I have to share this presentation by Cammy Bean (@cammybean) because it so truly reflects how most of the instructional designers I know got into the field – which is by accident. In my opinion, the accidental part is a good thing because it means that instructional designers have a varied toolbox of work experience that really helps them relate to the learners that they are designing for. If I look at the LinkedIn profiles of my instructional design colleagues it’s clear that no two took the same path. Some started off as teachers, lawyers, network administrators, technical writers, account managers, communications and marketing specialists and the list goes on.
In her presentation, Cammy uses the metaphor of a pie to explain the skills that every good learning professional needs to have. In this pie there are four main pieces (business, technology, creative and design).
My question to you is, if you were offered a slice of the Learner & Development Professional pie to round out your skill set- what would it be? Check out Cammy’s presentation (an upcoming book) to see what piece she’d most recommend ordering.