We’re obviously very pleased with that. But when we looked through some of the reviews recently, something else stood out:

The vast majority come from candidates and contractors we’ve worked with – some recently, and some who’ve known Instinct for well over a decade.

So why should that matter to a client?

For a lot of people, the recruiter is their first real interaction with a role. They’re the person explaining the opportunity, answering questions, giving feedback and keeping them updated while they wait to hear what happens next.

How that’s handled really matters.

One of our recent reviews described the experience as:

“supportive, friendly and totally transparent through the entire process”

And another contractor said:

“What sets them apart is how genuinely personal they are. They take the time to really understand your skills, your goals, and the kind of work that suits you and their clients.”

That’s the sort of feedback we want to hear!

We work in a specialist market. So if we’re speaking to someone about a digital learning role, we need to understand what they actually do, where their experience sits and whether the opportunity we’re discussing makes sense for them.

One reviewer, who first found a role through Instinct in 2019 and has recently worked with us again, said:

“They have a strong network of high-quality talent and a real understanding of the sector.”

And people coming back to us is something we noticed quite a lot in the reviews.

One contractor wrote:

“I secured my first contract role with Instinct back in 2014 working with Andy and they’ve remained my trusted recruitment partner ever since – offering support, feedback, advice – and some inspiring positivity when most needed.”

Another said:

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Instinct on multiple occasions as a contractor and every time I’ve found them to be absolutely fantastic.”

Recruitment can be quite transactional. There’s a role, somebody gets placed and everyone moves on. We don’t really want it to work like that, and we never have.

The learning market isn’t enormous. People we’ve placed become hiring managers, contractors come back for their next project, and someone who isn’t right for a role today might be exactly who a client needs further down the line.

Those relationships are a big part of the network our clients are accessing when they work with us.

The practical side matters as well, particularly with contract recruitment. One reviewer summed up their experience as:

“The onboarding process was smooth and efficient, and communication was clear throughout.”

None of this is particularly complicated. People want recruiters to understand what they do, communicate properly, be straightforward with them and do what they say they’re going to do.

But when a recruitment agency is representing your vacancies in the market, those things reflect on you too.

So yes, we’re very happy to have reached 330+ Google reviews and maintained a 4.9 rating. But we’re probably more pleased with what people are actually saying in them.

Because if candidates and contractors consistently have a good experience with Instinct, that’s good for them, good for us – and good for the clients we’re representing.

Our 2026 guide has just been released, bringing together salary benchmarks, contract rates and hiring insights from across the market, based on the conversations we’re having every day with clients, candidates and contractors across the Private Sector, Education, and Public Sector & Defence. 

It’s clear that hiring priorities have continued to shift over the past 12 months. 

We’re seeing contract hiring continue to dominate, with organisations increasingly bringing in specialist resource to deliver transformation projects, platform implementations and change programmes. In some areas of the market, contract placements now account for almost 90% of the placements we’re making. 

We’re also seeing learning teams become much more closely connected to wider business change. Skills such as product management, business analysis, stakeholder engagement and technology adoption are increasingly being sought alongside more traditional learning and development expertise. 

AI remains firmly on the agenda. While dedicated AI roles are still relatively new, we’ve started to see organisations hiring AI Adoption Consultants to help identify opportunities, support adoption and build capability across their workforce. 

If you’re reviewing salaries, setting contractor budgets or planning future hires, our 2026 guide provides an invaluable snapshot of the current market. 

To request a copy, get in touch with the Instinct team today. 

These days, a generic job description won’t cut it. To attract the best eLearning development experts or LMS professionals, you need to speak their language and showcase why your organisation is the perfect place for them to grow. In this post, we’ll teach you how to write a digital learning job description that will highlight the right skills to sell your company’s culture. 

Remember, you can even submit your CV to us here at Instinct and wait for us to be in touch!

Why should you have a good job description?

First of all, you might be wondering why a good job description matters so much. Well, it’s your best shot at making a good first impression. Think of it as a marketing tool for the role that you need to fill. You’ll easily be able to filter out those who aren’t a good fit, saving you time and effort in the long run. Some benefits of having a good digital learning job description include: 

• Attracts the right candidates, like eLearning designers or eLearning project managers  
• Sets clear expectations
• Improves performance management
• Reduces employee turnover
• Improves the candidate experience 

This allows you to attract only the top talent. Instead of hiring a digital learner, you might be someone who’s interested in applying for the job. If this is the case, you can have a read of our CV tips for 2025 that should help you land an interview!

How to write a digital learner job description that stands out

So, what is the secret when it comes to writing a digital learner job description? It isn’t just about listing requirements… It’s about telling a story. Your job description is your first and best opportunity to sell your role and your company’s vision. Below, we’ve got some top tips when it comes to writing one and how this can assist you in building a high-performing digital learning team. Let’s have a look at them in a bit more detail. 

1. Lead with impacts 

Make sure that you aren’t leading with statements like “responsible for designing modules.” You’ll want to be more open with how the role directly influences business objectives. Instead, try saying “you’ll be instrumental in reducing time-to-completion for new hires by 15%.” This will immediately show the candidate that this isn’t just a role, it’s an opportunity to make a real difference. It allows you to tell more of a story and connect their work directly to business goals. 

2. Include salary bandings

In today’s competitive talent market, being transparent and honest is crucial. If you’re leaving the salary out of your job description, you’re losing top-tier talent who will move on to another job ad that has this crucial information to hand. Including a clear salary banding in your job description is a non-negotiable step and will immediately filter out candidates who are not aligned with your budget. More importantly, it demonstrates that your company is progressive and confident. This small action builds trust from the very first interaction and gives applicants a clear, honest portrayal of the role they are applying for. 

Interested in the salaries of digital learning jobs? Have a quick read of our updated salary benchmarking guide for tech professionals. 

3. Showcase your tech stack

Digital learning professionals are both creators and technicians. So, if you’re using generic phrases like “proficient with eLearning software”, this simply isn’t enough. By listing your tech stack in your job description, you’re immediately showcasing the sophistication of your L&D function. Will your candidate need experience with tools like Vyond or Camtasia? Or will they need to be an expert in Learning Management Systems like Docebo or Moodle? Being this specific in the job description will immediately filter for candidates with specific skills, and filter out those who don’t have as much relevant experience. 

This small detail can be the difference between attracting a qualified candidate and an actively engaged one. 

4. Define your L&D philosophy

Another great tip is to clearly articulate your team’s philosophy. Every company has a unique approach to learning, whether that’s in the commercial or educational eLearning industry.  By having this in your job description, you’re helping candidates understand if they’ll be a crucial fit. This level of transparency doesn’t just attract people with the right mindset, but it also filters out those who would be a poor match. It’ll ensure that you’re getting people who have a small understanding of what it’s like to be a part of your team. 

5. Be open and transparent

And finally, on our list of how to write a digital learning job description is being honest. It’s a powerful way to build trust and set realistic expectations from day one. We’ve already touched on the importance of including salary bandings, but you should also be honest about things like whether the role is fully remote or hybrid, and whether it’s replacing someone permanently or part-time. It will help your candidate to make an informed decision and lead to a better-quality hire. By pulling back the curtain, you’re inviting them to be a part of a team where they already know what to expect. 

Eager to find out more? We’ve got a list of some of the highest paying digital jobs in 2025.

Stand out from the crowd with Instinct Resourcing

We hope this blog has been useful in teaching you how to write a digital learning job description. Remember, your job description is more than just a list of responsibilities; it’s your first conversation with your new hire. Having a well-written description demonstrates that you value the expertise of digital learning professionals who want to commit themselves to your business. 

Here at Instinct Resourcing, we’re an industry-leading eLearning recruitment business that aims to connect top talent with innovative companies, driving the digital revolution forward. And, we specialise in matching visionary organisations with the right digital learning professionals they need to succeed. 

Contact us today to find the perfect fit for your team!

Here at Instinct Resourcing, we’re dedicated to connecting you with eLearning design talent and LMS job roles, and we’ve helped countless learning professionals find their perfect role. In this blog, we’ll have a look at some of the top designer skills that employees are looking for right now and help you to create a CV that is strong and desirable.

Ready to find out the top skills that every instructional designer needs on their CV? Let’s get into it…

What makes a good instructional designer resume?

Instructional designers, in a nutshell, are responsible for creating educational materials that make learning easier. If you want this to be your career, you need to be able to analyse your learners’ needs and develop the right learning materials for them. So, what makes an instructional designer’s resume stand out? Before we start, you might be interested in our top tips for making your CV stand out in 2025, which include tips for all types of jobs you may be applying for.

Jobs that demand instructional designer skills

Here is a list of jobs that require strong design skills: 

• eLearning developer
• Instructional designer
• Educational technologist
• Learning experience designer
• Corporate trainer
• Instructional content developer
• Learning specialist
• Educational consultant

10 designer skills to help you stand out from the crowd

Without further ado, here are some of the best designer skills you need to have to pursue a career as a learning designer…

1. eLearning development

Did you know that 64.4% of hiring managers look at eLearning development when filling a role? This is because, as technology advances, so does the potential for eLearning. Businesses want to offer their employees effective and engaging educational experiences, and eLearning is an easy and ideal way to do that. ELearning development includes creating digital learning materials like online courses and learning modules. 

Therefore, you need to be familiar with the latest technologies and trends, including using the latest tools, software, and instructional design models. Discover more about eLearning platforms here.

2. Strong communication skills

As an instructional designer, soft skills are just as important as technical skills. You’ll need to be able to work effectively with others, including SEs and graphic designers. Therefore, strong writing, storyboarding, and verbal communication skills are required with other team members. You’ll also probably be working closely with clients, so consider coming up with creative and innovative ideas that will impress them. 

Writing skills will also play a strong role in this. You’ll need to be able to write storyboards, scripts, and craft compelling emails to stakeholders.

3. An understanding of learning management systems

An LMS is a learning management system that can store, manage, and deliver learning materials directly to learners. Instructional design and LMS are handy for organisations that have a large number of employees, as it lets them access a wide range of learning materials no matter where they are located. An LMS can also be used to track employee performance and progress to ensure that they’re getting the most out of their learning experience. 

On your CV, try to mention the platforms that you’re familiar with, whether that’s Blackboard or TalentLMS. Highlighting these will show that you can handle the technical sides of an instructional designer role and ensure a seamless learner experience from start to finish.

4. Visual design skills

Applying good visual design to your eLearning projects is a great way to create a successful learning experience. And, while you might not be a graphic designer, a strong visual eye is a non-negotiable skill. Good visual design can make the difference between a mundane learning experience and an engaging one. Try to highlight your familiarity with tools like Canva and Adobe Creative Studio and mention your ability to create clean layouts, select effective colour palettes, and design infographics that showcase relevant information. 

5. Project management skills

With the increasing complexity of projects and the rise of virtual teams, successful project management is key to meeting deadlines and ensuring quality outcomes. As an instructional designer, you’ll be working with SMEs, stakeholders, and other team members who will want to see you deliver projects on time and within budget. When it comes to crafting your CV, talk about your experience in scoping projects, creating timelines, and managing stakeholder expectations.

6. Storytelling

A skill that has been around since the beginning of time, storytelling continues to captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression. Try to include storytelling in your courses by including a plot, relevant stories, and even relying on your own personal experiences to craft a compelling journey that learners can embark on. It’s a great way to bring abstract concepts to life. Creating an interactive eLearning course can turn something mundane into a learning adventure!

7. Problem solving

Problem-solving can heavily rely on metrics, which is a particularly important part of an instructional designer’s skillset. The data that you gather can provide insights into the effectiveness of problem-solving efforts and can be used to make necessary adjustments.

In fact, instructional design is fundamentally about solving a problem. A business will have a challenge, such as a lack of sales, a compliance issue, or a need to onboard new staff. It’s therefore your job to design a learning solution that fixes it! On your CV, demonstrate how you’ve faced previous problems and how you have solved them, and be specific! For example, you might say ‘I designed a blended learning programme that reduced compliance violations by 30%’. This allows you to demonstrate that you can deliver measurable impact and not just content.

8. Managing cognitive workloads

If a learning experience is overwhelming, learners will need help to process the material effectively in a way that makes it easier to understand. The cognitive load theory is the idea that the human brain can only process so much information simultaneously. Therefore, understanding how to manage cognitive load can help you create effective courses that promote learning and retention. 

On your CV, talk about how you’ve previously designed courses with cognitive load in mind. You can mention techniques you’ve used, such as using visual cues and designing scenarios that build from simple to complex. This will show employers that you can create effective training that respects the limits of the human brain, leading to better learner satisfaction.

9. Creativity

While instructional design is a science, it’s also technically an art form. A good instructional designer isn’t just a good problem-solver; they can turn complex or boring information into an experience that captivates learners and sticks with them long after the training is over. Instructional design is also about creating physical spaces that are conducive to learning, including classrooms, libraries, or even areas in a home or an office. 

When it comes to crafting your CV, don’t just say that you’re creative. Prove it! Showcase your previous work, including any interactive stories or experience of using AR to demonstrate a technical process. Be sure to check out our creative recruitment agency, where we can easily and quickly pair you with suitable creative positions.

10. Good critical thinking 

And finally, on our list of skills that make a good instructional designer resume, is having the ability to engage in good critical thinking. As a learning designer, you’re not just a content creator. You have the ability to be a critical thinker who can look beyond requests for videos and eLearning courses and determine if that truly is the best solution. Employers will be looking for professionals who can challenge assumptions, question decisions, and propose solutions that are truly effective. 

On your CV, try and show ways that you have made data-driven recommendations and how you’ve acted as a consultant. Instead of saying that you’ve created training programmes, showcase ideas that you’ve pitched or ways that you’ve added value and creativity. Employers will find it more desirable and impressive!

Build your CV, and more, with Instinct Resourcing

Hopefully, this blog has taught you how to craft the perfect instructional designer resume. By mastering the skills above, you should be able to create a CV that sets you apart from the competition. 

At Instinct Resourcing, we’ve been an industry-leading eLearning recruitment choice since we started way back in 2011. And, we’re dedicated to connecting top talent with innovative companies, driving the digital revolution in how the world learns forward. Our team of specialist recruiters are ready to help you find your next opportunity in the digital learning world! 

Simply submit your CV or contact us today. 

This is where Instinct Resourcing come in. A learning and development recruitment agency with the network and reach to find whatever digital learning expert you need, we have years of experience pairing businesses with the very best up-and-coming talent. Assisting a range of sectors, from education to central government organisations, we can help you get the candidates you need with pace and efficiency.

So, what are the biggest challenges facing your mission to hire digital learning experts, and how can Instinct help you thrive? Let’s get started…

Why hiring the right digital experts matters

By hiring the right eLearning specialist, you can meet the growing demand for online training courses, making sure your company is staying ahead of the competition in the process. According to a report from Research and Markets, the value of the global eLearning market is projected to reach $490.20 billion by 2029, intensifying the need for your business to invest in eLearning and hire the right professionals to carry out your creative vision.

The quality of this course will depend entirely on the experts who are behind its delivery, with the right specialist having the experience and work ethic to create something engaging and also be effective at delivering a course that successfully improves knowledge retention and overall performance.

Ultimately, getting the right digital expert helps you to maximise your investment, enhancing the learning experience of your courses as quickly as possible. It’s also worth considering the cost of a bad hire, with an inefficient worker causing a range of internal issues, such as missed deliverables, increased stress levels among your workforce and the loss of general productivity.

The five biggest challenges for hiring digital learning experts

Recruiting for your company can be difficult when hiring for traditional roles, so employing digital learning experts with niche skills can sometimes feel like an impossible challenge. This is why so many employers choose Instinct Resourcing when trying to find elearning job roles, with our service offering contracted and permanent solutions to suit whatever kind of hire you need.

Limited talent pool of professionals

Specialists in the field of eLearning, from development experts to management, can be very difficult to find thanks to their niche set of skills. This has created a limited talent pool of professionals who are available to you, with the rapid growth of the industry outpacing the experienced professionals who are available. To find the individuals with the necessary niche skill sets, most businesses set out on an arduous hiring process where they compete with other companies doing the same thing.

Evolving skill requirements

The modern world moves at an extremely fast rate, with constant technological innovations changing how industries operate. The eLearning industry is no different, with advancements like AI, virtual reality (VR), mobile learning and blockchain technology changing how courses are put together, designed and delivered. While there is pressure for businesses to be using these tech innovations, the constantly evolving skill requirements mean that specialist eLearning professionals are required.

Not only do these individuals need an excellent base knowledge of cutting-edge technological innovations, but they also need to be able to adapt to the emergence of new tools that will need to be incorporated into future projects.

Competition from other businesses

The eLearning industry is a very competitive space, largely thanks to the two aforementioned points. This means that your business is in constant competition with other organisations from various industries for the same talent. Indeed, where a training course is needed, an eLearning solution can be implemented, which means there is no end to the sectors that are after digital learning experts, from the medical industry to education institutions.

Verifying eLearning skills

Since the digital learning industry is complex and ever-evolving, actually verifying the skills that an eLearning expert claims to have can prove very difficult, particularly with the abundance of freelancers and contractors in the industry. This becomes especially tricky when it comes to validating a candidate’s experience with advanced tools like VR. In these instances, in-depth portfolios should be created by the candidate and extensively reviewed by the hiring team, which can take a considerable amount of time.

Hiring scope

The challenges of finding eLearning experts will be amplified if you’re looking to form a whole team of experts. Specialists in this industry are expensive, and creating a whole course can take upwards of 400 hours in total, depending on the scope of your desired programme. This can make for a lengthy hiring process that drains money and resources, so ensuring that you can practically implement the scope of your project is essential before starting.

How to overcome these digital learning hiring challenges

Understanding the challenges of hiring in the digital learning industry is useful, but only if you also interpret the solutions that can help you to overcome these challenges. Indeed, none of the aforementioned challenges are insurmountable, even if it means altering your company’s recruitment strategy or increasing the budget that’s allocated towards the hiring team. Despite the initial blockades to solving these challenges, finding appropriate solutions could mean the difference between your company thriving or failing.

• Broaden your horizons: Look beyond your traditional recruitment methods by leveraging other platforms like social media sites, message boards and company websites. Live events and conferences are also a great way to build relationships and find new candidates who could fulfil your eLearning requirements. 

• Utilise your internal network: If you already have eLearning experts in your company, it’s likely that they’ll have a network of fellow professionals. Why not put a referral programme together?

• Create a practical interview process: Make use of practical task-based assessments during interviews to get a better understanding of what candidates can and can’t do. Since it’s tricky to verify skills in an ever-changing industry, this is one of the best ways to get a feel for how they work.

• Prioritise upskilling: By prioritising internal upskilling, you can not only address talent gaps, encouraging current employees to fulfil vacant roles, but the improved training and development structure of your company will be more enticing for active applicants. Why not consider preparing for the future by prioritising L&D in the age of AI and helping your team evolve? 

• Leverage a specialist agency: Allow a specialist digital learning recruitment agency like Instinct Resourcing to take on your onboarding responsibilities for you. Able to utilise our extensive network to pinpoint the exact eLearning specialists that you need, at Instinct, we can help to elevate your operations.

The best ways to retain your existing eLearning experts

One of the very best ways to avoid the challenges of digital learning talent acquisition is to reduce the amount of recruitment you actually have to do. By retaining your existing eLearning experts, you can reduce your recruitment costs, increase general productivity and create a workforce that’s knowledgeable and high in morale. But, while you cannot control the will of an individual to leave your company, you can create an organisation that nurtures your employees and provides incentives for staying.

• Employ the right kind of people: The best way to retain your eLearning experts is to hire the right kind of person first As well as targeting skilled individuals, you should also favour those who you believe reflect your core company values. Opt for specialist companies to do your hiring if you’re in a niche industry. Looking for an NHS recruitment agency? We can help.

• Competitive salaries: Offer fair, competitive salaries based on employee experience, with opportunities for increases based on strong performance.

• Robust onboarding: An efficient onboarding process, including a robust induction programme, will make sure that new employees are well aligned with the core business values and help them to quickly gel with their new team.

• Company benefits: Perks and benefits packages that entice employees to join your company and help them to stay.

• Hybrid and remote working options: In a post-COVID-19 world, remote and hybrid working have become the norm for many companies. As a result, employees have come to expect this as standard from their workplace. Putting a hybrid or remote working process in place will help give your employees flexibility and will also allow you to easily expand your network across borders.

• Work culture: The enjoyment and satisfaction of your employees should be paramount to your company, as a happy work environment is a more productive one. It’s therefore essential to construct a positive work culture with a diverse workforce, a comprehensive HR policy and social events that allow people to feel part of something bigger!

How Instinct can help you overcome hiring challenges

One of the most practical and effective ways to overcome many of the challenges of eLearning recruitment is to partner with a specialist digital recruitment agency like Instinct Resourcing. Taking on your onboarding tasks, we can manage the entire recruitment process, scouring our own curated professional networks, while you get on with the work that matters most to you. No matter if you’re wishing to fulfil instructional design jobs, LMS jobs or beyond, we can find you the experts who can make a difference.

• We take care of the whole recruitment process, screening candidates for the necessary qualifications and skills, before moving the best candidates to the interview stage. Once your new hire is in place, we even offer an aftercare service that lets you track the progress of your new hire with our timesheet portal.

• Pace and efficiency are two of our key principles, and it is thanks to the unrivalled size and strength of our network that we can work so quickly. We even offer a 24-hour turnaround time when finding you new contracts.

Work with Instinct and let us help you pierce through the crowded, competitive eLearning market, elevating your operations one recruitment a t a time!

Contact us now

The modern job market is more crowded and competitive than ever before, so standing out from every other candidate is crucial. The best way you can do this is by crafting a compelling CV that includes all the relevant details about your professional history and key skills. But to make your own application distinctive, we recommend following our guide that runs through the best CV tips to follow for 2025.

As a specialised learning and development recruitment agency, we’re certainly in a good position to provide some CV writing tips since we study hundreds of applications each week. Specifically looking for eLearning jobs in the digital learning industry? You’ve arrived at the right place. Search our available jobs to seize your new career opportunity – we’ve helped pair eLearning experts with such organisations as King’s College London and The English Institute of Sport.

Once you’ve implemented the tips from this guide to your own CV, you can even submit your CV to us, and we’ll be in touch!

Why a distinctive CV presentation matters

When applying for a job, you’re throwing yourself into a ring of hundreds (potentially thousands) of other candidates, so you want to do all you can to stand out when hiring teams start reviewing CVs. Then, there’s the reality that many recruiters spend just 6-8 seconds reviewing a CV, giving you a very short window of opportunity to explain why you’re suitable and how you can excel in the role.

In the contemporary job market, things are always changing, too, so just because your polished CV from three years ago was great before, it doesn’t mean it will be effective now. Most hiring teams and recruiters now like to see leaner CVs that highlight digital skills with comprehensive portfolios and an accompanying LinkedIn profile that ties everything together, with personal branding playing an increasingly important role.

What are employers looking for in 2025?

The skills that employers favour change year-on-year depending on market trends and technological innovations. Just last year, Forbes reported that 71% of employers prefer AI skills above experience, with the rapid growth of artificial intelligence becoming a key area of growth for companies across the globe. The interest in AI has only increased in 2025, with key skills in this area being one of the most desirable qualities in job applicants.

Elsewhere, it is key soft skills that demonstrate a candidate’s confidence and proactivity that prove to be the most desirable for employers in 2025. These skills include public speaking, innovative and creative thinking, adaptability and conflict management, with each of these abilities contributing to a hardworking individual at the forefront of their respective fields.

The essential elements you need to include in your CV

The foundations of a CV start with the basics. But, without including these essential basics, the rest of your CV won’t be worth reading. So, while it might be tempting to jump straight to explaining why you’re the very best candidate, start by making sure that you have included these essential elements:

• Contact details: Including email address, phone number and LinkedIn profile. Short personal statement: A headline of 2-3 lines explaining your experience and key skills.

• List of key skills: A short bullet-pointed list of key skills and abilities, tailored to the job role.

• Professional experience: Include your job titles, employer names and dates of employment for roles from the past 15 years
• Education and qualifications: Including degrees and other qualifications alongside the name of the institution and the date you received them.

How to make your CV stand out in 2025

2025 is already markedly different from 2024, with new technologies changing how we communicate, express ourselves and learn new skills. Your CV should, therefore, be on the cutting edge of such changes, incorporating changes in the field of recruitment and beyond, which will help you stand out. Explore our best CV writing tips for 2025 below:

Digital Portfolios

While this will be industry-specific, with some employers not requiring this, having a hyperlink to a digital portfolio is becoming increasingly more important. Whether it’s a personal branding site, a fleshed-out portfolio or even just a LinkedIn profile, having a strong digital presence is critical for demonstrating your passion and professionalism, with a hyperlink to your digital profile on your CV helping you to stand out.

Optimise it for ATS

For the uninitiated, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software application used by recruitment teams to lessen the workload of the hiring process. These applications scan CVs for the relevant skills, looking out for specific keywords and phrases that indicate an individual has the necessary skills. Help yourself get noticed by optimising your CV for ATSs, this includes streamlining and simplifying your document, making sure it has no images, tables or complex designs, as well as tailoring each CV specifically to the relevant job, including key phrases and mandatory skill requirements.

Want to find out more about ATS and how it works? Watch the video below to learn more.

Underline your digital proficiency

Many modern jobs exist almost exclusively online, making your digital proficiency of the utmost importance to your employer. This is especially true if your new role will be remote or hybrid, with a knowledge of online tools like Slack and Trello giving you an advantage over other applicants. Other more specific skills like data analysis and even coding capabilities (no matter how basic) show a willingness to engage with cutting-edge techniques and technologies.

Don’t forget soft skills

Any competent list of tips for a good CV, even in 2025, should include a reminder about the importance of soft skills. After all, as well as technical professionals, companies want to employ people with interpersonal proficiency and who can work competently as part of a wider team. Make sure to express your teamwork skills, adaptability and emotional empathy, to name just three examples.

Tailor each CV you create

While it can be tempting to create one CV and send it to every employer you’re interested in joining, doing this will make you a generic candidate for each job you take the time to apply for. Instead, tailor each of your CVs to the specifics of the role you’re applying for, using keywords and phrases from the job description to make yourself as aligned as possible with the company values and goals.

CV dos and don’ts for 2025

CVs have changed considerably from the days of old, with many previously mandatory inclusions now being outdated. When searching for tips on how to write a good CV, it’s important to make sure you’re reading a guide like this rather than an outdated source that may tell you to include features that could waste valuable writing space. When constructing your CV in 2025, make sure to follow these guidelines:

Do

• Include a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile.
• Restrict your CV to 1-2 pages.
• Include a short personal statement.
• Tailor your CV and include relevant keywords.
• Include career gaps – but explain what you personally achieved throughout this period.

Don’t

• Include a photo (unless it’s specifically requested).
• Include your entire job history.
• Resort to cliché phrases.
• Lie or exaggerate.
• Use complicated layouts and imagery.

Should you use AI to write your CV?

The short answer is no, using AI to fully construct a CV on your behalf isn’t a good idea. While generative AI tools like ChatGPT have the capability to tailor-make a CV for you, they will lack the context to create something compelling and persuasive, likely creating generic content that could be created for any user. This would ultimately create a CV that doesn’t reflect your personality, tone of voice and career experience.

With this being said, AI tools can be useful when used as a personal assistant to guide you through the writing process. For example, an AI tool could provide you with a basic structure that your CV could follow, proofread your work, suggest areas of improvement and make sure any spelling and grammatical errors are eradicated. The L&D skillset will evolve in the age of AI, however, so it’s certainly not a bad idea to be in tune with how these platforms operate.

How to make your LinkedIn account stand out in 2025

In the modern world, a strong LinkedIn account is almost just as important as a fully optimised CV, after all, this social media profile is visible to every recruiter at all times. Your LinkedIn profile should, therefore, be constantly updated, not only with new job roles, but also with new achievements, updates and personal goals. With the job market being as competitive as it currently is, an active LinkedIn profile that’s simmering with enthusiasm and confidence could just give you the edge.

Indeed, the process of actually making your LinkedIn profile optimised for hiring isn’t all that different from building a competent CV. Here are some of the best ways to stand out.

Headline

Just like your CV, a great LinkedIn profile should start with a clear, concise headline just beneath the profile picture. This headline should explain what you do and the skills you possess in this role, conveying your expertise to potential new employers. You only have 220 characters to sell yourself, but try to use relevant keywords to your industry as you highlight your unique skills that make you different from the competition.

Profile picture

First impressions count, therefore, choosing a high-quality, appropriate profile picture for LinkedIn is enormously important. An unprofessional picture that doesn’t align with the values of your industry is unlikely to attract the right attention. Tailor your picture to the industry you’re operating in – you could opt for a professional headshot for a commercial business, while creative and design sectors could play with a more dynamic image.

Streamline your experience

Your career history should be instantly clear to whoever is browsing through your LinkedIn profile. This can be achieved by optimising the experience section of your profile, using bullet points to highlight your achievements in each role, rather than creating an exhaustive list of your responsibilities. Use specific, quantifiable achievements that clearly demonstrate your value to new employers.

Request recommendations

Are you a seriously experienced eLearning expert looking for specialist LMS jobs? Why not reach out to past colleagues for a recommendation that provides proof of your claimed expertise? These profile testimonials give you some serious credibility and demonstrate that you work well with others and leave a lasting impression. Try to keep these recommendations diverse, requesting feedback from a whole range of different people from various roles.

Engage with the platform

It’s all well and good connecting with hundreds of people, but that should be merely the beginning. Like, comment and forge online relationships with your new connections by sharing insightful thoughts about your industry or by posting news or blog articles. By demonstrating that you’re engaged with your industry, you will be seen as informed, enthusiastic and approachable to potential employers.

In the contemporary job marketplace, it’s important not just to follow the aforementioned CV tips but also to curate a professional online presence, demonstrating your suitability for new roles. As a specialist digital learning recruitment agency, we certainly know what it takes to build a compelling job application. Offering a free online CV template, we’re passionate about helping applicants secure their dream job, no matter what sector of the digital landscape they might be in.

Sourcing eLearning roles from the technology sector while helping to recruit for the NHS and bolster the digital learning platforms of many other industries, at Instinct Resourcing, we’re dedicated to helping you thrive.

Looking for a role in the eLearning industry? Submit your CV or contact us today to take your first step towards your new career.

Hiring challenges are always evolving, which is dependent on a number of factors. However, we’re often asked the same core questions by clients. So, we’ve pulled together a quick Q&A based on the most common client queries.

What roles are most in-demand in 2025?

Right now, we’re seeing the highest demand for:

• Learning Technologists (Primarily Canvas and Moodle)
• Specialists within Data, Analytics & AI Fluency
• Learning Designers (both generalist and subject-specific)
• eLearning Developers (Articulate, Rise, Storyline)

In truth, the core positions we get asked to provide most regularly has largely remained the same over the last 5-10 years. By this I am referring to Learning Designers, Digital Learning Developers and Learning Technologists. However, recently we have seen a marked increase in the demand for Data & AI specialist.

What are the going rates and salaries?

We recently published our 2025 Salary & Day Rate Guide, which benchmarks average pay for digital learning roles across the education sector.

Want the full breakdown? Just get in touch and we’ll send you a free copy!

What’s the current market like for contractors?

The contractor market is going strong. Due to sector wide redundancies, many Institutes are operating with very lean structures, and therefore when there is a particularly busy period, organisations simply don’t have enough resource to cope. Especially for business-critical projects such as platform migrations.

Education providers are increasingly using contract resource for flexibility, especially where budgets are tight or internal approvals for permanent posts take so long to get approved.

IR35 compliance and ease of onboarding remain important to clients – which is why we’ve built processes that minimise admin and risk.

How quickly can we get someone started?

Contract hires: We can source suitable candidates within 24 – 48 hours of receiving a brief. Permanent roles typically take 1 working week to source, depending on how niche the requirements. For very specific skill sets, this may take slightly longer.

In terms of getting somebody started in post, you can expect to wait 6-8 weeks depending on notice periods, interview stages, and salary competitiveness.

All candidates are fully vetted and pre-screened meaning they can hit the ground running.

Can you provide teams for larger digital learning programmes?

Absolutely. We regularly support:

• Institution-wide LMS rollouts
• New online course launches
• Digital transformation and AI-led learning projects
• Content digitisation and accessibility improvements

We can provide a blend of contractors and permanent hires, or fully contract-led delivery teams with embedded PMs as an Statement of Work (SOW) contract

What we’re looking for is a bit of a ‘Unicorn’ can you help?

Yes, we frequently get asked to provide Unicorns. After all, if Unicorns were easy to find, we would be out of a job!

As an example, we have experience placing:

• VLE migration consultants, with specific VLE’s
• SC-cleared instructional designers, Digital Learning Developers etc
• Accessibility specialists – WCAG 2.2
• Multilingual Learning professions: Mandarin, Dutch, Arabic etc.
• Learning analysts with Power BI/Tableau skills
• AI and Chatbot learning developers

We maintain deep networks within the sector, meaning we can often find talent others miss.

Have a question we haven’t covered?

Feel free to get in touch – whether you’re benchmarking, planning, or just exploring options, we’re always happy to help.

As specialist recruiters in the digital learning sector, we know the importance of securing the perfect candidates for your LMS jobs, instructional design roles or beyond. Effortlessly connecting hiring managers with the ideal candidates for their vacancies, at Instinct, we can help you elevate your operations and optimise your recruitment process.

Recognising how robust eLearning solutions can revolutionise how your business functions, we prioritise helping you to put the right people in the right places as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is why we offer a 24-hour turnaround time for companies looking for contracted candidates. To make the most of this kind of efficiency, submit a vacancy or contact us today to optimise your eLearning capabilities.

We specialise in finding you the best eLearning candidates in the industry so that a ‘bad hire’ is firmly off the cards. But, to discover the pitfalls of a bad hire and the efforts of a lesser eLearning recruitment service, read on.

What is a ‘Bad Hire’?

When hiring for a new role, a robust recruitment and interviewing process should take place. But sometimes, due to various circumstances, the individual you eventually hire may not live up to the expectations you laid out for them upon their arrival. Failing to fulfil what is required of them, these bad hires can go on to disrupt the workflow and performance of your wider team.

What Are the Costs and Consequences of a Bad Hire?

The costs and consequences of a bad hire can vary from one sector to another – while a creative business may feel economic hurt, improper recruitment in the medical sector could lead to major consequences. Specialist NHS recruitment agencies should be used for those in the relevant sector to make sure they don’t waste valuable time and taxpayer money when hiring for new roles.

The Financial Costs of a Bad Hire

Financial losses of varying severity can be experienced as the result of a bad hire, regardless of the specific sector, with these losses including:

• The cost of hiring for the role (including money spent on paying recruiters, running advertisements and paying hiring managers).
• The cost involved in the onboarding and training of the individual to a high standard.
• The salary given to the bad hire during their time in the role. This includes any benefits they might have received during their employment.
• The costs involved in the lack of productivity during the time when the individual was employed.
• The eventual cost of re-hiring and going through the onboarding and training process once again for the bad hire replacement.

One 2017 study from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation claims that billions of pounds are lost from UK businesses each year thanks to improper recruitment. The study further claims that, thanks to the financial consequences listed above, the poor hiring of an individual at mid-manager level with a salary of £42,000 could cost a business more than £132,000. The full report also adds that an average of £9,730 is lost in the recruitment and training of a new employee, with a further £9,625 lost in wasted productivity.

Other Hidden Costs of a Bad Hire

While some costs of a bad hire are obvious, others are more subtle, affecting your cash flow and the future of potential business collaborations. Indeed, a bad hire can result in a whole range of financial difficulties for your company, with money being lost through:

• Missed deliverables: Work being completed late or to an insufficient standard can damage your reputation with the client.

• Increased stress levels: Accommodating the bad hire may result in increased workload and stress, which can have an impact on mental health and the number of sick days taken by employees.

• Eroded trust among your employees: The hiring of an unsuitable individual might make your employees doubt hiring managers and seniors.
• Missed opportunities: If your bad hire was onboarded during a particularly important time, you may have missed an opportunity for greater financial and general business success.
• Severance package: If the bad hire receives a severance or redundancy package during their departure, the business will have shed cash.

The Operational Consequences of a Bad Hire

Bad hires can affect more than just your cash flow. A disruptive, unqualified hire in the eLearning sector can cause a whole range of issues that can damage several areas of your business. While the influence of a bad hire on your business can vary massively from one individual to the next, the operational consequences of their disruption can potentially cause:

• Damage to team synergy, efficiency and output.
• Harm to customer relationships.
• Harm to the reputation of your business and brand.
• Decreased morale among your workforce.
• A loss of general productivity and performance, thanks to the disruption of the bad hire.
• Wasted time, particularly among hiring managers, HR personnel and trainers.
• The compromise of your business security.

Five Ways to Identify a Bad Hire

There are a variety of ways in which a bad hire can be identified in your business, particularly someone brought in to work in the eLearning sector. Often, these hires come after an individual has overstated their abilities, lied about their qualifications or simply cannot keep up with the pace of your organisation.

Affecting the performance of your whole business, identifying a bad hire in the eLearning sector is crucial. Here are five warning signs to look out for:

1. Distinctly Different Personality

When recruiting for a new role, the interview stage is the first real chance you get to assess a candidate’s personality and suitability for the position. But, since they’re often high-pressure situations, with applicants doing much preparation for an interview, you may not get an accurate reading of what the candidate is actually like.

They may present as being enthusiastic and hard-working, but once the role is secured, they may become unmotivated and unwilling to learn.

1. Their Claimed Skills Don’t Match Their Performance

In the eLearning sector, a potential candidate must have an array of specific technical and digital skills for employers. Unfortunately, however, to secure a position, a candidate may exaggerate just how experienced they are with a certain tool or programme to get the role. Then, once they are in the position, their lack of claimed skills doesn’t match the necessary level of performance.

Considering just how technical the eLearning sector can be, a new employee should (within reason) be expected to hit the ground running, armed with the necessary skills and qualifications as claimed on their CV.

1. Inability to Assimilate With The Company Culture

The importance of synergy in a company culture cannot be understated. An engaged, motivated workforce will be ready and willing to embrace the inherent values of the business into their everyday work. If a new hire comes into this system and fails to assimilate or, worse still, threatens to upend the health of the company culture, they should be removed.

In addition to embracing the business culture, new hires should be expected to abide by company rules and practices. If a new hire doesn’t abide by these codes and expectations, they should be removed.

1. Conflict and Lack of Communication

Moving naturally on from a new hire’s inability to assimilate is their lack of potential to communicate and learn, causing conflict as a result of their disruption. If a new hire is failing to listen to the recommendations of their peers and is frequently clashing, their behaviour should be closely monitored, particularly if their skills aren’t meeting expectations.

Communication is king. Do what you can to make sure that they’re settling in properly with honest and open dialogue. But if they’re failing to communicate their issues and challenges, then it may be a sign that they’re not suitable for your business.

1. Negative Attitude

If you’ve taken years to foster a strong and positive working culture in your business, never forget how just one negative individual can sow doubt and toxicity among your workforce. If your new hire is pessimistic, critical, and generally negative in how they go about their work, you’ll want to consider a one-to-one intervention and potentially a dismissal.

How to Avoid a Bad Hire

While it’s useful to be able to identify and potentially eliminate a bad hire from your company, the easiest way to prevent them from disrupting your company is to create a robust onboarding process. Perfecting your hiring process will help you to avoid hiring unqualified eLearning ‘experts’, saving you time, money and resources in the process. Creating a comprehensive onboarding process involves:

• Performing a reference check: Check with previous employers that the candidate has the right work ethic and relevant eLearning qualifications. 

• Incorporating assessments into the interview process: Use the interview process to learn more about the candidate than their personality. Set them an activity or assessment that asks them to put their claimed skills to the test. How well they do on this test will determine their suitability for the role. Just be careful not to ‘turn off’ prospective candidates with an exhaustive process. 

• Using a probationary period: A probationary period is a space of a few months in which the employer can assess the progress of the new hire, and the candidate can assess the suitability of the role for them. If you decide to let a person go while they are still on probation, you can do so with a shorter notice period.

• Using your existing team of employees: Your employees are already accustomed to the pace and culture of your business, and, since they’ll be working directly with the new hire, they’re in a good position to assess their progress. Ask your current team to keep an eye on the progress of the new hire, help their development and provide feedback on any areas of concern.

• Being proactive: Be vigilant and proactive when monitoring the possible warning signs of a new hire. Feedback on any areas of improvement with the new hire, and maintain a strong line of communication so that they also feel happy asking you questions. Strong communication will help to foster improvement, but will also make dismissal more straightforward if necessary. 

The Basic Skills You Should Expect From an eLearning Hire

If you’re looking to hire an eLearning professional, there are a number of skills you should expect, regardless of which discipline you’re looking to fill. A reliable hire in the eLearning industry should possess a range of technical soft skills and be fluent in digital literacy, allowing them to effortlessly fulfil their position, no matter if it’s in design, development or admin and maintenance.

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Instinct Can Help You Avoid a Bad Hire

Perhaps one of the easiest ways you can avoid a bad hire in the digital learning sector is to collaborate with a quality eLearning recruiter like Instinct Resourcing. Taking your onboarding responsibilities, our tireless work allows you to focus on the things that matter to your business, all while we handle finding you the perfect candidate for your new position. Actively seeking professional, hard-working candidates, there are several benefits to working with a specialist digital learning recruiter. We can help you avoid bad hires by:

• Screening candidates for the necessary skills and qualifications before submitting them to the next stage of interviews with your company.

• Offering an aftercare service that allows you to track the progress of your new hire with access to our timesheet portal.

• Offering a boutique service that prioritises your needs and seeks new hires from a vast talent pool of qualified candidates and individuals from across the eLearning industry.

To pierce through a crowded eLearning market, work with Instinct, a specialist digital learning recruiter, to connect you directly with the candidates that you need. Streamline your recruitment process and save time and resources by allowing us to take care of your onboarding while you focus on the work that matters most. Effortlessly elevating your operations, Instinct Resourcing is the solution to your eLearning needs.

Reach out to us today

Common questions about how we work

Is there a cost to candidates?

There is no cost to candidates in using Instinct’s services, any recruitment costs are on the client’s side as they opt to use our services to secure the best talent for their roles.

Are candidates at any disadvantage coming through an agency?

There is no disadvantage to candidates embarking on their job search through an agency and there are in fact many advantages. Instinct will construct an individual profile for each candidate we work with, we offer preparation calls for interviews and can support with tailoring CVs. On top of this, we often work on exclusive roles that aren’t on the market to apply to anywhere else!

Do you have people on your books who match this certain skill set?

It is a common misconception that we have a ‘catalogue’ of candidates. We have a very well-developed network within the areas we cover, however above all we function as an executive search agency and any candidates or contractors that Instinct supplies your business will be contacted, screened and carefully chosen to meet your specific business needs.

Recruitment of contract individuals 

Contract recruitment is our speediest form of recruitment. On average it takes us around 48 hours from initial vacancy consultation to the delivery of CVs. How quickly things turn around thereafter depends simply on the interview process, we can have someone start the same week if required!

Once we have established a client need for contract resource, whether that be for a specific project, maternity/sick cover, or simply an extra pair of hands, we go ahead with arranging a vacancy consultation. This is where the contract need is discussed. We consult on the best skillset for the job, the average market day rate, different ways of working with contractors and any other details about the work.

We have a wide network of contractors, and this will always be our first port of call for client needs as these are referenced individuals for whom we have received positive feedback in the past. Following that we conduct a search for the specific skills discussed during the consultation and will reach out to new individuals in the space to ensure we are uncovering the best talent for the client’s specific needs.

Contractors are provided with a brief for each of the contracts they are put forward for and have the time to ask questions about the client themselves and the project work before we move ahead. Day rates are also discussed from the get-go to uphold full transparency throughout the process with both our candidates and clients.

Following the interview stage, Instinct will deliver any offers that clients wish to make to contractors, this involves providing details such as start date, confirmed rate, days per week etc. Each contractor has a contract with Instinct either via a limited company or Umbrella service and Instinct contract directly with the end client.

Contracts are run via a timesheet portal which is filled out and submitted to the hiring manager monthly for approval. Instinct offers a credit facility to our clients which means they have time to pay and ensures that each of our contractors are paid on time. This proves particularly popular with our contractors (check out our Google reviews!).

Instinct’s fee for contractors is incorporated into the day rate which means there are no hidden costs whatsoever, all you must remember to do is to add on the VAT.

Recruitment for permanent and FTC positions 

When it comes to Permanent and Fixed Term Contract recruitment types, these are conducted in very similar ways, as both are for salaried roles where the candidate will be becoming a part of the client’s workforce.

Instinct’s turnaround time from initial vacancy consultation to delivery of CVs for permanent and FTC roles is 5 working days. The remaining process time is determined by interview processes similar to contract recruitment. We can facilitate interviews on a remote or a face-to-face basis and have seen more of a demand for the latter in recent months.

Following vacancy consultation, each role will be allocated to two Resource Professionals on Instinct’s team to allow the required time to be dedicated to the position. An executive search will be conducted from the beginning as we look to start uncovering the most relevant talent for that specific role. We will look to uncover and speak with not only those who are actively on the market but also the individuals who aren’t looking, and who would have not naturally stumbled across the job advert. A study by LinkedIn showed that around 60% of employees were passive job seekers who would be open to new opportunities, whilst only 25% of these are actively applying.

Following screening to establish that candidates are the right fit for a role, Instinct offers complimentary services such as CV advice (tweaking & tailoring) and preparatory calls to our candidates. Should a client wish to make an offer we will deliver this and clarify details such as start date, salary, and working arrangements (onsite/hybrid/remote). We will collect any documents needed for onboarding in addition to references and provide these to the client’s HR team.  

The fee for permanent recruitment is a percentage of the candidate’s annual remuneration package and is separate from the salary itself, which does not affect what the candidate earns. FTC recruitment works in a very similar way, with the only difference being that anything less than a year is pro rata to the length of the contract.

I hope this helps to provide an insight into the world of agency recruitment and what that process looks like if you choose to partner with us as it really isn’t complex at all! If you have any further questions about the way our contract or permanent recruitment works, please feel free to get in touch.

• How do I prepare for my interview?
• Please can you advise on what I need to do before my interview?
• How can I give myself the best chance of a successful interview?

So, here are a few tips from the team to help prepare for your first stage interview:

Research, research, research!!

• Get to know the company you are interviewing with inside and out. So, in the event of being asked: What do you know about us? You are equipped with the answers. Things to research include: The company history, size, financials, team, core values, recent projects, the sector they are in and their footprint in that sector. The more research the better! This helps you understand the company better to help you decide if it is the kind of organisation you want to work for, and will enable you to prepare a range of questions in readiness for your interview.
• Get to know your interviewers. Prior to your interview, you should have been advised who is going to be conducting the meeting. It is important to look at their personal profiles, on Linkedin, company website etc, to get an understanding of their backgrounds, skillset, and role in the company along with their progression path. Also, you may find some common values, for example, you may have worked at the same companies or gone to the same School / University which can be an instant icebreaker in an interview scenario!
• Know your CV. Your interviewer has seen your CV before they meet you and that CV is the reason you are in the interview. So, making sure you know what you have written and can answer any questions about your CV experience is crucial – or this could end up being an awkward conversation when they recite something from your CV, and you forgot you had written it!
• Understand the position. You will be asked questions that relate to the job you are interviewing for, so digesting and analysing the job specification will allow you to formulate your answers that relate to the role more accurately. If the role mentions using Articulate Storyline and the Adobe Creative Suite then the chances are, you will be asked about your competency with these tools. 
• Practice! This relates to the point above – if you are going to be asked about your experience in a certain sector then practice your answers so you aren’t struggling to formulate one when in the hot seat! Practice formulating your answers so that the interviewer will not have to ask for you to expand. 
• STAR – At Instinct, we recommend the STAR Methodology when answering interview questions – competency-based or not. STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result and using this technique will enable you to structure your answers to interview questions. The benefit of the STAR method is that it should help you provide clear and concise answers — be specific, but don’t get caught up in the details.

Preparation will allow you to be more confident when interviewing as you will have all the knowledge you need to hurdle any question thrown your way. Confidence is key in the heat of an interview environment and will in turn allow you to feel more relaxed, less pressured, and enjoy the interview rather than dreading it!