Getting an IDT Position and Succeeding at It

I visited multiple sites searching for positions.  The first website that I came across was American Society for Training and Development.  The second was Association for Educational Communication and Technology, and lastly CareerBuilder.

Position #1 (keyword search: instructional design)
Instructional Design Specialist
 http://jobs.astd.org/jobs#/detail/4685906

Job Function

1. Apply instructional design principles, industry best practices, adult learning theory, and established curriculum development methodology to the design and development of instructor-led, printed, and online educational courses.
2. Act as learning-technology liaison, with expert-level knowledge of the technical tools and processes used to create and maintain the ACFE’s course-ware.
3. Facilitate, maintain documentation of, and continually seek and implement efficiencies in formal processes for course development and maintenance.
4. Identify and implement a new content management system; following implementation, maintain the organizational structure of content library in a way that allows for easy retrieval, updating, and re-purposing of content.
5 .Ensure learning activities maintain compliance with educational standards and industry regulations.
6 .Perform testing to ensure educational programs adhere to learning requirements and meet quality and technical standards.
7. Develop, maintain, and promote effective internal and external relationships and work collaboratively with other ACFE employees and members.
8. Adhere to schedules and deadlines.
9. Perform other duties as requested or required.

Job Requirements/Qualifications

1.  Bachelors Degree in educational technology, instructional design, or related field.
2. One or more job-related certifications highly preferred.
3. Experience with instructional design methodologies, adult learning principles, and e-learning development.
4. Experience in an educational or professional publishing environment preferred.
5. Proficiency in designing, developing and implementing interactive e-learning courses using the Articulate suite of products.
6. Experience in using a Learning Management Systems (LMS) for eLearning distribution.
7. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
8. Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
9. Ability to conduct research into course development and delivery concepts, as well as technical software issues.
10. Experience working in and strong affinity for working in a team-oriented, collaborative environment.
11. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.

My qualifications are very limited to my experience.  Granted, I am halfway finished with my masters program, I have not yet experience my first year in teaching.  I have gained many experiences but do not feel that I would qualify for this position.

Position #2 (keyword search:instructional technology)
Instructional Technology
 http://www.uwa.edu/Instructional_Technology.aspx

Job Function

1. Teach undergraduate and graduate level courses in Instructional Technology
2. Teach other professional courses as needed
3. Provide input on course design and serve as lead teacher on assigned courses
4. Fulfill other faculty responsibilities, including advising students, conducting scholarly research and participating in University and community service and service to local schools
5. Perform other tasks as required by the appropriate administrators 

Job Requirements/Qualifications

1. Earned doctorate in Instructional Technology (or related field)
2. Commitment to quality teaching, scholarly research and service
3. Ability to work effectively with students, staff, faculty, administration, and public school personnel
4. Strong communication and interpersonal skills
5. Ability to integrate and demonstrate current and emerging technology in curriculum development 

Desired:

1. Successful teaching experience at the collegiate level
2. At least three years of successful K-6 teaching experience
3. Demonstrated effectiveness in applying technology to teaching
4. Evidence of scholarly research and grant writing
5. Experience in course design 

 My qualifications are still lacking for this position.  One, the position is requiring a doctorate which I do not have.  Other qualifications listed in the "Desired" I feel that I would definitely gain through experience within the first few years of teaching.

Position #3 (keyword search: performance improvement)
Performance Improvement Project Leader
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?IPath=QHKCV0D&ff=21&APath=2.21.0.0.0&job_did=J8A17974DPLL24QMCNY

Job Functions

1. New tower with169 new private patient rooms for services including the ICU, Step Down Unit, Hematology/Oncology, Orthopaedics and Medical/Surgical services
2. A new emergency department with 37 private rooms 
3. New 12 operating room suite including 2 hybrid ORs
4. New lobby with amenities, new inpatient dialysis, new in-patient rehabilitation center 
5. Establishment of a medical education floor to accommodate growth in the medical and dental schools, and a clinical support floor
6. Upgrades to the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center and interventional suites 
7. Upgrades to clinical laboratories 
8. Relocation and expansion of the pharmacy 
9. Expansion of outpatient services within the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center

Job Expectations

1. Taking an assignment, contributing own thoughts, building the team and being the organization behind the project
2. Promoting change across institutional silos.   
3. Strategizing before and throughout the project to create meaningful agendas and processes, keeping committee members in check.   
4. Willing to take a customer’s ideas and run with it, using evidence based data to support the changes. 
5. Perceived as being a credible resource to the team, the customers and administration based on their accomplishments.

Job Requirements/Qualifications

1. Hospital clinical background
2. Data analysis, drilling down to its meaning and application
3. Advanced Excel skills, LEAN / Six Sigma training and acute care experience, flow charting, cause and effect analysis, PDSA cycle, exposure to training experience in performance improvement, background in developing key performance measures on dashboards, and effective facilitation skills. 
4. Demonstrated project management skills and proven track record of developing and implementing best practice.  
5. Performance Improvement background in a clinical setting.  

 My qualifications are very limited with this position.  I have had experience with Six Sigma and hospital clinical background definitely on a lower level than desired for this position.

Overall, these positions offer much higher salaries as the author mentioned.  Most positions are also in the business and industry instead of academia. 

I decided to use the ASTD Assessments Wizard from my self-assessment.  The assessment focus on eight different levels of moving from and entry level position to learning executive.  The different levels include specialist, manager, and executive.  There are also three different levels with in the specialist, three different levels in the manager, and two different levels in the executive.  I chose to do the entry level within the specialist category.  Each assessment is divided into different sub-categories: Designing Learning, Delivering Training, Improving Human Performance, Measuring and Evaluating, Personal, Interpersonal, and Business Management.

Designing Learning

Item	Designing Learning	Score	Target
1	Applies cognition and adult learning theory to instructional design	3	3
2	Collaborates with learning design project members	3	3
3	Conducts a needs assessment pertinent to the goals of the learning solution	3	3
4	Designs a curriculum or program	1	3
5	Creates designs or specifications for instructional material	3	3
6	Analyzes, selects, and integrates technologies into the learning solution design	3	3
7	Evaluates learning design	3	3
8	Manages design team	1	2
9	Develops instructional materials	2	3
10	Manages and implements design projects	1	3

Delivering Training

Item	Delivering Trainig	Score	Target
11	Prepares for training delivery by reviewing materials and participant	3	3
12	12 Aligns learning solutions with course objectives and learner needs	3	3
13	Conveys learning objectives prior to the training session so participants know what to expect	3	3
14	Delivers training using various learning methodologies	3	3
15	Facilitates learning by adapting the curriculum and delivery style to fit learner needs	3	3
16	Encourages participation and builds learner motivation	3	3
17	Establishes credibility by demonstrating familiarity with course content	3	3
18	Manages the physical learning environment	3	3
19	Delivers feedback in a constructive manner that encourages self-discovery and continued learning	3	3
20	Creates a positive learning climate in which participants feel safe to try new skills	3	3
21	Ensures learning outcomes by checking for understanding and skill acquisition	3	3
22	Evaluates the effectiveness of training	3	3

Improving Human Performance

Item	Improving Human Performance	Score	Target
23	Analyzes systems related to the performance gap	3	2
24	Conducts performance analysis	2	2
25	Conducts cause analysis to determine basis of performance gaps	2	2
26	Gathers data about individuals to clarify performance improvement needs	2	2
27	Identifies the customer of the solution	2	2
28	Incorporates customer/stakeholder needs into the performance solution	2	2
29	Selects appropriate solutions that address the performance gap(s)	3	2
30	Manages and implements performance improvement projects	1	2
31	Builds and sustains relationships with clients	3	2
32	Evaluates performance solution results against organizational goals	1	2
33	Monitors changing conditions during the performance solution	2	2
34	Uses feedback skills to relay information about performance	2	2

Measuring and Evaluating

Item	Measuring and Evaluating	Score	Target
35	Identifies expected outcomes of the evaluation project	3	3
36	Selects or designs appropriate strategies, research design, and measurement tools	1	3
37	Communicates and gains support for the measurement and evaluation plan	1	3
38	Manages data collection	1	3
39	Analyzes and interprets data	1	3
40	Reports conclusions and makes recommendations based on findings	1	3

Personal

Item	Personal	Score	Target
41	Demonstrates adaptability by responding in a positive way to changing situations or priorities	2	3
42	Models personal development by building new knowledge and skills	3	3

Interpersonal

Item	Interpersonal	Score	Target
43	Builds trust with others by keeping confidences and treating others with respect	3	3
44	Communicates effectively, both orally and in writing	3	3
45	Influences stakeholders by building consensus and gaining commitment to solutions	3	3
46	Leverages diversity by cultivating respect for diverse viewpoints	3	3
47	Networks and partners with key internal and external contacts to achieve desired results	3	3

Business Management

Item	Business/Management	Score	Target
48	Uses data from a variety of sources to analyze needs and propose sound solutions	1	3
49	Applies business acumen by building a business case for the organization's learning agenda	1	2
50	Drives improvement results through learning solutions by setting goals, tracking progress, and making course corrections	3	3
51	Plans and implements assignments to achieve goals by creating action plans and ensuring completion	1	3
52	Demonstrates strategic thinking by aligning the learning strategy with the organization's business strategy	2	3

Overall, I feel that I could manage with an entry-level specialist position.  My experience is still not as strong as I mentioned earlier.  Once I begin teaching I would gain more experience for this type of position. 

Organization
Society for Applied Learning Technology (SALT)
http://www.salt.org/salt.asp?ss=l

Mission:  Founded in 1972, membership in the Society for Applied Learning Technology® is oriented to professionals whose work requires knowledge and communication in the field of instructional technology. It is a professional society, designed for individual membership participation with classes of membership keyed to the interest and experience of the individual. The Society provides a means to enhance the knowledge and job performance of an individual by participating in Society sponsored meetings, and through receiving Society sponsored publications. It enables one to achieve knowledge for work in the field of applied learning technology by association with other professionals in conferences sponsored by the Society.

Cost: $100.00 per year membership fees

Publications:

• Journal of Applied Learning Technology (JALT)
• Journal of Education Technology Systems (JETS)
• Journal of Instruction Delivery Systems (JIDS)
• Journal of Interactive Instruction Development (JIID)

Conferences and Meetings:

• Washington Interactive Learning Technologies Conference

Publication
Journal of Technology and Teacher Education (JTATE)
Online Journal

Focus:  JTATE serves as a forum for the exchange of knowledge about the use of information technology in teacher education. Journal content covers preservice and inservice teacher education, graduate programs in areas such as curriculum and instruction, educational administration, staff development instructional technology, and educational computing.

Guidelines: Contributions for all journals may include research papers, case studies, tutorials, courseware experiences, evaluations, review papers, and viewpoints.Material must be original, scientifically accurate, and in good form editorially. The manuscript should be informative, summarizing the basic facts and conclusions, and maintaining a coherence and unity of thought.
Tutorial or how-to-do-it articles should preferably include a section on evaluation. Controversial topics should be treated in a factually sound and reasonably unbiased manner.

There are many organizations and publications available on many topics.  I am a memeber of TECA, NSTA and others.  These are great resources for teachers and instructional design positions.