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.

When I first started in recruitment 12 years ago, digital learning tools were emerging, but their uses had room for improvement. Blended learning models, combining in-person and online components, were yet to be mainstream, and only a few institutions explored digital delivery at scale.

Fast forward to the pandemic in 2020, and we saw the rapid expansion of Digital Learning across Education. By 2022, most universities had pivoted to entirely online or hybrid models out of necessity.

In 2024, digital learning became a cornerstone of Higher Education in the UK. However, due to various challenges highlighted in my previous blog, many Universities cannot cope with the increased demand for Digital Learning, which largely comes down to funding, as opposed to a lack of appetite.

So, with budgets scrutinised more closely than a politician’s tax returns, every penny spent on recruitment needs to deliver measurable value.

This article explores the differences between contract and permanent roles in digital learning and offers guidance on making the right decision for your institution.

Contract Roles: Flexible and Project-Focused

Contract positions are often used for interim needs or specific projects. They are ideal for creating an online course, implementing a new LMS / VLE, or piloting a digital learning initiative.

Why Choose Contract Roles?

• Flexibility: Contractors can be hired as needed, making them an excellent option for short-term projects or busy periods.
• Access to Specialist talent: Contractors bring unique skills that can address specific challenges or gaps in knowledge.
• Control: Maintain oversight of the contractors, ensuring the project is delivered to the highest possible standard.
• Speed and Results: Hiring for contract roles is significantly quicker, which is crucial when facing tight deadlines.

Challenges of Contract Roles:

• Knowledge Retention: Contractors often leave once their work is done, which can result in a loss of valuable insights
• Culture Fit: Short-term hires don’t always fully integrate into your team or the institution’s values.
• Cost Considerations: While contractors offer flexibility, their day rates can often exceed the equivalent salary of a permanent role. However, when including National Insurance contributions, holiday pay, sick pay, and pension contributions, the difference in cost may not be as significant as you think!

Permanent Roles: Building a Stable Team

Permanent positions are typically best for ongoing projects, BAU, or strategic priorities that require consistency. For Universities building a robust digital learning department, permanent hires can be a crucial investment.

Why Choose Permanent Roles?

• Longevity: Long-term employees provide continuity and institutional knowledge that benefit ongoing projects.
• Higher return on training investment: Generally, permanent employees stick around for longer than their contracting counterparts. Any training and upskilling investment you put into your new recruits will stay within your team and provide a higher return on your investment.
• Predictable Costs: Salaries for permanent roles help with long-term budget planning. Contracts are typically remunerated at a daily rate that can fluctuate during busier periods.

Challenges of Permanent Roles:

• Much Longer Recruitment Process: Finding the right permanent hire can take time, especially when working for a University. The process is cumbersome and often involves a significant investment of your time carrying out multiple interviews. With no guarantee of finding suitable candidates. In this case, the process starts again, and before you know it, 6 months have passed, and your needs have changed entirely.
• Missing out on Top Talent:  A result of the point above, but the Digital Learning sector is fluid; if you don’t move quickly, you will lose permanent candidates to other opportunities.
• Longer bedding-in period: Unlike contractors, permanent staff often take longer to get up to speed with new systems and processes. So, it would be unrealistic to expect to start seeing a return on your investment for the first six months.
• Less Flexibility: Permanent roles can tie up budgets, reducing the ability to adapt to changing demands.

Key Considerations When Choosing

• Scope of Work: Contractors are often the better option for particular projects. Permanent roles make more sense for initiatives that require sustained effort over a much more extended period.
• Budget: Consider both immediate and long-term costs. While contractors may have higher upfront costs, permanent hires require ongoing salaries, NI contributions (soon to be 15%), holiday pay, and sick pay.
• Skills Needed: Contractors bring specialised skills for immediate needs, which allows them to be impactful from day one. Meanwhile, permanent staff can be trained to adapt and grow with the University.
• Institutional Goals: Align your hiring strategy with long-term plans. A permanent team is essential for building a stable digital learning department, while contractors can fill gaps that are left as a result of attrition or restructure, etc
• Time: In a competitive recruitment environment, contractors may be more accessible, allowing you to access top-quality talent in less than 24 hours. Whereas permanent hires can take up a significant amount of your time.

Conclusion

Whether you need help launching a new VLE / LMS, designing engaging online courses, or building a new learning function, the right recruitment strategy can make all the difference. Deciding between contract and permanent recruitment is not always straightforward, but aligning your choice with your University’s needs, goals, and budgets will lead you to success.

At Instinct, we specialise in supporting universities with tailored recruitment strategies. Whether you’re hiring for short-term projects or long-term roles, we can help you find the perfect candidates. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your digital learning initiatives.

As the staffing demand in our sector slowed during 2023, it became apparent that many companies are moving away from pure remote-based working employment, to shift to either hybrid models or back to traditional fully office-based working.

Online research shows that organisations such as Boots, Laing O’Rourke, and Rockstar plan on making their employees come to the office five days a week, showing a bigger shift in how companies think about work. A KPMG survey even found that 64% of CEOs around the world think everyone will be back in the office by 2026.

What employees think about it

According to HRD Connect, there has been a mixed reaction to the return to the office movement. A Marco New Customer Report for 2024 shows that 40% of global respondents actually prefer traditional in-office working, and in the UK, 40% of workers prefer full-time in-person work.

There is also a generational shift as the same report shows that younger generations prefer having in-office experiences, with 64% willing to work for a company that doesn’t offer hybrid working options at all.

Here at Instinct, we have certainly seen an ‘expectancy’ from candidates to be given at least 1-2 days per week working from home, in both contract and permanent positions. Pre-covid, this was almost unheard of, with the majority of roles we worked on demanding a minimum of 3-5 days per week on-site.

The shift towards in-person work is being advocated by some who argue that face-to-face interactions may foster creativity, enhance collaboration, and strengthen company culture in ways that are difficult to replicate remotely. Admittedly however with Instinct working in the Digital and Learning Technology space, the majority of work (depending on the role itself) can be completed digitally from home.

2020 brought an abrupt halt to the staff retention trends of the previous decade, where office culture was paramount – we saw the addition of break-out areas, pool tables, table tennis, bars, shower rooms, personal lockers, solo working spaces and even sleeping pods.

Post-2020, office culture has been somewhat forgotten due to the remote working model. Organisations have allowed employees to work autonomously in their home office (back bedroom, kitchen table or even sitting on their bed) without any face-to-face peer contact.

Subsequently, competitors have been able to poach / approach and lure candidates with the incentive of more money. Where this method alone may have been ineffective in the past, as an employee enjoyed the company culture, in the absence of this, they can be more easily tempted by pure monetary incentives.

Finally, from a candidate perspective, after a few years of post-pandemic remote working, we have noticed an increase in enquiries from candidates looking to find work in a collaborative setting, where in-person relationships are formed, and peer-to-peer learning is facilitated.

Conclusion

It is clear that organisations are heading back towards an increased on-site working demand, however, the impact of COVID and working from home will still be in place for many years to come. We seem to be in a position where hybrid working has become the ‘norm’, with companies looking for 2-3 days per week on-site as an average.

It is understandable that many Digital Learning / Learning Technology specialists believe the majority of their work can be done from home, but at what cost? Does this impact SME and Stakeholder engagement? Does this have a negative impact on collaborative working and fresh ideas from others? Or do you simply work better alone? Granted it’s subjective to the individual, but only time will tell.

It will certainly be interesting to see the on-site / working-from-home split in years to come!

UNICEF notes that “blending online learning with face-to-face teaching generally produces better outcomes than face-to-face or online learning alone”, it was described to also engage students on an emotional level, positively impacting students’ attitudes, enjoyment and interests towards the learning which increased participation and completion rates.

But, why is this?

Some believe that learners have the flexibility to learn when suits them, enabling them to tune into their natural cycles when they feel they can retain information rather than being forced into learning when they may be otherwise occupied, others note that the interactivity and creativity of online learning enhances the student experience and provides something different which students embrace. “When properly designed, delivered and evaluated, online learning initiatives based on a solid digital learning strategy can change a company’s corporate culture, improve employee engagement and increase retention” (CCL, 2020).

With professional development, time is of the essence, particularly for corporate organisations where they will see staff away from their work for periods of time to complete learning programmes. The CIPD (2017) outlines that digital learning requires less time for learning, with 40-60% less ‘time to learn’ than traditional classroom learning. This was then coupled with digital learning resulting in a higher retention rate, the Research Institute of America (2020) outlined retention rates from digital learning to be between 25 and 60%, rather than traditional classroom learning peaking at 10%. With these statistics, it seems to be a no-brainer to include digital and blended learning in the learning and development strategy.

Some would argue that the digital element would be a considerable investment, and the upfront costs into the unknown just aren’t worth the risk. However, with the lost working time, retention and cost of face-to-face training to consider, the digital learning element would (in time) pay for itself. The resources can be used time and time again for other learners, the higher retention rates mean that organisations wouldn’t have to continually re-train their employees. The US Navy implemented VR training combined with immersive learning, initially investing $1.28 million. Closely tracked, they calculated a whopping $4.24 million in avoided costs and an ROI of $2.96 million (Beck, in CIPD, 2021). Not all organisations can splash out $1.28 million on a new immersive learning programme, but it demonstrates that the ROI can be incredible if an organisation is willing to take the plunge.

To conclude, with a huge increase in retention of learning, a reduction of ‘time to learn’ for employees thus enabling them to return to work and an impressive track record of ROI, it seems digital and blended learning is only securing itself a place in becoming part of the ‘norm’ for a learning strategy, rather than being viewed as a fancy and frivolous piece of technology.

UNI CEF (2021). https://www.unicef.org/media/103246/file/Effectiveness%20of%20digital%20learning%20solutions%20to%20improve%20educational%20outcomes%20-%20A%20review%20of%20the%20evidence.pdf

CCL (2020). How Technology in Education Improves Student Engagement | ACC Blog

CIPD (2021). Digital learning in a post-COVID-19 economy: a literature review (cipd.org)

Research Institute of America – WeForum (2020). The rise of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

The term ‘We’re not allowed to work with external Recruiters’ is one you will hear time and time again if you operate in a Business Development position within a recruitment agency. So what is the solution to this?

It is our role to explain to hiring managers the benefits of working with a specialist recruiter, informing them how you can save them time and money with strategic hires.

Expertise ‍

In-depth industry knowledge and extensive networks ensure that your specialist supplier has access to both active and passive candidates (NOT actively looking or applying to job ads) that other companies or internal recruitment departments wouldn’t have access to.

Time Efficiency

100+ applicants filtered to a shortlist of 6 superb candidates – we take care of the screening process, selling & promoting the company and the opportunity to suitable candidates, interview preparation and feedback, keeping the candidates updated throughout the recruitment process, managing negotiations and much, much more. This is all part of the process, freeing up your time & resources and let the specialist recruiter take care of this. Remember the phrase “Time is money?”

Confidentiality

Whether it’s a confidential executive search or a strategic role, specialist recruiters ensure that sensitive hiring details remain confidential until a thorough screening call has been done, allowing your company to maintain its competitive edge.

Recruitment Partner

A GOOD Specialist Recruiter will understand your company’s vision, culture and requirements. This enables the recruiter to be strategic partner to your business helping you reach your future goals.

If you feel you may require specialist resource support within the Digital Learning, Learning Technology, Training or general L&D space then please do not hesitate to get in touch. Our exclusive network of high calibre candidates will ensure you gain access to the top available talent!

Instinct can appreciate why certain processes are in place, however we will share some of the more arduous processes we have encountered and why we would suggest steering away from certain routes. Likewise, we will share the most successful processes for candidate retention and therefore securing the perfect person.

The (really) Bad

Safe to say, the most outrageous interview process was a whopping 13 stages stretched over a period of 10 months. Yes, you read that correctly, 13 stages over 10 months. We understand that Senior level professionals need to speak to relevant members of the company, and the fit needs to be correct, but our view is that 4 stages should be sufficient for any Senior/Director level posting.

Process Duration

There are many drawbacks of lengthy recruitment processes, the main being – if you move too slowly, your favourite candidate (usually the best candidate) will be offered a new position from a company (competitor) that moved quicker. Your own competition will beat you to the best candidate.

Candidates (especially if the recruitment process is not outlined from the start) will view the process, and therefore the company, as inefficient. Their impression will be that in order to get anything done within the organisation, they will have to get through layers and layers of red tape whilst trying to jump through several hoops simultaneously. This will either make them not interested in the role or chose another company (with a streamlined process) and you will be firmly back to square one.

Initial Application

Before getting to the interview stage however, candidates need to apply. Instinct does not disagree with this, it is very important that they apply, and that the hiring manager can see information about the candidates before moving them forward within the process. However, is it necessary for them to fill in an online form taking 3 working days detailing their life story in a series of boxes, attaching their CV, and a personalised cover letter along with a copy of their medical history, diversity monitoring and their family tree? No, it isn’t!!!

The longest application form we encountered was an outrageous 9 pages with the request for a diversity monitoring along with their CV and Cover Letter. Suffice to say, the best candidates, with multiple opportunities declined this unnecessary admin.

Attracting the Best

The highest quality candidates are usually rather busy individuals. They have a job, they have a social life & responsibilities, they may have children and any of the spare time they do have doesn’t need to be spent writing their autobiography for a career application page. If people aren’t actively searching and desperate to move, then the chances are they won’t be willing to do this lengthy application process therefore, this automatically narrows your pool of suitable candidates.

We understand “if they aren’t willing to do the form, then they aren’t invested in the process”, however, we find that following a first initial call directly with the client to find out more about what you can offer them, that candidates automatically become more interested and invested. This call can be 15-20 minutes of your day – a similar amount of time it takes you to read through the form.

Instinct’s Value

At Instinct we thoroughly screen all candidates, give them an insight into the company and the position along with any additional information. If the candidates have the correct skillset, you will see their CV. This process acts as an initial application process, so you can be assured that the candidates are relevant to your opportunity and have provided written confirmation that they would like to apply. For the candidates, all they need to do is provide an updated version of their CV.

Our Polite Suggestions

Throughout our 10-year history, we have found the following to be the best for a recruitment process:

Following an initial screening call with Instinct, you will see their CVs & Portfolio (if applicable)…

Contract:

·        Junior & Mid-Level: 1 stage

·        Senior/Director Level: 2 stages with presentation or task

Permanent:

·        Junior & Mid-Level: 2 stages (with task or presentation if necessary)

·        Senior/Director level: 3 stages (with task or presentation if necessary)

Overall, there is no reason to complicate things. Keep it simple, be agile and don’t miss out on the perfect person because of a slow, unnecessary process.

The core role of an eLearning developer is normally to work at the later stages of the production process, essentially bringing to life the higher-level designs of Learning Designers / Instructional Designers.

Typically, developers are given a brief to transform a storyboard or written content. They may have a rudimentary understanding of pedagogy but really their role is to create a final piece of material, therefore, often working alongside Instructional Designers on the same project.

Developers leverage technology to amplify the learning material to be more engaging, effective and accessible to all. To facilitate this, developers have a multifaceted range of skills and responsibilities.

Skills and Responsibilities

The Essential Skills and Responsibilities of a developer include:

Communication – Communication is key to understanding briefs and working effectively with fellow creatives such as instructional designers, graphics designers and sometimes SMEs. 

Creativity – It is essential developers have creative vision and a keen eye for detail to be able to develop engaging learning material that is not only aesthetically pleasing but content that captures and retains the learner’s interest.

Multimedia Creation – To avoid learners mindlessly scrolling through monotonous content, developers use authoring tools to create animations, graphics, interactive elements and videos, to make the learning materials more engaging.

Technical Skills – Technical skills and proficiency in authoring tools allow developers to bring creative visions to life. There are many different authoring tools which offer slightly different functionalities and useability. At Instinct, the most common authoring tools we come across are Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate and Rise. Typically, contractors are expected to have their own licenses to use the authoring tools.

Experienced developers also use graphic design software such as Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop, and Illustrator, as well as technical skills in video/audio editing tools like Adobe Premiere Pro and Audacity.

Maintenance – To ensure the learning material stays relevant developers will regularly review, refine, and evolve the content.

Developers have the constant challenge of creating effective, engaging and accessible content that caters to the diverse learner’s needs. Technological advancements such as AI, AR and AR provide opportunities for developers to create innovative learning solutions that could shape the future of education.

Name and profile picture – Make sure you use your full name and add a professional profile/cover photo to help your profile gain credibility.

Headline – Don’t overcomplicate this, adding short and snappy buzzwords will help recruiters & prospective employers identify what you do quickly.

Use the About section – Don’t neglect this space, it’s a great way to summarise your experience, key skills and what sort of opportunities you’re looking for. It can be in the form of a short paragraph or bullet points. If you’re a contractor, add a link to your portfolio!

Build your network – Connect with likeminded people from your industry – Other LinkedIn users will share new opportunities and discuss hot topics leaving you well-connected in the digital learning space.

Update your work history – Ensure that all your work experience has been updated with company names/dates to make your work history clear. Adding a summary of your role, key projects or milestones is a good way to showcase your experience and accomplishments.

Adding key skills/qualifications – If you have skills or qualifications in specific areas be sure to include that in your skills section, remember to ask people you have worked with to endorse these skills.

Having a well-structured LinkedIn profile isn’t only great for promoting and adding value to your personal brand, but it also makes it easier for recruiters and prospective employers to identify you when we’re searching for candidates with specific skills and experience.

As part of our ongoing “What it Means to be a ..” series, we are sharing our internal definitions of learning roles and what responsibilities we would attribute to them.

This week we are looking at Learning Consultants, specifically what it means to be one.

Before we begin, it is important to acknowledge that different companies will have different definitions of the role and the related responsibilities. Whilst the following definition is our take on it, it doesn’t mean that other definitions aren’t also correct!

What is a Learning Consultant?

A Learning Consultant is someone whose primary objective is to help an organisation improve its ways of learning. They look at what it is that needs to be taught and use their professional expertise to plan effective learning modules and packages to achieve this goal.

Role Responsibilities 

Assessment and Analysis: 

A Learning Consultant will start the process by identifying the skills and knowledge gaps in the organisation, and then start thinking about how best to address these issues.

Strategy:

They will then consult with their primary contact in the organisation they are working with to formulate ideas and decide on a plan to help the organisation with its learning needs. In this phase, a learning consultant defines the best learning tools and methods. For instance, a purely digital or a blended approach might work better.

Content Creation:

In the content creation phase, the Learning Consultant will oversee the creation of the learning content to ensure it adheres to the strategy that has been devised. To do so, they will either work with professionals such as Learning Designers and Developers to create the learning content or create it themselves in an end-to-end capacity. The responsibility of who creates content can even be a mix of the two, such as the Learning Consultant doing the learning design and then passing the work over to a developer to complete.

Project Management: 

As well as managing the creation of the content, a learning consultant will also manage the project in its entirety. This responsibility can include managing timelines, budgets or even resources to ensure the project stays on track. Responsibilities can also include ensuring seamless implementation of the learning program into the organization once it is ready to be deployed.

Evaluation: 

In this final evaluation phase, the Learning Consultant will use feedback and data to see how well the learning program is working. Based on the outcome of this they will then adjust to make the program even more effective.

Conclusion

A learning consultant is a dynamic role which sees the individual play a crucial role in enhancing learning in an organisation through the expertise they bring in assessment, strategy formulation, content creation, project management and evaluation.

By utilising varied skill sets, learning consultants ultimately ensure that the most effective learning program is both created and implemented for their clients to drive success in their organisation.

The first thing to recognise is how interchangeable job titles are in the Digital Learning World.

Within design alone, there are multiple different job titles, all meaning slightly different things and often inconsistent in their meaning across companies; Learning Experience Designer, Digital Learning Developer, Instructional Designer, Digital Learning Designer…..

A Digital Learning Designer at Company A might have a different remit to a Digital Learning Designer at Company B but the same remit as an Instructional Designer at Company C…!

When making sense of what these roles entail, it’s important to understand the overall Learning Design process first.  Even this will differ from company to company but generally we can take this to be.

1. Requirement gathering (working with the business to understand the need)

2. Creating an overall brief with the SME (the subject matter expert)

3. Storyboarding (visually designing mock-ups)

4. Scripting (writing the content and interactions)

5. Development / Multimedia / Graphics (creation of the content)

Some companies split these responsibilities out across a team.  Some designers may just be responsible for the earlier parts of this process.  In other company structures, individuals are responsible for the entirety of this process, from working with the SME right through to development of the finished product.   Internally at Instinct, and across much of the industry, we call these Learning Designers, End-to-end Learning Designers.

This term is not completely universal across the industry (that would be far too easy!) but it does adequately describe these responsibilities.

To be good at this role, you need to be an all-rounder.  You need strong client facing skills, understanding of pedagogy, creativity in concept design, strong writing skills for scripting and then excellent technical skills with authoring tools and graphics / multimedia tools.

Keeping up to date with industry trends such as AI tools and human-centred design is also going to make you a compelling candidate.  It’s important to constantly upskill.

It’s natural for some professionals in this space to be better in some areas than others, so working out your strengths and what you ‘bring to the table’ in the learning design process is key when shaping your career in the industry.

If you’re interested in a career in Digital Learning, below are a couple of useful links to explore a little further;

A professional Diploma in Learning Design which covers the full end-to-end process;

https://www.digitallearninginstitute.com/courses/digital-learning-design-course