Preparing for a Job Search:
Before you have completed your degree in Instructional Design and Technology, you are going to want to consider your job search plans. Much of the challenge in looking for new employment is figuring out how to market your new skills and knowledge.
As the University of Memphis is a well-recognized program, some of this will have been done for you, but you will still need to land that job.
The first step is getting a new job is thinking about your skill sets. How are you going to define your skills and knowledge in an interview? What would you say are your best strengths? What are your challenges? Determining the answers to these questions will help you think about how you will answer these questions when they are asked in an interview.
Another key preparation to a successful job hunt is preparing your resume, portfolio, or vita. Much of the work you have done in the program has been centered at developing your skills and knowledge base in key areas of instructional design, whether it be increasing your knowledge of theoretical learning constructs, developing your ability to analyze performance and knowledge gaps, designing and developing instruction, or accurately evaluating learning. Your resume or portfolio should represent all of these areas as well as provide the basics of your educational and work history. Think of the resume or portfolio as the key that unlocks the door to the interview. You first have to have the right key before you can even begin to think about entering the door to a new job or career.
For more information on creating a high-quality resume, check out this website from Colorado State University.
If you are interested in creating a teaching portfolio to demonstrate your skills beyond a resume, this website from Ohio State University will provide you more information.
For those of you who are pursuing higher education academic careers, the curriculum vita is even more important than a resume or portfolio. The vita demonstrates your ability to perform relevant scholarly research and academic service. The elements of a curricula vitae may be found at this website for the Unversity of Southern California San Diego.
Job Search Terms:
Searching for a new position within job search engines or job boards means knowing what terms will yield the results for which you are looking. The following are some terms that are commonly used with positions in our field.
| Instructional Technologist Blended Learning Technologist Corporate Training Specialist Training Specialist |
Instructional Designer E-learning Designer E-learning Multimedia Designer Instructional Systems Specialist Learning Specialist |
IDT Job Search Links: