Are you getting ghosted after interviews?

Are you relying on friends & family members for feedback on your portfolio?

Do you wish you had a community to guide & support you during the job search process?

You can go from being ghosted to becoming one of your future company’s best hires with IDOL courses Academy. I did!

Before joining IDOL courses Academy, I was a literacy teacher/teacher trainer & coach, who was spinning her wheels on how to officially break into the instructional design industry. 

I dove in taking courses, reading books & blogs, listening to podcasts, and watching YouTube videos. In 2019, I even attended the ATD conference, networked, and attended the career center, where I managed to land two interviews.

One of the interviews seemed promising. I liked the team, and I had a feeling that they liked me, too. Then, they popped the big question: “Do you have a portfolio?” 

I did not. I only had a couple of samples I had created during my instructional design certificate program. I scrambled to create something to show my skills and package it in a PowerPoint presentation with project explanations and links to the interactions. I pressed the send button and waited.

...And waited. I had not heard anything back from the hiring manager for going on 2 weeks and received no response to my follow-up emails. I told myself that maybe their hiring process was slow for a couple more weeks before I realized...I'd been ghosted.

Now, I am an eLearning designer & developer doing work that I love alongside wonderful coworkers, one of whom complimented my work and told our boss that I was one of the best hires she'd seen in recent years!

Step 1: Seek guidance & support.

I had spent years going down a learning & development rabbit hole, trying to patch together things on my own and feeling overwhelmed by everything I thought I had to learn to get an instructional design job.

In July 2019, I joined the first cohort of IDOL courses Academy after seeing all of the great advice and knowledge Dr. Robin Sargent shared in her Facebook group Become An Instructional Designer and Online Learning Developer.

In the IDOL courses Academy, I found:

1. a results-oriented action plan that helped me reach my goal of becoming an instructional designer in a matter of months;
   
   
2. a marvelous one-stop-shop full of relevant knowledge and guidance with continually expanding resources & levels of support and opportunities for ongoing learning;
   
   
3. an encouraging support system of like-minded people that wanted me to win and were invested in cheering & coaching me to the finish line!

Step 2: Claim it.

Like many people, I was struggling with imposter syndrome. My IDOL courses Academy community inspired me to let go of my fear and claim my new identity as an instructional designer.

With insider tips from the Academy, I updated my LinkedIn & resume and began networking as a new instructional designer. I also began taking part in conversations, events, and projects that affirmed my new identity.

 Step 3: Get feedback. 

I used to get feedback on my portfolio projects from my family members or friends, who would tell me that my work looked just fine even when it wasn’t up to par.

Getting specific, quality feedback from seasoned professionals as well as peers was a game-changer for me and helped me to quickly improve my skills to create quality portfolio assets that got me hired.

The articles below give insight on how to build a portfolio even without experience:

• Building a Portfolio Without an ID Job
• 5 Lessons I Learned Building My Portfolio

Step 4: Get out of your own way.

Instead of focusing on what I couldn’t do or didn’t know, I continued learning and began to practice showing what I could do. This gave me the confidence to believe in myself and apply for jobs even without years of experience.

Written By: Mila Perryman

Mila is a talent development professional and IDOL courses Academy alumna. She is enthusiastic about empowering learners and businesses to meet their goals! Connect with her on LinkedIn.