This profession has evolved over the years and is no longer restricted to just academia but spreads across a countless number of important sectors like government agencies, military and even hospitals. There is a growing demand for instructional designers across all sectors, so that means the competition for attaining this job title will be extremely high. To get noticed by a hiring manager, you will require an outstanding designer resume that highlights your accomplishments and the key highlights of your career so far. In this guide, we will demonstrate how to implement smart resume writing strategies that will ensure your instructional designer resume is at top of its class.
Instructional Designer Resume Examples
In this section, we will demonstrate an instructional designer resume sample to give you an idea of what your own instructional designer resume should look like. If you would like to see more references of similar resume samples then you can check out our amazing collection of resume examples and templates.
Understanding the Internal Designer Job Description
The demand for instructional design is growing across multiple sectors and industries beyond academia. Instructional design can range from creating corporate training materials to curriculum development for E-Learning courses. As an instructional designer you can have the opportunity to collaborate with experts from various fields, educators, government officials to create engaging and effective learning materials and solutions. Let's take a look at some of the responsibilities that are expected from you as an instructional designer by potential employers and hiring managers.
- Develop and design courses and curriculum development and training programs.
- Identify and assess the learning needs and objectives of the audience for a course or training programs.
- Develop content, assessments and learning activities that completely align with the instructional goals.
- Utilise technology with the implementation of e-learning tools, learning management systems (LMS), and multimedia resources to improve and enhance learning processes.
- Evaluate, assess and review the impact of the learning materials through feedback and strive for constant improvement.
How to Write an Instructional Designer Resume?
To write a compelling instructional designer resume, you will need to give attention to all the key elements that accurately portray your qualifications and expertise and market yourself as the most suitable candidate for the job. Just follow our step by step professional resume writing guide and you will be able to create the most impactful instructional design resume. Here is an overview of all the important topics we will touch upon to help you make a job winning resume.
- Choosing the right format for your resume
- Structure of a instructional designer resume
- Additional sections to enhance your instructional design resume
Pick the Right Resume Format
The first step to making a professional resume for any occupation will require you to select the appropriate format. There are mainly three formats to choose from- chronological, functional and hybrid/combination. Let's take a more in-depth look at these options
Chronological Resume- This format lists your work experience in a reverse chronological order, starting with the latest job you held. This format is ideal for you if you have an extensive work history in instructional design. The following is the progression of a chronological resume format.- Header
- Objective statement/Resume summary
- Professional experience
- Education section
- Skills section- Top hard skills and soft skills
- Certifications
- Optional additional sections- Languages, volunteer experiences etc
- Header
- Objective statement/Resume summary
- Skills summary
- Achievements
- Professional experience
- Education section
- Additional sections (Optional)
- Header
- Resume Summary
- Skills summary
- Professional experience
- Education
- Additional sections
The format you need to choose is dependent on your professional background and experience you have in instructional design. We highly recommend the chronological format for your instructional design resume, especially if you are an experienced instructional designer as it is the most preferred by hiring managers and recruiters.
Create a Header
Your resume header is the first section that a hiring manager sees, so pay close attention to it. Include the following details in your instructional designer resume header.
- Full Name
- Job Title
- Phone number
- Email address
- LinkedIn profile
Ensure that your email address is professional, not casual. Always double check the header section and avoid making any mistakes as this is how recruiters will get back in touch with you.
Write an Impactful Objective Statement
The next section of your instructional design resume should feature an impactful professional resume. Consider this section as your elevator pitch for a hiring manager to showcase your suitability for the instructional designer position. A powerful instructional designer resume summary should convey the following details in 2-4 sentences.
- Job title
- Key experiences (mentioning the total number of years worked)
- Top achievements (measurable accomplishments)
- Expertise that you offer to the position
Showcase Your Work Experience
If you are an experienced instructional designer, the work experience section will be the most scrutinised by hiring managers so take your time and ensure that you accurately mention your previous roles and companies that you have worked with and highlight the high points in your career effectively. Here are some pointers to make an impressive work experience section.
- Start with the most recent job you had, and work backwards from there
- Use bullet points to elaborate on the roles and responsibilities you held in your previous jobs
- Start each bullet point with an action verb (Developed, designed, analysed, implemented, facilitated, etc)
- Use specific metrics to show your achievements.
Detail Your Education Section
Since the profession of instructional design is the one of aiding other's learning processes, as an instructional designer you will need at least a bachelor's degree if not a master's degree. Learning never stops and most instructional designers continue their pursuit of academia to update their skills to stay up to date with the latest learning management systems and theories. Include the following details while listing your educational qualifications.
- Degree
- University name
- Graduation Date
- Honors or academic awards received (if applicable)
Highlight Relevant Skills
Your skills section will shine a light on your competency and tell a hiring manager the specific skill set you possess that makes you an outstanding instructional designer. It is a good idea to divide your technical skills and soft skills for easy readability and clarity. Here are some sought after hard and soft skills for an instructional designer resume.
Technical Skills- Proficient in E-Learning Authoring tools (Articulate storyline, Adobe Captivate)
- Expertise in using Learning management systems (Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas)
- Knowledge of instructional design models and theories (ADDIE,SAM)
- Expertise in visual design, presentation and storytelling
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Project management
- Creativity
Mention Certifications
As an instructional designer you are expected to keep honing your skills to stay updated with the latest studies and technology in the process of learning. If you have received any certifications that can enhance your qualifications as an instructional designer, it is highly recommended to mention them. Here are some of the certifications you can receive to further your career as an instructional designer.
- Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP)
- Adobe Certified Expert (ACE)
- Instructional Designer Certificate
- ATD Instructional Design Certificate
Additional Sections to Enhance Your Instructional Design Resume
Once you have filled in the necessary and essential sections of your instructional designer resume, you have the option of adding some additional sections to enhance your resume further. These are optional sections which should only be added if you have space and also if they significantly contribute and tie into your professional journey as an instructional designer. Here are some of the additional sections you can add to your instructional designer resume.
Professional Associations
Adding a section with your professional associations and memberships can increase your credibility and get you a hiring manager's attention. This demonstrates your commitment to staying updated in the field and building your networks in the instructional design community. Some of the professional organisations related to instructional design are as follows.
- The Learning Guild
- Association for Talent Development (ATD)
- The Learning and Development Community (TLDC)
- The Learning Development Accelerator (LDA)
Achievements and Awards
It is a prestigious honor to be recognised in your field of work and you should always take the opportunity to showcase that in your instructional designer resume. Awards and notable recognition is a sure shot way of setting yourself apart from other job seekers as it shows that your work has been acknowledged and appreciated within the instructional designer community.
Languages
If you are fluent in more than one language it can widen your scope of applying for instructional designer jobs. Add an additional section and list down all the languages mentioning the level of fluency next to each one.
Ensuring Your Instructional Designer Resume is ATS-Friendly
Making an applicant tracking system (ATS) friendly resume is required to increase your chances of getting noticed by potential employers during the hiring process. Most companies across sectors have adopted the use of applicant tracking systems to filter resumes on the basis of specific keywords and formatting. This leads to your resume getting rejected before it even reaches a hiring manager. Let's take a look at some pointers to make sure your instructional designer resume doesn't get thrown in the reject pile by applicant tracking systems.
Use a Clean and Simple Format
Stick to a simple and clean format for your resume. Avoid using tables, graphics or complex formatting that the ATS software will not be able to read leading to a subsequent rejection of your job application.
Save Your resume in the Correct File Format
The file format of your instructional designer resume needs to be saved as either a Word or PDF document. PDFs are your safest bet as they maintain a uniform formatting across a multitude of systems.
Use Professional Fonts
Stick to the basic and most legible fonts like Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman or Calibri for your instructional designer resume. Avoid decorative and illegible fonts at all costs.
Include Keywords
One of the main functions of the ATS softwares is to scan for specific keywords in your resume. To do this, you will need to thoroughly go through the job description section in the employer's job posting and incorporate the exact same keywords into your resume's skills, work experience and resume summary sections. You should adopt this practice before every job application and tailor your resume for each job to give yourself the best chances of getting the job.
Use Bullet Points
The ATS software is extremely biased to information being presented in bullet points rather than long paragraphs. It is easier for the software to read and increases your chances of getting an actual interview.
Avoid The Use of Acronyms Without Mentioning their Full Form
If you need to use acronyms, it needs to have its corresponding full form mentioned as well.
Test Your Resume
Before you decide to submit your actual job application, upload it to an online ATS-friendly resume checker to see how your instructional designer resume scores. It can give you a rough idea of the sections and elements of your resume that need a second look.
Key Takeaways
Let's take a look at some of the key takeaways of this instructional designer resume guide.
- Understand the roles and responsibilities of a instructional designer to best reflect them on your resume
- Pick an appropriate resume format that can do justice in highlighting your unique skills and qualifications for an instructional designer role
- Include your correct contact information on your resume header
- Write an impactful professional summary in 2-4 sentences
- Use bullet points and action verbs to showcase your work experience
- Pay keen attention to your education section
- Highlight relevant hard and soft skills
- Enhance your resume with adding your professional associations and mentioning career achievements.
- Make sure your instructional designer resume is ATS software friendly
Add a Cover Letter to Your Instructional Designer Resume
Adding a cover letter to your instructional designer resume can give you the opportunity to list the additional skills and qualifications that you couldn't touch upon in your resume. It also gives you the chance to show a slight extension of your personality and connect with a potential employer on a more human level. Make sure that the cover letter is doing its job of enhancing and not overshadowing your instructional designer resume.
Now that you have all the tools to make the most amazing and winning resume, we wish you all the luck in your job hunt!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What should be included in a resume for instructional designer?
An instructional designer resume should include the following sections.
- Header
- Objective statement/Resume summary
- Professional experience
- Education section
- Skills section- Top hard skills and soft skills
- Certifications
- Optional additional sections-Professional associations and memberships, achievements, languages
What are the key skills that should be mentioned in an instructional designer resume?
The skills section of an instructional designer resume should have a balance of the following instructional designer skills.
Technical Skills- Proficient in E-Learning Authoring tools (Articulate storyline, Adobe Captivate)
- Expertise in using Learning management systems (Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas)
- Knowledge of instructional design models and theories (ADDIE,SAM)
- Expertise in visual design, presentation and storytelling
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Project management
- Creativity
- Leadership skills
What is the professional summary of an instructional designer?
The professional summary for an instructional designer should effectively convey the candidate's skills and instructional design expertise and should also mention the value that they bring to help an organisation reach its goals. A good professional summary should include the following elements.
- Job title
- Key experiences (mentioning the total number of years worked)
- Top achievements (measurable accomplishments)
- Expertise that you offer to the position
