The Show Notes
Right up until the 2019-2020 school year, you may have really loved your teaching job. But with the constant demand to meet the needs of learners in both digital and in-person formats (not to mention the overwhelming number of parent emails), you might be questioning the future right now.
Our guest in this episode is a former teacher and recent course graduate. After only a couple of months of having to teach from home, Chris realized he wasn’t willing to wait and see.
He found the course from Teacher to Instructional Designer and within just over a month, he became a university instructional designer! Listen to find out what parts of the course were keys to finding a job so quickly!
A Teacher Who Was Born to Explore
Chris began his teaching career in social studies at the middle and high school grade levels. While he loved teaching subjects like history and geography, he realized that he had no personal experience cultivating his love of places and cultures, so it was off to South Korea he went!
Along his journey, Chris also got a master’s in educational technology, but ultimately the needs of his family brought him back to teaching in his hometown for the 2019-2020 school year. He was thankful to be back teaching, until the world- and education as we know it took a sharp turn.
Reading the Writing on the Wall
When COVID hit and classrooms went digital overnight, the demands of all teachers increased exponentially, and without any compensation. As much as he loved his job, Chris knew the extra demands were not going to be sustainable long term.
That’s when he found From Teacher to Instructional Designer. Chris had a little bit of context of what an instructional designer did, but he had a lot of questions.
How could he make his teaching experience more marketable? How could he improve his resume or prepare for an interview? He discovered answers to all these questions and more in the course and through our generous community!
From Technology Glitch to Technology Gift
One encouraging story that Chris shared was that in the process of submitting his resume, he ran into a formatting issue that rearranged his document, making it difficult to read. Application nightmare, right?
After a frantic search, Chris found a contact email, asked for an opportunity to resubmit his resume, which was kindly granted. But because Chris’ resume was sent along with a personal connection, his application didn’t get stuck in the virtual “pile” of applications. It went straight to the top and he was invited to interview soon after!
So what’s the lesson here? Always look for a way to find a personal connection!
What a Day on the Job Looks Like Now
Chris has only been a university instructional designer for a few months now, but he is diving in headfirst. He spends a lot of his days working with professors at Texas A&M to gather materials he needs to help them create virtual classrooms.
He takes all the material from professors and identifies how to make the content digestible and engaging. He also creates all the resources that support the lessons he creates.
It also might be refreshing to know that even with a master’s in educational technology, Chris is not an HTML wizard, and he doesn’t have to be in order to be effective in his role.
Sighing from relief there? Are you feeling more curious about becoming a university instructional designer too?
Key Takeaways From A University Instructional Designer
If you’re ready to make a teaching transition on a timeline more like Chris’, then check out some of his tips!
- Just do it! Apply for the job! Chris had the courage to apply for the job because he realized that nothing was going to change if he stayed put. He did hear some “no”s before he got the yes. Chris’s advice? Don’t take those personally.
- Do your homework and do a mock interview. Chris shared that his confidence for approaching the interview was boosted by having a friend in higher ed prep him with some questions. Additionally, Chris reached out to other current instructional designers in the course like Laura and got great feedback and encouragement there too!
Does any part of Chris’s story resonate with yours? Do you like the sound of the work he does on a daily basis? Or do you just feel more affirmed that you are on the right track? If you’re ready to explore the possibility of pursuing a career as an instructional designer, I want to hear from you! What questions do you have? And how can I support you?
Ready to Become an Instructional Designer Too?
If you enjoyed this episode I invite you to take a screenshot and tag me on your Instagram stories @teachertransition and tell me your biggest takeaway!
Want to know what other work opportunities you might love beyond the classroom? Click here to get the FREE Top Jobs for Teachers download.
A Breakdown of This Episode:
- [4:10] Discover what made Chris decide to leave an ideal teaching position without hesitation.
- [08:12] These are the parts of the courses that gave Chris the confidence to apply for a university instructional designer job right away.
- [17:52] These are some of the things that Chris is working on right now in his new position!
- [32:50] This is the advice Chris would tell himself if he was still in the classroom.
- [38:51] Hear about what Chris's work schedule looks like and some of the perks of the flexibility he has.
Have you joined the Podcast Facebook Community yet?
This episode may be over, but connecting doesn’t have to! Come join us each week to share your takeaways from this week’s episode. Let this community help brainstorm with you and help you get one step closer to your next career!
Resources Mentioned in the Show
Ready to dive into YOUR career in instructional design? Click HERE to enroll in the course- From Teacher to Instructional Designer today!
Connect with Chris Hudak
Chris Hudak is an Instructional Design Specialist at Texas A&M’s Bush School for Government & Public Service He’s a former middle school and high school teacher and he made the transition this summer. The demands that the pandemic combined with his wife’s acceptance into her Ph.D. program helped clarify that it was time to make the leap!
