Using templates to create eLearning
By
Cath Ellis
In this episode of The Learning Pro Live, I was joined by the fantastic Tim Slade to tackle a question I get asked almost every other day: How do I become an eLearning designer?
Whether you call yourself an Instructional Designer, a Learning Experience Designer, or just a “learning pro,” breaking into this industry can feel overwhelming. There are so many tools, theories, and job titles floating around.
Tim and I shared our own accidental journeys into L&D (mine via cruise ships and the police force, his via catching shoplifters!) and busted some common myths about what you really need to succeed.
Here are the key takeaways from our chat on launching your eLearning career.
This is the biggest myth we busted. Both Tim and I stumbled into this industry without formal qualifications in instructional design. I started out as a purser on cruise ships, and Tim worked in retail loss prevention.
While a degree can help you understand the theory and might get you past a recruiter’s algorithm, it doesn’t necessarily make you a better practitioner. Employers today care far more about what you can do right now than how you learned to do it. A strong portfolio that demonstrates your skills in tools like Articulate Storyline or Adobe Creative Cloud is infinitely more valuable than a piece of paper.
Tim introduced a brilliant concept called “skill stacking.” Throughout your career, you pick up random skills that might seem unrelated at the time. Tim learned InDesign to make training manuals years before he ever thought about writing a book.
When you transition into eLearning, take inventory of everything you can do. Maybe you are great at video editing from a hobby, or you learned project management in a previous admin role. These skills compound. You don’t need to start from zero; you just need to rearrange the skills you already have and apply them to a new context.
If you are just starting out, my advice is to go work for an agency. It is a baptism of fire, but you will learn how the “big boys” do it.
In a government or corporate role, deadlines can be loose, and budgets vague. In an agency, every minute is billable. You will learn how to scope a project accurately, manage scope creep, and deliver high-quality work under pressure. This experience is invaluable if you ever decide to go freelance later on, as you will already know how to run a project like a business.
Don’t wait for your boss to give you a creative project. The work you do nine-to-five is often boring compliance training that you can’t put in your portfolio anyway.
Tim’s advice? Build passion projects on nights and weekends. He once won an award for a course on How to Cook a Turkey! By creating content on topics you love, you are not beholden to stakeholders or brand guidelines. You can experiment, show off your visual design skills, and build a portfolio that reflects the kind of work you want to be hired for, not just the work you are currently doing.
The most important takeaway? Stop waiting for permission. You don’t need a certificate to call yourself an eLearning designer. If you can design effective learning experiences, you are one.
Download a free trial of Articulate Storyline, watch YouTube tutorials (there are thousands of free resources), and start building. Join communities like Articulate Heroes or LinkedIn groups. The industry is incredibly supportive, and the only barrier to entry is your willingness to learn and try.
Watch the full interview above to hear more about Tim’s new book, our thoughts on freelancing vs. full-time, and why we both believe this is the best industry in the world.
