Confidence as an instructional designer isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you build — project by project, decision by decision. I’ve worked with hundreds of new (and seasoned) IDs, and here’s what I’ve seen make the biggest difference: 📌 They stop waiting to be “ready” 📌 They practice feedback without fear 📌 They take messy action 📌 They reflect and refine 📌 They surround themselves with the right community You don’t need 10 years of experience to be confident. You need consistent reps and the courage to keep going — even when it’s uncomfortable. 💬 What helped you feel more confident as an ID? #InstructionalDesign #CareerConfidence #LXDesign #LearningExperienceDesign #IDTips #IDOLAcademy
I always remind myself this quote: "You don’t have to be perfect to start, but you have to start to be perfect." Thank you for sharing this. 😇
Love this! Confidence is definitely built through action. I'd add that while taking messy action is key, it's also crucial to first build a solid foundation of knowledge. Otherwise, you risk becoming a confident decorator rather than an impactful designer and confidence without competence won't get you far. What helped me most was embracing feedback as a gift, not a critique.
Love this. Confidence in ID isn’t about years in the role—it’s about taking the plunge. I began when ID was emerging in India, part of the ‘accidental ID’ era. There was no time to be ‘ready’—we were thrown into the pool, learned through trial and error, and developed our own strokes. Every approach, every tentative estimation, every RFP became a stepping stone to growth. For me, the turning point was when a mentor told me, ‘ID is all about using your common sense.’ Context matters (‘It depends’), and above all—KISS: Keep It Simply Simple. One of my biggest lessons: Learn the rules, then break them to create new ones. And finally, start afresh with the wisdom that sometimes, there are no rules at all.
I agree 💯, for me it is a LinkedIn group for Instructional Designers and Learning and Development people, and being able to post once a week there about my journey, questions and insights helps motivate me through the tough days where is no inspiration to work or I am stuck in a slump with a project.
Thanks for sharing. I’m definitely commited to messy action and welcoming tough love feedback. For example, I recently heard from a hiring manager who didn’t hire me that my design assignment and my portfolio were too ‘high resource’. That might be something for newer IDs to consider when they are building out their ‘flagship’ projects and ‘Scenario-based learning’. You want to be able to show that your solutions are scalable, efficient, and effective.
Thank you for sharing these insights for those who are new to the industry or need some reminders now and then. I've been an instructional designer for almost 15 years in higher education. I can honestly say this has been one of the busiest summers of my career. I'm helping the college I support to roll out multiple new programs, revise some existing programs due to accreditation changes, develop new courses, and revise existing courses, all while mentoring my colleagues along the way. This is why teamwork, self-care, and proper workload balance are so important!
Love this! All of those points have definitely helped me to build confidence —especially reflecting + refining. Once I've build something I'd test it and iterate it until the outcome and feedback matched expectations. I used every project as an opportunity to make it better than the last. The result of building that confidence has been the launch of my own agency, Efectivi and multiple projects with dream clients! 🤩 Wherever you are in your journey, never stop believing in yourself and reach for the stars ✨
Confidence grows through action, not waiting. Taking messy steps, learning from feedback, and staying connected to the right community make all the difference. Thanks for capturing this so well!
While I have not received a job offer as of yet, I did receive great training and received my certification in Instructional Design. Something that gave me confidence was having other instructional designers review my work and provide constructive feedback (positive feedback and things I can work on). I learned to not take feedback personally, but view it as an opportunity to grow.
Share this with someone who needs the reminder!