One resume challenge you may face as an instructional designer is effectively showcasing the depth and variety of your experience in developing educational programs. Our guide provides targeted advice and powerful action verbs to help you convey the complexity of your skill set and the impact of your work on learners and organizations.
- Apply best practices from professional resumes to spotlight your application;
- Quantify your professional experience with achievements, career highlights, projects, and more;
- Write an eye-catching instructional designer resume top one-third with your header, summary/objective, and skills section;
- Fill in the gaps of your experience with extracurricular, education, and more vital resume sections.
We've selected, especially for you, some of our most relevant instructional designer resume guides. Getting you from thinking about your next career move to landing your dream job.
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Professional instructional designer resume format advice
Achieving the most suitable resume format can at times seem like a daunting task at hand.
Which elements are most important to recruiters?
In which format should you submit your resume?
How should you list your experience?
Unless specified otherwise, here's how to achieve a professional look and feel for your resume.
- Present your experience following the reverse-chronological resume format . It showcases your most recent jobs first and can help recruiters attain a quick glance at how your career has progressed.
- The header is the must-have element for your resume. Apart from your contact details, you could also include your portfolio and a headline, that reflects on your current role or a distinguishable achievement.
- Select relevant information to the role, that should encompass no more than two pages of your resume.
- Download your resume in PDF to ensure that its formatting stays intact.
Different markets have specific resume styles – a Canadian resume, for instance, may require a different approach.
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PRO TIP
Showcase any ongoing or recent educational efforts to stay updated in your field.
The five (plus) definite sections your resume for a instructional designer job should include are:
- Header with your headline, contact details, and/or a preview of your work
- Summary (or objective) to pinpoint how your success aligns with the role
- Experience with bullets of your most relevant achievements in the field
- Skills to integrate vital job requirements (both technical and personal)
- Your further dedication to the field, showcased via relevant higher education and/or certifications
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Experience in curriculum development and instructional theories
- Proficiency with e-learning technology and authoring tools (e.g., Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate)
- Demonstrated ability to design assessable and measurable learning objectives
- Knowledge of multimedia production and graphic design principles
- Understanding of adult learning principles and needs analysis methodologies
Creating your instructional designer resume experience to catch recruiters' attention
Remember that for the instructional designer role, hiring managers are looking to see how your expertise aligns with their requirements. Here's where your resume experience section can help out. Make sure you:
- Include mainly roles that are relevant to the instructional designer job you're applying for;
- Don't go too far back in your experience - recruiters will only care what you did a decade ago if it's really important for the instructional designer role;
- Each bullet you include should say what you did, followed by the skills you used and the actual end result of your efforts;
- Quantify each of your achievements with numbers and possibly the overall effect it had on the organization;
- Highlight transferrable skills - or personal skills you've attained thanks to past jobs - that could be applicable within your potential workplace. This would showcase your unique value as a professional.
Formatting the experience section of your resume doesn't have to be an over-the-top deep dive into your whole career. Follow the instructional designer resume examples below to see how industry-leading professionals are presenting their experience:
- Led the development of a company-wide e-learning strategy, which has successfully been adopted by 10,000+ employees across 5 global offices.
- Designed and implemented 15+ interactive online courses using Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate, boosting learner engagement by 40%.
- Collaborated with SMEs to develop a certification program that reduced onboarding time by 25% and increased employee performance metrics by 15%.
- Managed a team of 5 instructional designers in the creation of a digital literacy curriculum which was rolled out to over 50,000 students nationwide.
- Integrated the latest pedagogical research into course design, leading to a 30% improvement in student learning outcomes as measured by pre and post-assessments.
- Spearheaded the transition to mobile learning platforms, which increased content accessibility and led to a 20% rise in course completion rates.
- Developed over 50 hours of technical training content for a new software product, which contributed to a 50% decrease in support calls.
- Created a user-friendly LMS interface that improved the user experience and resulted in a 35% increase in monthly active users.
- Conducted comprehensive needs assessments with cross-functional teams to align training with company goals, leading to a 20% increase in employee productivity.
- Implemented virtual reality simulations for a medical training program that improved learning retention rates by 45%.
- Collaborated with IT to integrate training solutions with existing company infrastructure, reducing overall training costs by 20%.
- Authored a white paper on the application of AI in instructional design, positioning the company as a thought leader in the EdTech space.
- Designed an award-winning gamified onboarding program for new hires that increased employee retention by 30% within the first year.
- Utilized data analytics to tailor learning content to individual learner's needs, which reduced the time to competency by an average of 2 weeks per employee.
- Coordinated with department leads to deliver just-in-time training content that supported the rollout of a major organizational restructuring.
- Redesigned the sales training program, incorporating blended learning techniques that accelerated proficiency gains by 50% compared to traditional methods.
- Implemented a feedback loop with trainees that increased course relevance and satisfaction scores from 75% to 95% within two years.
- Forged partnerships with external vendors to expand the content library, enhancing the diversity of learning materials available to employees.
- Orchestrated the shift from in-person to online training for 80% of company programs, saving over $200,000 annually in travel and accommodation costs.
- Developed a comprehensive analytics dashboard to report on training efficacy, leading to data-driven decision-making and a 10% improvement in strategic skill areas.
- Piloted a mentorship-based training initiative for emerging leaders that enhanced leadership pipelines and reduced turnover rates by 18% in key roles.
- Provided expert consultative services for a suite of learning products that resulted in a revenue increase of $500,000 in Q1 2019 through client educational programs.
- Conducted organizational training needs assessments for clients, leading to targeted program development that addressed competency gaps for over 5,000 employees.
- Partnered with multinational corporations to localize training content, enabling successful expansion into three new Asian markets.
The following content includes information from "O*NET OnLine" by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. The data represents the top responsibilities present on the task lists for instructional designer professionals.
Top Responsibilities for Instructional Designer:
- Observe work of teaching staff to evaluate performance and to recommend changes that could strengthen teaching skills.
- Plan and conduct teacher training programs and conferences dealing with new classroom procedures, instructional materials and equipment, and teaching aids.
- Interpret and enforce provisions of state education codes and rules and regulations of state education boards.
- Conduct or participate in workshops, committees, and conferences designed to promote the intellectual, social, and physical welfare of students.
- Advise teaching and administrative staff in curriculum development, use of materials and equipment, and implementation of state and federal programs and procedures.
- Advise and teach students.
- Recommend, order, or authorize purchase of instructional materials, supplies, equipment, and visual aids designed to meet student educational needs and district standards.
- Update the content of educational programs to ensure that students are being trained with equipment and processes that are technologically current.
- Address public audiences to explain program objectives and to elicit support.
- Research, evaluate, and prepare recommendations on curricula, instructional methods, and materials for school systems.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Detail the specific number of instructional courses or modules you have designed and deployed.
- Quantify the percentage of content retention improvement from pre-tests to post-tests due to your instructional designs.
- Specify the number of learners or participants who have been engaged by your instructional materials.
- Mention the number of assessments created and the average score improvements these have facilitated.
- State the reduction percentage in training time or costs achieved through your course designs.
- Include the number of instructional design projects where you increased interactivity or user engagement metrics.
- Enumerate any awards or recognitions received in quantifiable terms, such as "1st place among 50 submissions".
- Highlight the volume of positive feedback or satisfaction ratings received from learners or clients as a direct result of your work.
Action verbs for your instructional designer resume
Instructional designer resume without experience: a walk-through guide
If you don't happen to have any relevant experience yet, you can substitute this with:
- Short-term gigs and stunts - like month-long internships, that you have done during your university days
- Contract work - be specific about the relevance and outcomes of each role you include
- Resume format that prioritizes your skills - the functional-skill-based format or hybrid format could work
- Research roles - feature those especially prominently if you've participated in a noteworthy project or your role was of utmost importance to the project's success.
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PRO TIP
Mention specific courses or projects that are pertinent to the job you're applying for.
Key hard skills and soft skills for your instructional designer resume
At the top of any recruiter instructional designer checklist, you'd discover a list of technical competencies, balanced with personal skills.
Hard or technical skills are your opportunity to show how you meet the essential responsibilities of the role. The ability to use a particular job-crucial technology or software would also hint to recruiters whether you'd need a prolonged period of on-the-job training - or you'd fit right in the job.
But to land your dream role, you'd also need to demonstrate a variety of soft or people resume skills . Employers care about soft skills as they show how each candidate would fit into the team and company culture.
Both types of skills are specific and to best curate them on your resume, you'd need to:
- Create a skill section within which you showcase your hard and soft skills and present how they help you succeed.
- List specific examples of projects, tasks, or competitions, within which your skill set has assisted your results.
- Soft skills are harder to measure, so think about situations in which they've helped you thrive. Describe those situations concisely, focusing on how the outcome has helped you grow as a professional.
- Metrics of success - like positive ROI or optimized workplace processes - are the best way to prove your technical and people skills.
Take a look at some of instructional designer industry leaders' favorite hard skills and soft skills, as listed on their resumes.
Top skills for your instructional designer resume:
Adobe Captivate
Articulate Storyline
Camtasia
Learning Management Systems (LMS)
HTML/CSS
Instructional Design Models (ADDIE, SAM)
Graphic Design Software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop)
E-learning Development Tools
Assessment and Evaluation Design
Data Analysis Tools
Communication
Collaboration
Creativity
Critical Thinking
Problem Solving
Project Management
Adaptability
Attention to Detail
Empathy
Time Management
Next, you will find information on the top technologies for instructional designer professonals from "O*NET OnLine" by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Top technologies for Instructional Designer’s resume:
- Adobe After Effects
- Flipgrid
- Moodle
- Schoology
- Cascading style sheets CSS
- Drupal
PRO TIP
If you happen to have plenty of certificates, select the ones that are most applicable and sought-after across the industry. Organize them by relevance to the role you're applying for.
The instructional designer resume sections you may underestimate: certifications and education
Your education and certifications provide insight into both your technical capabilities and personal attributes, such as perseverance. When crafting your instructional designer resume, consider how you present these elements:
- For your higher education degrees, prioritize listing those most relevant to the job or indicative of your academic dedication;
- Include applicable coursework as a stand-in for relevant experience or if it might impress recruiters;
- Include incomplete higher education only if it's pertinent to meeting job requirements;
- If your degree is from a renowned university, mention how often you made the Dean's list to underline academic excellence.
Regarding certifications, it's not necessary to list all of them. Instead, match up to three of your most recent or significant certificates with the technical skills required in the job description.
Below, we've selected some of the top industry certifications that could be vital additions to your instructional designer resume.
The top 5 certifications for your instructional designer resume:
- Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) - Association for Talent Development (ATD)
- Certificate in E-Learning Instructional Design (CELID) - University of California, Irvine
- Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM) - Training Industry
- Instructional Design Certification (IDC) - International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
- Master Trainer Certification (MTC) - Association for Talent Development (ATD)
The content below includes information from "O*NET OnLine" by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. The data represents the top associations for instructional designer professionals.
Top US associations for a Instructional Designer professional
- Association for Distance Education and Independent Learning
- United States Distance Learning Association
- ACSD
- American Educational Research Association
- Association for Career and Technical Education
PRO TIP
If you're in the process of obtaining your certificate or degree, list the expected date you're supposed to graduate or be certified.
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Instructional designer resume summaries or objectives: real-world samples for best industry practices
Grasp recruiters' attention from the get-go of your application with a professional instructional designer resume summary or objective.
It's wise to select the:
- Resume objective , if you don't happen to have much experience alignment and would like to more prominently feature your dreams and personality.
- Resume summary , if you'd like to have a more standard approach to your application and feature up to five career highlights to help you stand out.
Writing your resume summary or objective should be tailored to each role you apply for.
Think about what would impress the recruiters and go from there.
But, if you need further help with this introductory section, check out some real-world samples in the next part of this guide:
Resume summaries for a instructional designer job
- With over a decade of experience in crafting engaging e-learning content for Fortune 500 companies, my expertise lies in transforming complex concepts into digestible modules. I bring a robust skill set in LMS management, multimedia production, and curriculum development, celebrated with an award for ‘Best Online Course’ at the 2021 Global E-Learning Awards.
- Seasoned educator transitioning to instructional design, I carry 8 years of experience in curriculum planning and student performance analysis. My background in instructional methodologies and pedagogy, coupled with a growing proficiency in Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate, drives my passion to develop innovative e-learning solutions.
- After excelling for 6 years in marketing and strategic communication, I am poised to apply my exceptional storytelling abilities to instructional design. Skills in content creation, coupled with a certificate in Adult Learning Theory, empower me to craft compelling learning experiences aligned with learner needs and outcomes.
- Experienced project manager pivoting to instructional design, bringing a track record of success in cross-functional team leadership and stakeholder engagement over 7 years. With recent certifications in UX design and a passion for EdTech, I am eager to leverage my strategic planning skills to create transformative learning environments.
- Eager to embark on a career in instructional design, I possess a strong foundation in educational theory from my bachelor's degree in education and a flair for technology reflected in my proficiency with Canva and Prezi. Committed to lifelong learning, I am zealous to merge my academic background with hands-on experience to innovate in digital learning spaces.
- As a recent graduate with a Master’s in Instructional Design and a passion for leveraging technology to enhance learning, I am motivated to contribute my knowledge of ADDIE and SAM models and skills in interactive content development to creating impactful online education experiences.
Average salary info by state in the US for instructional designer professionals
Local salary info for Instructional Designer.” Source: My Next Move, National Center for O*NET Development. Accessed 10/15/2024
| State | Average Salary (in USD) |
|---|---|
| US National Average | $74,620 |
| California (CA) | $95,810 |
| Texas (TX) | $75,040 |
| Florida (FL) | $62,650 |
| New York (NY) | $79,060 |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | $69,370 |
| Illinois (IL) | $76,490 |
| Ohio (OH) | $75,370 |
| Georgia (GA) | $79,800 |
| North Carolina (NC) | $62,050 |
| Michigan (MI) | $75,510 |
Beyond your instructional designer resume basics - extra sections
Ensure your instructional designer resume stands out from the crowd by spicing it up with a couple of supplementary sections that showcase your:
- Prizes - as a special nod to what matters most in the field;
- Projects - ones that would really further support your application;
- Hobbies - include only if you think they'd further your chances at landing the role with personality
- Community impact - to hint at the causes you care about.
Key takeaways
- Impactful instructional designer resumes have an easy-to-read format that tells your career narrative with highlights;
- Select a resume summary or objective, depending on what sort of impression you'd like to leave and if your accomplishments are relevant to the job;
- If you don't happen to have much industry expertise, curate additional gigs you've had, like contracts and internships, to answer how your experience aligns with the instructional designer job;
- Be specific about the hard and soft skills you list on your resume to define your niche expertise and outcomes of using those particular skills;
- Always tailor your resume for each instructional designer application to ensure you meet all job requirements.
Instructional Designer resume examples
Explore additional instructional designer resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.
