How to Get Hired!
So, you want to be an Instructional Designer...
Instructional Design (ID) is about creating learning experiences. Big experiences like eLearning courses, training programs, and onboarding, and small experiences like microlearning and job aids.
It combines education, psychology, and content creation, and is mostly found in corporate L&D (learning & development) departments, higher education, nonprofits, government, and edtech companies.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook has some information about L&D roles in the United States, including average income and job growth predictions:
To get hired in the U.S., you may need a bachelor's degree (it doesn't necessarily have to be in Instructional Design, it can be in a different field), but relevant experience might be enough depending on the needs and expectations of the role and the company posting the job. A lower level role won't require a degree as much as a higher level role will.
Certifications (or at least some relevant certificates) will give you an advantage over the competition. For both certificates and certification, try the Association for Talent Development (ATD). For certificates, try Coursera (they have discounts a few times a year) or LinkedIn Learning (which you might be able to access for free through your local library). You can also network with local Instructional Designers through ATD chapters in your city.
You have the ID skills and knowledge.
You know what to expect on the job.
So, how do you get hired?
Click each task to find out!
Ready for the next steps?
After you've been hired and have a few years of ID experience, you can get certified.
The Association for Talent Development (ATD) is a global organization that offers certifications, including the Certified Professional in Instructional Design (CPTD) and the Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) certifications. It is a global organization, but before you spend time and money getting any certification, make sure that it is valued by hiring managers in your specific location.
If they are valuable in your location, here is how to get them: the CPTD requires 5 years of work experience, and the APTD requires three. All require professional development hours, which you can get by attending events, filling out surveys, and watching webinars that count toward professional development on the ATD website. (They usually have a logo at the bottom of the page and say they can be reported for certification points.)