Here are my reasons why I think you should invest the time to build your instructional design portfolio:

1. Career Transitioning.

If you are...

Published: August 12, 2020

Episode: 21

Zsolt Olah, Author of Engage the WORL&D! 

In this episode, I’ll be chatting with Zsolt Olah about his journey and advice for becoming a learning designer.  Zsolt just wrote a comprehensive guide on becoming a learning designer and we dig into his research and findings. Listen to Zsolt share some great tips for those looking to enter the learning and development world.

Zsolt Olah is a creative learning consultant at Kineo with over 15 years of L&D experience. Zsolt is a frequent speaker at learning conferences on the subject of engagement and game thinking for L&D. He is also the author of the book, Engage the WORL&D!, exploring six essential traits of instructional design. 

If you are a new listener to Become an IDOL, we would love to hear from you.  Please visit our Contact Page and let us know how we can help you today!

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When you want to land your first corporate instructional design and online learning developer job, there are several options for programs that want to help you get there. To help you research the options available and make a decision based on the requirements you need, I’ve created a table. Before I share the table, I want to share the job application assets and skills you need before you even start to apply. This way, you’ll know what you should look for in a program before you enroll.

1. EXPERIENCE. You’ll need experience in instructional design. I know this gets really frustrating for many who want to transition into this career field because they ask, “how can I get experience if they won’t hire someone without experience?” And while there are several workaround answers to this question, the fact remains that you can’t get around the requirement for experience. Does the program add to the experience section on your resume?
2. Job...

Published: March 27, 2020

Episode: 19

Guest: Alexander Salas, Digital Learning Consultant

In this episode, I’ll be chatting with Alexander Salas. Alex is an eLearning freelancer and the owner of eLearning Launch. He shares the differences and history of ADDIE, HPT, and Agile. He also gives recommendations for which methodology to use and when.

If you are a new listener to Become an IDOL, we would love to hear from you.  Please visit our Contact Page and let us know how we can help you today!

In this episode we discuss:

• ADDIE
• Human Performance Technology
• Agile

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Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I'll be publishing a new episode every two weeks and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

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While I am sure and hope I am not the only one who feels this way, I also know persistence is needed for success. However, I feel that I have hit a roadblock. Initially, I felt roadblocks were negative and something I needed to overcome. Then, I shifted my perspective: Roadblocks force us to detour and lead us down a new path. When finding a solution in the corporate world, these detours lead to innovation. But, where does one find inspiration...

The first step...

Published: January 16, 2020

Episode: 17

IDOL Hiring Manager Elizabeth Pehlke Shares How to Land a Job

Guest:Elizabeth Pehlke, Learning and Instructional  Designer

In this episode, I’ll be chatting with Elizabeth Pehlke. Elizabeth was a hiring manager at Pearson and she was hiring between 10-20 instructional designers a year. She shares her best interview, resume, and application tips for those looking to land their first or next instructional design job. 

If you are a new listener to Become an IDOL, we would love to hear from you.  Please visit our Contact Page and let us know how we can help you today!

In this episode we discuss:

• Resumes
• Hiring process
• interviews 
• Best practices and tips for new instructional designers

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I'll be publishing a new episode...

Show notes for Podcast UX and UI design with Melanie Sexton

Published: December 11, 2019

Episode: 16

UX and UI with Melanie Sexton

Guest: Melanie Sexton, Learning and Experience Designer

In this episode of Become an IDOL, I’ll be chatting with Melanie Sexton, Learning and Experience Designer, about her experience in creating graphic interfaces for online courses and E-Learning development.  Melanie Sexton is a jack of all trades learning design professional living in Central Texas. She graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design earning a BFA and MA in Sequential Art and is now back in school at Austin Community College taking several courses in UX Design. Melanie has a history of making comics and illustrations and sharing her passion for digital media with students in higher ed and libraries. As an instructional design professional, Melanie has worked with clients in the US Military, EdTech, and Cyber Security spaces to create internal, external, and...

Published: October 7, 2019

Episode: 14

Instructional Design Freelancing with Kim Tuohy from Belvista Studios

Guest: Kim Tuohy

In this episode, I’ll be chatting with Kim Tuohy about making the transition to a freelance instructional designer. Kim shares a wealth of knowledge from her own transition from full-time employee to a self-employed business owner. Belvista Studios is an instructional design and eLearning company located in Australia and as the founder, she has a lot of experience working with clients to share.

If you are a new listener to Become an IDOL, we would love to hear from you.  Please visit our Contact Page and let us know how we can help you today!

In this episode we discuss:

• How to make the transition to freelancing
• Considerations when becoming your own boss
• Getting corporate instructional design experience before making the switch
• How to price your services
• How to manage your life and work balance
• Goal setting
• Mindset work
...