Are you interested in seeking a position in Instructional Design and wondering about the promotion of your work through a professional portfolio? Creating and sharing a strong Instructional Design portfolio is essential in today’s competitive job market. Whether you plan to work in the corporate world or in Education, your portfolio allows you to tell your story while showcasing key skills and personal differentiators.
Creating a strong portfolio involves a number of key elements. Similar to a resume, you professional portfolio for Instructional Design is often a work in progress, and will typically evolve over time as you expand your work experience and skillset. Below are several key tips to consider when designing your Instructional Design Portfolio:
- Define Your Career Path and Job Target—For a successful job search, you will need to begin with the end in mind by identifying your job target. Consider if you are drawn to areas such as product design or user design research, and think about if you would like to work in a K-12 environment, higher education, or corporate.
- Curate the Portfolio to Match the Positions— Collecting and displaying samples of your work which are relevant to the position for which you are applying is essential for career success. Therefore, you will want to adjust your portfolio for each specific position. In addition, the most important samples for the specific job for which you are applying should be at the front of your portfolio.
- Tell the Story—Use Narrative to Connect– A powerful Instructional Design portfolio example doesn’t just display your work; it tells the story of specific projects and your journey as a designer. For example, one story which you may include in your portfolio may be a case study which discusses a project’s full scope: identifying the problem, conducting research, overcoming obstacles, and the impact of your design. In addition, your portfolio should provide an overview of your career—discussing challenges which you faced, lessons learned, and the progression of problem-solving and creativity skills.
- Showcase Your Work With Confidence and Professionalism– Presenting your work with a confident tone is essential to demonstrating your impact as an instructional designer. Use clear, results-driven language when describing your contributions. For example, instead of saying, “I helped improve a training,” say, “I designed and implemented a learning solution that increased learner comprehension by 30%.” Rather than stating, “I contributed to course development,” say, “I developed and launched a course that improved learner performance and reduced time to competency by 40%.” For the corporate world, instead of stating, “I contributed to the creation of a new feature,” state “I developed and launched a new feature which streamlined the user experience, reducing task completion time by 40%. (Tips for Creating a UX Design Portfolio: How to Stand Out and Avoid Common Mistakes).
- The Experience: Design Your Own Portfolio–A great way to display your instructional design skills is through the design of your portfolio itself. You may want to consider the hiring manager as your end user. Create a user experience which is visually appealing and easy to navigate while highlighting your skills and providing direction to the most prominent content. Also, consider and articulate your overall personal brand throughout your portfolio. Further, assure that evidence of your personal brand is evident throughout your portfolio.
- Network and Build Community to Expand Your Reach– Taking actions such as attending meetups, becoming involved in instructional design communities, and connecting with industry professionals assist you with getting your work in front of those who can connect you with opportunity.
- Assure That Your Portfolio Includes the Following: Introduction/Bio, Your Brand Identity, Case Studies, Images Aligning With Your Target Jobs, Link to Extra Information/Resources, Link to Your Resume, and Your Contact Information.
Interested in learning more about professional portfolios related to Instructional Design? View this article on 7 Best UX Portfolios and What we can Learn From Them, and plan to register for/attend our upcoming Drop-In Session on Instructional Design Portfolios on Thursday, May 14th, at 5 PM Mountain Time, with focus on roles within Education!
If WGU Career and Professional Development may be of further assistance, please visit our website for contact information and more details about our services. Best of luck to all candidates on landing that next opportunity!
