will need to find a motivational approach. If you understand human psychology, you will do well in this career.
What Opportunities Do You Have In Instructional Design?
There are versatile opportunities for talented Instructional Designers on the market.
The first and most obvious option is tailoring online courses for a specific audience. If that’s the aspect of Instructional Design that interests you the most, you might want to start from the eLearning Guild – a great community of professionals from this niche with a resourceful job board.
Corporations also offer great opportunities for Instructional Designers. If you intend to turn this type of work into a full-time career, then you should focus on the jobs offered by businesses that need training for their employees. Large companies invest plenty of resources for skill upgrading, so they open positions for in-house Instructional Designers.
Some Instructional Designers work in higher education. Universities are relying on this type of professionals to tailor curriculums adequate for the current generation of students. Needless to say, you’ll need a lot of experience and possibly an MA/PhD degree in your niche to land such position. Thus, it would be wiser to aim lower and start by structuring online courses before you try to move your career to this direction.
A Life Committed To Learning And Exploring
Your main goal will be to help people learn, but your progress in this market will depend on your own will and ability to learn. The best Instructional Designers never stop looking for ways to make their plans better. They experiment with different technologies and teaching methods before they come up with the final version of an instructional system that helps the target audience learn in the most productive and efficient way possible.
This is a great profession to work towards if you just graduated from college. You’ll become progressively better as you gain more experience, so start by making small steps and work on the skills you need to become a great Instructional Designer.
