Introduction & First Finding
Learning Industry Experts suggest newcomers focus on collaboration and online programs.
This is the main finding from a 2022 survey of a select group of Learning Industry professionals. For this 3-part series, I’ll dig deeper into the survey results and focus on key findings from each of the three areas of the 2022 Learning Industry report.
If you don’t already have a copy of the 2022 Learning Industry Report and would like one, click here.
Some background:
As part of a project to discover support opportunities for people entering the Learning Industry, I surveyed a select group of professionals, asking for their advice to newcomers and where to learn about roles in the industry.
At the outset of the project, a goal was to test these hypotheses:
- People want to enter the Learning Industry.
- They are not sure where to start but are open to support and guidance.
Using the survey results, I intend to incorporate the key findings into the next phase of the project.
For example, focus is now on the Instructional Design role with Management roles added in the future.
First Key Finding
Survey Findings:
The first two questions on the survey were related to the participants’ roles in the industry.
What was asked:
What’s your current role within the industry, and how long have you been in it?
Why we asked the question:
To get a sense of the roles participants held and how long they have been in them. The two factors would impact analysis of the rest of the results.
Results:
- Most held either Instructional Design or Management roles
- Most had 8+ years of experience
Biggest surprise:
The options for Sales Solutions, Subject-Matter Expert, LMS/Platform, and Copy Editing/Writing received minimal selections.
Almost 70% of respondents had 8+ years experience in their current position.
Going into the survey, I thought the majority would have 4 to 7 years experience, with an equal distribution between the remaining options.
Impact:
This changed interpretation of the responses to the remaining questions and the survey overall (more on this later in the series).
Why this matters to you
Activity:
You may be asking; why does this matter and how can I use this information?
If you are already in the industry, how do the results relate to your experience?
- Do you feel you have enough experience to be considered an expert at what you do?
- How much longer would it take for you to feel you’re an expert?
Or, if you’re looking to enter the industry, do you know someone in the industry?
- If so, you could buy them a coffee and ask about their role and how long they’ve been in the industry. Do they consider themselves an expert?
- If don’t know someone in the industry, you could search job titles on a networking site and see if someone in your network is connected with someone in the industry – ask them to make a connection.
Next:
Please look for Part II of the Learning Industry series where I’ll be focused on the second finding from the survey – suggested learning resources.
Thanks for reading and please contact us if you would like to connect on this series and our findings.