In this post, I talk about determining if instructional design is a good “fit” as a career. This is less about the skills and more about the desire; it’s about figuring out if you’d be happy working as an instructional designer.
Learn about the two most prominent professional organizations and some employment optionswithin the field of instructional design.
If you’re hoping to move into a career in instructional design, chances are you need to learn some of the common technology.
If you want to learn about instructional design and improve your skills, a number of books and free online resources are available.
You can get into the field of instructional design two ways: the direct path (a masters degree or certificate) or the indirect path (changing careers from teaching or training).
Over the years, I’ve been asked by many different people what an instructional designer does and how to get into the field. Here’s my definition plus examples of common tasks.
Many people are reluctant to become freelancers or consultants because the risk seems too high. I’m not convinced that working independently is necessarily much riskier than a full-time job though. In fact, sometimes it can be safer.
I recently had the pleasure of recording an interview for Kristin Anthony’s Dear Instructional Designer
Last week I gave a webinar through UCI on transitioning from teaching to instructional design.
Everyone manages their time a little differently, but I’ve been asked several times what a typical day or week looks like. I’m an independent consultant, so my schedule is different from people who work full time for a single company. I work from home and have a pretty flexible schedule. It’s hard to say what a single day is, but here’s my basic weekly pattern.