You’re an expert at creating engaging educational materials that help people understand complex topics. With an in-depth knowledge of e-learning tools and plenty of creativity under your belt, you’re always refining your methods and delivering an exceptional learning experience.
While your ability to pass on knowledge effectively is obvious to anyone who takes one of your courses, it might be hard to condense into a one-page resume.
We’ve worked with thousands of educators and helped them find their dream jobs, and we’re here to do the same for you. Check out our instructional designer resume examples and cover letter writing tips to take the next step in your career!
Why this resume works
- First and foremost, your instructional designer resume must be created with the end users of your work in mind. Why? Because it’s from your instructions that they have to learn, understand, and be competent.
- Therefore, a track record of achieving higher end users’ satisfaction rates would be a perfect display of how effective and helpful your instructions have been and can be.
Why this resume works
- No matter how insignificant it might be, any cost-saving achievement is worth mentioning in your teacher to instructional designer resume. It’s something that would naturally impress recruiters.
- A good example is how Henry saves $412 on printing and material costs, something you can emulate in your piece.
Why this resume works
- Showing where your career started and where you are today can be an effective strategy to score favor with a potential employer and improve your chances of getting hired.
- This senior instructional designer resume shows a steady growth from an eLearning developer to a senior position, all the while picking up invaluable experiences and lessons along the way.
Related resume examples
Tailor Your Instructional Designer Resume to Fit the Job Requirements
To create educational materials that are both helpful and engaging is no easy feat, and you know that better than anyone. You’ve got a whole lot of professional skills that help you along the way, ranging from curriculum design to your proficiency in various LMS.
How do you make the most of your diverse skill set when applying for a job? It’s simple—study the job description and make sure that some of the key abilities listed there also appear in your resume.
Keep it highly specific to show your true worth to employers. Mention the software you’re proficient in, such as Canvas and Kahoot, but also your knowledge of mentoring and instructional strategies.
Need some ideas?
15 popular instructional designer skills
- Blackboard
- Adobe Captivate
- Kahoot!
- ADDIE Framework
- Coursera
- Udemy
- Video Editing
- Microsoft Office
- Zoom
- SAM Model
- Moodle
- Curriculum Design
- Canvas
- Articulate Storyline
- Content Curation
Your instructional designer work experience bullet points
Whether your focus lies in creating e-learning modules for large corporations or making your own Udemy courses, you’re one of those people who can take an idea and make magic happen.
Seeing as the success of others directly translates to your own accomplishments, make that the focus of this part of your resume. Emphasize your greatest achievements as opposed to your day-to-day tasks to show the impact you’ve had on the people who took your courses.
Another thing you can do to really underscore your instructional prowess is adding metrics to each bullet point. Just as you use data and concrete figures to back up all claims, recruiters like to see exactly how much you were able to achieve.
- Highlight the way learners respond to your material by using metrics such as engagement, attendance, and retention rates.
- Show that you’re an effective educator by discussing increases in test scores, reductions in learning time, and course completion rates.
- Express your ability to work in a team. Mention times when you’ve worked with subject matter experts or used specialized material, as well as how that increased the value of your courses.
- Zone in on financials with metrics such as ROI, cutting material costs through effective negotiation, or saving billable hours thanks to your courses.
See what we mean?
- Designed and delivered engaging online and in-person lessons to a team of 9, consistently achieving a 23% improvement in overall performance
- Pioneered engaging eLearning modules using Articulate Storyline, leading to a 43% improvement in employee knowledge retention
- Authored and published 14 Udemy courses with an average satisfaction rating of 4.8/5
- Utilized Fuse to create mobile-friendly microlearning modules, contributing to a 9-hour reduction in onboarding time for new hires
9 active verbs to start your instructional designer work experience bullet points
- Spearheaded
- Utilized
- Designed
- Developed
- Managed
- Improved
- Integrated
- Achieved
- Created
3 Tips for Writing an Instructional Designer Resume When You’re Still New to the Job
- Show off your creativity
- Even if you’ve never worked as an instructional designer before, you can still show that you know how to design lessons or courses. Prepare a few mock-ups and send them along with your resume. For brownie points, make a slide or two tailored to the job!
- Discuss your knowledge
- If you’re applying to a job where you’ll be creating specialized learning content, make sure to highlight your knowledge of the subject. Show that you know what you’re about, discussing previous jobs, relevant niche skills, or conferences you’ve attended.
- Emphasize your dedication
- Teaching and creating educational materials requires dedication and the ability to pore over text, graphics, and videos until they’re flawless. Show off your attention to detail by giving that same kind of care to your resume and tailoring it to match the job description.
3 Tips for Creating an Instructional Designer Resume as a Seasoned Educator
- Include additional credentials
- Your work experience speaks for itself, but it’s a good idea to include extra credentials if you have any. This includes a teaching license, but also certifications like the CPLP, CIDD, CELS, or the ATD Master Instructional Designer Program.
- Spotlight positive outcomes
- Your instructional material has done a lot of good, so make sure to highlight that in your resume. Discuss learner success, retention rates from one lesson to the next, or reductions in onboarding times to show your educational chops.
- Examples are always great
- Even if you’ve never worked in instructional design at a company, throw it in if you have experience creating e-learning content or educational courses. This includes your Udemy profile or a byline on a useful how-to guide in a relevant niche.
Highlight transferable skills and experiences that show you’re a skilled educator. For instance, if you’ve ever worked as a teacher or a tutor, talk about how your lessons helped students pass important tests or get into their dream colleges.
Working in instructional design means you’re often behind the scenes, researching and compiling content that teachers and corporate coaches will then use. Your ability to cooperate with other educators is crucial, but it’s best to highlight it through your work experience bullet points rather than listing it as a skill.
Just like your educational material needs to be concise and to the point, so should your instructional designer resume. Use one of our professional resume templates that will help you fit everything in a single page and have the highest chance of landing an interview.
