Can someone with an academic background be successful as a corporate instructional designer?

Today’s job market is an interesting, frustrating, and heartbreaking opportunity for growth. May I provide a bit of background?

I have 25 plus years of experience teaching and designing curriculum in academia. I am searching for an opportunity as an instructional designer. One area of concern during my interviews with hiring managers is my academic background. Can someone with an academic background be successful as a corporate instructional designer?

The answer is yes.

The skills and principles from academia are transferable and valuable in corporate instructional design. Someone with a teaching background can excel in corporate instructional design.

Here are some reasons why:

1. Pedagogical Knowledge: Teachers need to understand pedagogy, learning theories, and instructional strategies to teach effectively. This knowledge applies to instructional design. The goal is to create effective and engaging learning experiences.

2. Content Expertise: Academics often have expertise in specific subjects. This expertise is valuable in corporate settings. Instructional designers have the responsibility of creating training materials for employees on complex topics.

3. Communication Skills: Teaching involves effective communication which is crucial in instructional design. The ability to convey information and engage learners is an asset. It helps create effective corporate training materials.

4. Assessment and Evaluation: A strength for academics is designing and evaluating learning outcomes. Evaluating the effectiveness of learning outcomes for training programs is important.

5. Adaptability: Academics adapt their teaching methods to meet the needs of diverse learners. Adaptability is key. The audience consists of different learning styles, backgrounds, and levels of expertise.

6. Technology Integration: Academic settings use technology for teaching and learning. Educational technology experience helps corporate instructional design. E-learning tools and platforms used in corporate instructional design.

Individuals transitioning from academia to the corporate world must understand the specific needs and dynamics of the business environment. Corporate instructional designers work with different stakeholders, have tight deadlines, and focus on practical, job-related skills.

Those transitioning from academia have experience meeting needs of students, school boards, advisory boards, school administrators, parents, the community, and other organizations, while maintaining graduation and student retention metrics, updating and future-proofing curriculum, and other curriculum-related deadlines.

The ability to adapt, use existing skills, and learn new ones contributes to success in corporate instructional design.