What do you do if your instructional design career needs a boost?

2 Seek new challenges and opportunities

The second step to boost your instructional design career is to seek new challenges and opportunities that will stretch your abilities and expose you to different perspectives and contexts. You can do this by taking on new projects or tasks, volunteering for pro bono or social causes, joining or creating a community of practice, or participating in competitions or hackathons. You can also look for formal or informal learning opportunities, such as courses, webinars, podcasts, books, or blogs. By seeking new challenges and opportunities, you can expand your network, showcase your work, and learn from others.

3 Apply creative problem solving techniques

The third step to enhance your instructional design career is to apply creative problem solving techniques to your work. Creative problem solving is a skill that involves generating and implementing novel and effective solutions to complex and ill-defined problems. You can use various techniques to enhance your creative problem solving, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, prototyping, testing, or iterating. You can also use tools and frameworks, such as design thinking, agile, or SCAMPER, to guide your process. By applying creative problem solving techniques, you can improve your outcomes, efficiency, and innovation.

4 Reflect and evaluate your performance

The fourth step to advance your instructional design career is to reflect and evaluate your performance regularly. You can use various methods to reflect and evaluate your work, such as self-assessment, peer review, feedback, or data analysis. You should also document your process and results, such as by creating a portfolio, a blog, or a case study. By reflecting and evaluating your performance, you can identify your achievements, challenges, and lessons learned, and plan your next steps for improvement.

5 Seek mentorship and coaching

The fifth step to boost your instructional design career is to seek mentorship and coaching from experienced and respected professionals in your field. You can find mentors and coaches through various channels, such as your organization, your network, your associations, or online platforms. You can also offer to mentor or coach others who are less experienced or new to the field. By seeking mentorship and coaching, you can benefit from the guidance, feedback, support, and inspiration of others who have been in your shoes.

6 Celebrate and share your successes

The sixth and final step to improve your instructional design career is to celebrate and share your successes with others. You can do this by acknowledging your achievements, rewarding yourself, expressing gratitude, or giving back. You can also share your successes with your colleagues, clients, learners, or online communities, such as by presenting, publishing, or posting your work. By celebrating and sharing your successes, you can boost your confidence, reputation, and motivation, and inspire others to follow your example.