In this presentation I share some thoughts on moving from a career in instructional design to one in eLearning. However, most of the principles in this presentation could apply equally to any career transition. I hope you enjoy it!
6 Secrets of Career change - Instructional Design to eLearning
1. 6 SECRETS FOR A
SUCCESSFUL CAREER
TRANSITION
FROM SUZETTE CONWAY AT SPIRIT SPOT
Copyright 2012 Spirit Instructional Design to eLearning
Spot™
2. Benefits of eLearning Careers
Pays well
Part of every industry
Gain the skills and a career without a degree
Many kinds of eLearning; many starting points
(webinars, CBTs, podcasts, social learning communities)
Lots of enabling technology to learn & apply
Many possible roles
It can be done freelance or corporate
Work can often be done remotely = lifestyle flexibility, reduced
expenses (gas, clothing), no commute time
BIGGER JOB MARKET
Great options for geography, specialty, industry & career structure
3. Circle of Success
What’s your
dream?
Be the Planning is
bunny sexy
Breaking & Relationships
entering matter
Get smarter
4. What’s Your Dream? What’s your
dream?
A path to
living Career options
elsewhere
More
Income
Personal
Growth
A leadership role?
Bragging
Keeping up rights at the
Moving into a new with next next
industry gen of reunion!
workers
5. eLearning Roles What’s your
dream?
Instructional Designer
Design objectives, content, flow, learning interactions,
assessments
Developer
Build the designed using applications (i.e. Articulate, Captivate,
PowerPoint, Flash, Lectora)
Develop interfaces for online portals, create web pages &
templates, implement standards (SCORM), and test/quality
control
Multi-Media Developer
Create & edit media elements - video, audio, graphics, pictures…
6. eLearning Roles What’s your
dream?
eLearning Technologist
Experience and skills across a range of technologies – Network
platforms, CMS, LMS, multiple file formats, file rendering
Select these platforms and systems, determine delivery
formats, file outputs, troubleshoot SCORM issues, etc..
Web developer
Graphic Designer
Use tools like InDesign, Photoshop
Create graphical representations of
ideas, concepts, information, processes
7. eLearning Roles What’s your
dream?
Flash Developer
Develop in native flash (rather than in Captivate which outputs in
Flash)
Usually pretty technical
LMS Administrator
May help with product selection
Configure LMS (users, rule, access, course structure,…)
Implement LMS (help resource, training, loading content, trouble
shooting)
8. eLearning Roles What’s your
dream?
Project Manager
For one or more learning development projects
Manage Resources, work load/assignments, time frames
Define deliverables, set expectations, manage issues & risks
Status meetings, reporting/metrics on development efforts
Program Manager/Director
Define program offerings, cost models, revenue streams
Work with marketing & sales on messaging & collateral
Define & implements processes, standards for entire learning
development cycle
Select technology, distribution models
Customer support escalation point
9. eLearning Roles What’s your
dream?
Instructional Designer
Developer
Multi-Media Developer
eLearning Technologist
Web Developer
Graphic Designer
Flash Developer
LMS Administrator
Project Manager
Program Manager/Director
Employers often want you to fill more than one
role
10. Skills What’s your
dream?
Huge Variety of skills and skill levels, based on role
Search job descriptions; make a skills inventory from that
Note the skills you have that they want AND the skills you have that
aren’t obvious requirements but are beneficial
Business Analysis | Process Engineering | Project Mgmt
Note the skills you don’t have – this is your gap
Identify which of those gaps are most interesting to you and which
are most necessary for the role
Think about the tools & technology used in learning…..
11. Top Learning Tools 2011 What’s your
dream?
1. Twitter 1. Google Reader 1. Yammer 1. Articulate
2. YouTube 2. Evernote 2. Google Earth 2. Snagit
3. GoogleDocs 3. Jing (screen capture) 3. Scoopit (curationsw) 3. Adobe Captivate
4. Skype 4. PowerPint 4. PB Works 4. Vimeo
5. WordPress 5. Gmail 5. Google Apps 5. Geogebra (math sw)
6. Dropbox 6. LinkedIn 6. Flickr 6. Screenr
7. Prezi 7. Edmodo 7. Tweetdeck 7. Mindmeister
8. Moodle 8. Wikispaces 8. Google Maps (mindmapping)
9. Slideshare 9. Delicious 9. Wordle (word cloud 8. Picasa
gen) 9. Walwisher
10. Glogster (int.poster)10. VoiceThread
Google+ 10. Voki (speaking avatars)10. iPhone/iPod and aps
11. Wikipedia 11.
Animoto 11. Symbaloo 11. Scribd (doc sharing)
12. Blogspot 12.
Camtasia 12. Word 12. Ning
13. Digo 13.
Audacity 13. Google Sites 13. eFront
14. Facebook 14.
TED Talks 14. iPad and apps 14. Adobe Connect
15. Google Search 15.
Google Chrome
15. 15. Elluminate/Blackboard
Borrowed from Center for Learning Performance Technologies
http://c4lpt.co.uk/top-100-tools-for-learning-2011/
12. Sample Job: eL Specialist What’s your
dream?
Design, develop, and deliver both distance and in-class Collaborate with intranet developers or Web
Web-based training programs and courses, including all developers to create interactivemultimedia training
course materials, exercises, and skills evaluations. applications and learning programs.
Collaborate with executive team and unit managers to Confer as needed with third-party providers of
assess each department’s e-learning subject matter and educational materials andresources to ensure that
training needs. they meet organization training goals and objectives.
Create and communicate training schedules in Present instructor-led training sessions.
consultation with departmental decision makers.
Develop and deploy training feedback mechanisms.
Develop and coordinate a training curriculum for end
Create, administer, analyze, and report on end-user
users of all levels, as dictated by organizational goals
progress; recommend andintegrate training
and objectives.
improvement strategies based on findings.
Coordinate and maintain the company’s e-learning
Establish and maintain a relational database to track
intranet or Web site by posting and updating course
training participants’ statusand results.
materials, grades, and other information.
Communicate software application problems and
Liaise with educational suppliers to evaluate and/or
issues to Web developmentand support teams.
procure course materials, software applications, and
teaching tools. Assess, recommend, and purchase courseware
packages, and supportdevelopment of appropriate
Oversee the conceptualization, development, and layout
courseware tools.
of the appropriate technical infrastructure required to
deliver digital e-learning content to its audience.
13. Skills What’s your
dream?
Learn from the job descriptions
Location
Salary
Titles
Responsibilities
Industries
Cultures
14. Circle of Success
What’s your
dream?
Be the Planning is
bunny sexy
Breaking & Relationships
entering matter
Get smarter
15. Planning Makes You Sexier Planning is
Sexy!
What’s your time frame?
What Interests you?
What’s the K&S gap?
How will you fill the gap?
What’s your budget?
16. Time Frame Planning is
Sexy!
Map goals due dates for 3, 6, 12, 18 months
Consider
Your goals
Time for education (classes, certification, degree?)
Length of job search
Personal schedule and obligations
Current work projects that can contribute to new role
17. What’s Interesting? Planning is
Sexy!
Of all the roles we discussed, skills required, opportunities
Do you want to be a specialist or a generalist?
Are you a techie or a business leader?
Do you like strategy and creating grand visions or want to get your
hands dirty with daily tasks?
What market/industry do you want to work in?
Do you need quick wins to stay motivated?
18. What’s Interesting? Planning is
Sexy!
Is there a certain tool you really want to master?
How do you see your career growing over time?
presenting at conferences
moving into management
opening a business
becoming the best developer you can be
What do you LIKE to do with your time?
What do you like to learn? You’ll be learning a lot for a long time.
19. Where’s the Gap? Planning is
Sexy!
Go back to your skills inventory…
What’s the gap in current and desired knowledge & skills?
Where do your skills overlap?
Use this to focus your learning efforts
Focuses job search efforts near and long term
Determine how you will fill that gap
20. Show Me The Money Planning is
Sexy!
Don’t forget the budget
Identify free and fee-based resources and options
Estimate the costs
Prioritize based on cost and goal alignment
Sample costs
Online courses
Conferences
Certifications
Professional assoc. fees
New Software Purchases
Paid networking events
Resume writing assistance
21. Circle of Success
What’s your
dream?
Be the Planning is
bunny sexy
Breaking & Relationships
entering matter
Get smarter
22. Networking Relationships
Matter
Connect with others – can lead to leads, knowledge, support
We learn socially, casually
Options:
Networking groups (Network in Austin)
Job Clubs
Online groups and networks
(LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, eLearning Guild): Follow
industry leaders, companies, learning analysts, etc.
Professional associations (ASTD, STC, Women in
Communication)
Blogs – can email you a list…..
23. Circle of Success
What’s your
dream?
Be the Planning is
bunny sexy
Breaking & Relationships
entering matter
Get smarter
24. Get Smarter Get Smarter
What should you learn?
Terminology
Theories, approaches, practices
Technology and applications
Techniques
Social communities for the industry
Key players
25. Get Smarter Get Smarter
Self study
Blogs & Groups (online and in person)
Books & Magazines (T&D from ASTD National is excellent)
Search online – be a detective
Articles, White papers, College papers
Conference notes
PPTs
Videos
Content on learning organization sites
Research from industry analysts
26. Get Smarter Get Smarter
Structured Learning
Online training & tutorials (Lynda.com) for software
Training Mag Network for free webinars (live & on demand)
Online certificate programs, online MA Ed. Tech,
Meet up groups (can’t find one… start one!
Professional Certificates (Langevin, ASTD national (CPLP)
Conferences & Conventions (volunteer & go for free, focus on local
and go for low cost, make the case to work and get them to pay for
it)
University degree
27. Circle of Success
What’s your
dream?
Be the Planning is
bunny sexy
Breaking & Relationships
entering matter
Get smarter
28. Relate and Educate Relationships
Matter
Get Smarter
Conferences
Conventions
Online groups
Prof. associations
Meet up groups
29. Circle of Success
What’s your
dream?
Be the Planning is
bunny sexy
Breaking & Relationships
entering matter
Get smarter
30. Breaking and Entering Breaking
and
entering
Look for the overlap
Skills: You already know ID, ALP, ADDIE, Maybe software like captivate,
articulate, PPT,
Industry: If you have training background in insurance, banking, medical,
your industry knowledge may be more valuable than eLearning skills….
Company: Look for opportunities to move within your current company. You
already have a reputation, proven skills, and connections… make it known
that you are interested in eLearning and have gained skills in the area.
New company or industry, old skills: Consider an entry level role in a new
company, then look for ways to move up and around
Connections: Work your network; who do you know at the company that
interests you? Don’t overlook 3rd degree contacts. These folks know your
background, reputation, abilities, and can talk you up when they hand in
your resume.
31. Breaking and Entering Breaking
and
entering
Develop a portfolio
Download free trials of all the software you are learning about
Develop an eLearning module for something you already know
Develop an eLearning module for free for a non-profit
Offer to do something for your current employer – on your own time
if necessary
Develop a presence
Put some of your portfolio online – YouTube, on eLearning
communities, on your website
Update your social profiles to include eLearning keywords; don’t lie
– but as you learn something, add it. It’s not about proficiency, it’s
about keywords.
32. Circle of Success
What’s your
dream?
Be the Planning is
bunny sexy
Breaking & Relationships
entering matter
Get smarter
33. Be the Bunny Be the
Bunny
YOUR’E IN … now what?
Stay connected and on top of changes in the field.
Networking
Learning (self study, conferences, online, cert)
Reading blogs and white papers (Inexpensive, convenient,
effective)
Research
Don’t be afraid to ask people for help.
34. QUESTIONS?
REACH ME ON TWITTER @SUZETTECONWAY
Copyright 2012 Spirit Instructional Design to eLearning
Spot™
Hinweis der Redaktion
All of this means more options in terms of where you work, what you specialize in, and in what industry you can be marketable
I call it the “Circle of Success”. It’s good, right? Inspirational? Feel free to use it….
It’s important to know your motivations – why you are making the change. It will carry you through the process. Why are you interested in moving to an eLearning career? Increased incomePath to a new cityCompletely different career/roleManagerial role/Upward mobilityBecoming more technicalMoving into a new industryPersonal growthProfessional bragging rights for the upcoming reunion ? What roles are you all in today? Is it connected to the eLearning world at all?Once you know your motivation and where you are coming from… you can start to think about what roles interest you…..
It’s exciting that there are somany roles available in the eLearning professionYou can choose many paths depending on your interests, skills, goals, education, and more
There are so many to choose fromEmployers often look for resources who can fill MULTIPLE roles – so the more versatile you are the more marketable you areCon: can feel overwhelmingPro: What do YOU think are some of the pros? Here are my thoughts…Can learn small bits at once and build it into a very robust eLearning career over timeMany roles cross multiple industries, so if you decide to move out of eLearning later, your skills in almost everyone of these areas will benefit you elsewhereLots of room to move around once you are in the careerWhat roles interest you NOW, having seen this list? So what can you do to get a handle on all the options and find your area of interest?....
What do you think of when you see this list? What I see? Look how few and how far down our ‘traditional’ eLearning dev tools are and look at what the other tools are that replace them? Now think about what key words you might put on your resume and how you’d fill out a skills inventory differently….. You likely have more “eLearning skills” than you think
In addition to tools/tech… think about responsibilitiesConsider this sample job description of ‘responsibilities’ REVIEWWhat do you think of when you see this?. HOLY COW Cool, lots of opportunity Good list of desired skills Search for different more targeted roles How much does that pay?
As you are doing the skills inventory by reviewing job descriptions…. Pay attention to the other information you’ll find. It can help you later in the process to have a good understanding of… Where the eLearning jobs are being offered (location) Which rolespay what salaries – generally the techier roles pay more, as do the techier industries (IT pays more than retail industries) and the more skills you have the more $ you can request What titles are used? You can work this into your resume and social profiles as key words What responsibilities are they assigning each role? You may find hybrid roles that cross multiple areas – that changes skills required, should impact pay offered, and might change your priorities- Check out which industries are hiring for which role look at culture and how it varies – laid back IT shop or buttoned up banking firm? Learning shop with strong processes or small business with a ‘wing it’ attitude and budget?It will help you identify what you want to do, what’s out there, what to work on in your own skill
We all know that training makes us sexier…. You knew that, right? Well, so does PLANNING. Try it… start talking about spreadsheets and resource allocation and budgets… you won’t be able to keep people away from you!
All kidding aside… planning is essential. Now that you know what some of the roles are, will do some research on the skills, salaries, hiring industries… and you understand your motivation…. Ask yourself some questions, figure out what your goals are in terms of… time, interests, knowledge & Skills gaps, process, and budget.
As you plan your career move, consider the time frames How long will it take to learn the new skills you need? Will that depend on the way you learn them (Degree, prof. certification, online classes)?What is the market like for the job you want – will it take 4 months or 12 to find the right job?How much time can you dedicate to the effort each week? Researching jobs, writing resumes, taking classes, networking… it all takes timeWill you change your personal schedule to make room for these activities or add them in where you have current space?What are you working on now and in the next 6 months at work that might contribute positively to your job search? If you are spearheading a guerilla eLearning campaign, it may be better to finish that and add it to your resume and experience BEFORE you apply for the next job.
Don’t forget to BUDGET for the career change.-- Identify the resources -- Estimate the costs-- Prioritize your expenses – cost vs goal alignment--- Sample costs to consider…..TIP: Professional development costs – education, association fees, travel to conventions may be tax deductible as professional education costs or job search costs.
Obviously you’ll be learning new things as you change careers….What do you think you should be looking to learn?
How do you start? Learning about a completely new field can be overwhelming…..When you learn a new thing, how do you approach it? Do basic searches - key words, terms, concepts, approaches, leaders… FOLLOW BREADCRUMBS… you will find….
Where do networking and education opportunities overlap? This can get you the most bang for your buck when paying for things. Think about how these are both networking and learning…
Company network, ask for what you want, take on special projects in your current role to prove your new skills or build a portfolio (i.e. dev an el course from an existing ILT course w/o being asked, share it with your boss as an example of what can be done – she might ask you to head a whole new EL initiative!New company or industry, old skills – consider an entry level role in a new company with better eLearning opportunities Get in on current skills, then move around and into eLearning
Once you get the job keep doing all these things – networking, learning…Helps you grow your skills quickly since you have a place to apply them ---application = retention. What do you think will change about your approach to these things once you are IN an eLearning role? Who you network with – others in THIS career in addition to those in your past career How you get involved – start presenting, contributing to blogs and forums, writing articles, etc… You’ll find favorite blogs and focus on those Your research will be more targeted The conferences you attend might change – or at least the sessions you are interested in.ASK FOR HELPNo one is expected to be an expert in everything because there is too much to know and it changes all the time. So it’s ok that you are “in eLearning” without knowing about eLearning.The minute you stop exploring and asking questions you stop learningBe the bunny – stay energized, don’t give up