How to Land your Dream Instructional Design Job

TL;DR

Ivan Mendoza shares actionable tips on transitioning from teaching to instructional design, focusing on networking, portfolio creation, resume tailoring, and interview confidence.

Transcript

hello everybody and thank you for joining us today we are here with the one and only ivan mendoza and two years ago ivan you were a teacher and now you have your dream job at apple you're loving it you're busy of course loving it so ivan's going to talk to us about how he managed to land his dream job and he has some really great actionable tips to... Read More

Key Insights

• 🆘 Networking helps create meaningful connections vital for job application success.
• 🪡 Tailoring resumes to job descriptions increases visibility and aligns candidate profiles with company needs.
• 💦 Portfolios should feature concise work samples with detailed stories to showcase skills and accomplishments.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Ivan find out about instructional design and begin pursuing it as a career?

Ivan's journey began after realizing a desire for a career change from teaching, leading to finding the instructional design subreddit and leveraging resources like Reddit and LinkedIn for guidance.

Q: What role did networking play in Ivan's transition to instructional design?

Networking was pivotal as Ivan reached out to industry professionals, tailored resumes to specific job requirements, and built meaningful connections that later supported his job applications.

Q: How did Ivan approach creating his portfolio and what elements did he include?

Ivan's portfolio focused on showcasing work samples tailored to each job application, with an emphasis on readability, conciseness, and storytelling to highlight his skills and past successes.

Q: What strategies did Ivan use to build confidence in interviews?

Ivan's interview strategies involved deep self-awareness, practicing responses, and treating interviews as conversations to engage with interviewers, share real-life examples, and get feedback on alignment with the role.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Ivan transitioned from teaching to instructional design through proactive networking on platforms like Reddit and LinkedIn.

• He emphasizes the importance of tailoring resumes to job descriptions, showcasing creativity and storytelling in work samples, and demonstrating alignment with company values.

• Ivan's confidence in interviews stems from deep self-awareness, practicing responses, and treating interviews as conversations to build rapport.