Employers
Instructional designers are employed by elementary and secondary schools and school districts, colleges and universities, educational software and textbook companies, corporations, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and the U.S. military. Some instructional designers work at or own consulting firms that provide services to these organizations.
Starting Out
Some people break into the field after first working as teachers or information technology professionals. Others pursue degrees in instructional design (ID) or related fields, complete an internship in ID, then seek out entry-level job opportunities via career fairs and social networking sites (such as LinkedIn), or by applying directly for job openings at the Web sites of potential employers. Professional associations also provide good job-search resources. For example, members of Learning Forward receive discounts to member publications and conferences and access to a variety of networking opportunities.
- Adapted Physical Education Specialists
- Adult and Vocational Education Teachers
- Art Teachers
- Athletic Directors
- Biophysicists
- Book Editors
- Career and Employment Counselors
- Career and Employment Technicians
- College Administrators
- College Professors
- Community Nutrition Educators
- Computer Trainers
- Cooking Instructors
- Curriculum Coordinators
- Dance School Owners and Managers
- Distance Learning Coordinators
- Driving School Owners and Instructors
- Education Directors and Museum Teachers
- Edupreneurs
- Elementary School Teachers
- English as a Second Language (ESL) Teachers
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Flight Instructors
- Guidance Counselors
- Health Educators
- Instructional Coordinators
- Journalism Teachers
- Learning Innovations Designers
- Library and Information Science Instructors
- Mathematics Teachers
- Music Teachers
- Nursing Instructors
- Physical Education Teachers
- Political Scientists
- Preschool Teachers
- Real Estate Educators
- School Administrators
- School Nurses
- Secondary School Teachers
- Special Education Teachers
- Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
- Speech-Language Pathology Assistants
- Teacher Aides
- Tutors and Trainers