How to path your Instructional Design Experiences for the Job Market

If you are interested in using your ETC degree and expertise to secure an Instructional Designer position, below are the recommendations from a previous ETC graduate, An Pfister. Her recommendations are very valuable.

For the ETC student, there are two paths to really think about: higher education and corporate. I've only worked in higher ed., but I've been thinking about corporate and have looked at all the job requirements and keep in touch with a healthy ID community. Here's my take on both:

Higher Education

This market tends to care more about whether applicants have a Master's. Some of the key concepts that these students will want to be able to convey is a good understanding of adult learning and the science of learning. 

When I landed my job in higher education, my solid understanding of Backwards Design and adult learning theories is what propelled me in front of the pack of applicants. Even without experience, showing that you understand these concepts will be huge.

Corporate

Corporate tends to not care as much about having a Master's, but most require at least a Bachelor's. What I've found, though, is that they rely heavily on learning theory/science, the ability to develop eLearning materials, and having a portfolio.

Even if a person doesn't have experience developing eLearning materials, they can always create eLearning materials for any type of problem they may find in the corporate world and showcase this in a digital portfolio. There are a ton of articles and ID communities (I use LinkedIn) that offer advice and even free training for creating eLearning materials using eLearning software like Articulate Storyline, etc.

One thing I wish I did when I was a student was to reach out to either higher education institutions or corporations for internships. As a student, you can also offer free services (check UpWork) to non-profits and this will help one to gain experience.

If you want to provide your student with my contact information for follow-up, please feel free to do so. I know exactly what it's like and am open to questions and connecting.

An Pfister

Instructional Designer

Quality Matters Coordinator

Office Prescott Campus, 3-107

Direct Phone 928-717-7683 

TeLS Phone 928-771-6120

Email An.Pfister@yc.edu

Book a Zoom Meeting with Me