6 Tips To Switch From Part-Time Freelancing To A Full-Time eLearning Career

8 Tips To Switch From Part-Time Freelancing To A Full-Time eLearning Career
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Summary: Have you considered transitioning your current eLearning freelancing into something a bit more permanent? In this article, I'll share 6 tips to make the switch and start a successful full-time eLearning career.

How To Make The Switch From Part-Time Freelancing To A Full-Time eLearning Career

Freelancing is a great way to make some extra money while doing something you enjoy. If you’ve felt that pull to making eLearning your full-time career, it may be time to take the leap. However, this involves a major commitment of time, energy, and dedication. Not to mention the stress of having to establish a solid client base and steadily grow your profit margin. The good news is that there are some tips to help you cultivate a successful and rewarding full-time eLearning career.

eBook Release: Get a Free PDF Download on How To Build A Successful eLearning Career!
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Get a Free PDF Download on How To Build A Successful eLearning Career!
It's time to find all the answers you seek about how to build a successful eLearning career.

1. Evaluate Your Situation

First, you need to understand how realistic this goal truly is for you and your lifestyle. You should plan everything out to see if the change will make sense for you. This includes considering everything from the financial implications to the impacts it might have on your personal life. As with any career change, making the shift from part-time to full-time eLearning career will change things. Once you have determined that you do want to make the switch, you should create a reasonable timeline for yourself. Give yourself ample time to make a smooth transition. You may be anxious to get started as soon as possible. However, it's crucial to create a stable foundation before you forge ahead.

2. Survey The eLearning Landscape

While you're working on your plan of action, see what the landscape is like right now. Is the field saturated with eLearning courses in your area of expertise? Assessing the current state of eLearning in your field can give you a real sense of how realistic your goal is. It may be that you need to rethink your eLearning niche, or bolster your knowledge in a certain area in order to stay relevant. Be open and flexible to new and creative ways to grow your eLearning career.

3. Strengthen Your eLearning Content

You need to ensure you are putting your best work out there. Reputation is extremely important for an eLearning professional, and can impact how successful you will be in the future. If online learners and clients enjoy your eLearning course and feel it is worthwhile, they will likely recommend you to others. Your eLearning content is at the core of your eLearning course, and you need to make it as strong as possible. If you have noticed any weak points in your eLearning course design, change them now. Revise your eLearning content and create new materials that will keep online learners interested.

4. Learn More About Your Field

If you really want to make a full-time eLearning career, you are going to need to learn more about your field. Your eLearning content needs to stay fresh and current. Which means you need to know what is changing in the field, as soon as it happens. Strive to be an online learner yourself. Your reputation relies on you being knowledgeable in the field, and your clients will expect you to remain on the cutting edge. Learn about the latest technologies, theories, and Instructional Design approaches by attending networking events or joining social media groups. You should also read up on new Instructional Design theories, models, and best practices, as well as seek out advice from more experienced eLearning professionals who are willing to share insider tips.

5. Establish An Online Presence

There are a variety of factors to consider when cultivating an online presence. Ideally, you should have an eLearning portfolio, professional website or blog, and social media page. This allows you to reach out to potential clients and establish yourself as an industry expert. You can also post eLearning articles to raise awareness of your work. In addition, consider hosting free webinars to share tips, tricks, and techniques. This gives people the opportunity to interact with you directly and build all-important trust.

6. Create A Marketing Campaign

In order to have a successful full-time eLearning career, you need to have an ever-expanding client base. For this reason, it's essential to create an ongoing marketing and promotion campaign. Determine your eLearning budget and then figure out the best approach. As an example, offer discounts for new clients via your social media page or offer special perks to those who refer clients. You can also host or sponsor events to generate new business and spread the word about your new eLearning company. Lastly, create a marketing schedule, complete with milestones, long-term goals, and evaluation criteria. For example, you will use social media stats to judge the success of your Facebook promotional campaign.

Transitioning from part-time to a full-time eLearning career is a great career move, if you're prepared to invest the time and energy. Also, don't hesitate to check in with former clients to see if they're in need of your skills and expertise. A job well done in the past may translate into a long-term contract now that you're switching to a full-time eLearning career.

Are you on the hunt for the perfect eLearning position? Check out our job search database to find the right full-time eLearning career for your talents and skills.

Download our Free eBook How To Build A Successful eLearning Career to gather more tips and tricks for a successful eLearning career!