What’s something you learned early in your career…a skill, a tool, or even just a way of working…that you didn’t realize was valuable at the time, but it’s something you still use today?
For me, it goes back to one of my very first instructional design projects. I had just been promoted into a training coordinator role after working in loss prevention, and I was tasked with redesigning onboarding for new employees. That project pushed me to learn video production, filming realistic shoplifting scenarios with our internal video production team. I also had to learn and use Adobe InDesign to rebuild our onboarding manuals from scratch.
At the time, I thought I was just picking up random skills to get the project done.
But years later, those same skills came back around in bigger ways.
When I was working as a Creative Director at E-Learning Uncovered and Artisan Learning, I leaned on those InDesign and publishing skills to coauthor several of the E-Learning Uncovered books on Storyline, Captivate, and more. And that experience taught me the ins and outs of publishing and marketing.
And today, I use those same skills to create my YouTube videos, write and publish my book, The eLearning Designer’s Handbook…and produce, film, and edit the student story videos for my Hands-On Cohort & Coaching Program.
I share this because it's some of the best career advice I can give. It’s simple:
Learn how to compound and capitalize on the skills you already have. Every skill you pick up...even the ones that feel small or “not part of the plan”...can turn into something powerful later.
Chances are, you’re already sitting on more skills and experiences than you give yourself credit for. You just need to recognize them and wait for the right opportunities to put them to work.
No, it’s not an easy button…and it’s not an over-simplified three-step process for guaranteed job placement or financial freedom. But it is how most of the successful folks I know have built their careers…and you can do it too.
So, tomorrow, I’ll be sharing an example of compounded skills in action with a brand-new student story video.
It’s not just a showcase of how I’ve compounded my own skills to produce these videos…it’s also the story of how one of my students compounded her skills to land her very first instructional design job.
Stay tuned and have a great week, all! 👋
—Tim
#eLearning #InstructionalDesign #TransitioningTeachers #LearningAndDevelopment
13 - 1
Ya know, when you’re in the process of building your skills in instructional design...or maybe trying to land your first ID job...the issue isn’t a lack of content to learn from. Let's be honest...there's more content out there than you'll ever have time to consume.
The real issue? It's a lack of resources, tools, and quality feedback.
Let’s take the tools as an example. Tools are expensive AF.
Articulate Storyline...the number one eLearning authoring tool in our industry...costs $1,500 a year. And most bootcamps and academies will tell you, “Just use the 30-day trial.”
Sure, you can learn a few basics in a month. But you can’t really build your skills. You can’t practice and refine. And you definitely can’t create a polished sample project you’re proud to showcase.
And the “secret” advice floating around? Just keep cycling through fake email addresses to get more free trials. Not only is that unethical, but Articulate is cracking down on it.
So, that’s why I decided to include six full months of Storyline access (a $1,500 value) in my Hands-On Cohort & Coaching Program. Because you need time with the tools to practice, grow, and build something meaningful.
But what makes this program different is the experience you get alongside the tools:
👉 Six months of video feedback...directly from ME.
👉 Weekly live sessions...directly with ME.
👉 Four one-on-one coaching sessions...directly with ME.
But here’s the thing...resources alone aren’t enough. What really makes the difference is feedback and straightforward advice from someone who’s been in the industry, hired for these roles, and knows what actually matters.
And that’s where so many programs fall apart. Instead of giving you honest guidance, they charge you $10,000 and dangle shiny “guarantees” and promises they can't fulfill.
Like “Land a job in six months or get your money back.” Sounds amazing…until you read the fine print.
You’re required to apply to 50 jobs a month. The guarantee is void if there aren’t 200 ID jobs posted on Indeed in the past two weeks. It’s null if a major company announces layoffs.
Come on. That’s not a guarantee...it's a f*cking loophole.
And here’s the kicker: Not only do you not get expert feedback, you’re often not even learning from people who’ve actually worked in the industry. Sometimes it’s self-proclaimed experts with zero real-world experience. Other times, you never even interact with the instructor...just a “mentor” who graduated the program six months ago.
I don’t do that sh!t.
So, this October is the final time I’ll be running my cohort in its current form. Enrollment opens September 30, and only 25 students will be accepted.
🔗 If you’ve been waiting for the right time to join, this is it. Read the full announcement and join the waitlist here: community.elearningacademy.io/c/announcements/cele…
#eLearning #InstructionalDesign #TransitioningTeachers #LearningAndDevelopment
14 - 1
Ya know, breaking into a new career, reskilling, and pivoting your whole life is never easy.
When you’re surrounded by noise, hype, and promises that sound tempting...but also too good to be true…it takes courage and discipline to tune it all out and stay focused on what really matters. Especially when you're desperate to land a job.
But that's exactly what Tania Shenk did.
As one of my former cohort students, I had the chance to work with Tania directly and see her transformation firsthand—watching her grow, persevere, and carve out her own path into instructional design has been nothing short of inspiring.
And it paid off.
Instead of chasing quick wins or lofty promises, she committed to building real skills. Instead of forcing herself into roles that didn’t fit, she found the type of instructional design work that aligned with her natural strengths and talents.
So, tomorrow, Sept 18th at 12 PM ET, I'll be going live with Tania to hear about her transition into instructional design, how she found her path, and the role our Hands-On Cohort & Coaching Program played in her journey.
🔗 RSVP to reserve your spot here: lnkd.in/d-2X3w3G
I hope to see you there!
—Tim
PS: October will be our final Hands-On Cohort (at least for the immediate future). See the full announcement and join the waitlist here: lnkd.in/gdqdfBu3
#eLearning #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment #TransitioningTeachers
4 - 0
What if there was an eLearning authoring tool that actually felt built for today?
One with a modern, web-first interface.
One that included project management, real-time collaboration, and feedback built in.
One that let you design custom layouts and interactions, while keeping everything on-brand with global settings.
One that offered AI translation without costing the GDP of a small country.
And what if it was a tool that shipped regular updates and actually listened to customer feedback?
That’s exactly what Parta.io is setting out to do.
Tomorrow at 12 PM ET, I’ll be joined by Andrew Matsiavin, founder of Parta, for a free live session and demo of this fresh new authoring platform.
We’ll explore how Parta reimagines course creation—from collaboration, branding, and interactivity to project management and AI tools—all in one streamlined workspace.
If you’re tired of workarounds and ready to see what’s possible, join us live. If you can’t make it, RSVP anyway and I’ll send you the recording.
👉 RSVP here: community.elearningacademy.io/c/events/parta-io-in…
Oh...also, this month's eLearning challenge inside the community is focused on using Parta to create a customer education-focused learning solution. If you want to put your skills into practice, build a new sample of work for your portfolio, enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card + one full year of Parta, then make sure to join us!
👉 Dive into this month's challenge here: community.elearningacademy.io/c/design-challenges/…
#eLearning #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment
4 - 0
If you're working to build your instructional design or eLearning portfolio, picking and designing a topic for your projects is a mindf*ck.
Do you pick something that's industry-specific? Can I design something that's based on a passion? Does it matter what tool I use? What are hiring managers wanting to see in a portfolio?
These are the types of questions I see all the time. But here's the thing ya'll need to know:
Every hiring manager is different. Every L&D team is different. And every ID job is different. No matter what people say, there's no single list of projects, topics, or items that are needed in a portfolio. And it's not about the topic of your projects that's important—it's about the story, context, constraints, design decisions, and intentionality behind what you created.
And this isn't just my opinion...it's what 600+ L&D practitioners and hiring managers told us in our 2025 State of the L&D Industry report:
Hiring managers don’t want portfolios full of flashy visuals or trendy tools. They want to see your process. They want to see how you think. They want evidence of your problem-solving and decision-making as an instructional designer.
So, how do you do that? Well, it starts by defining a project that is specific in scope and intentional in design. These two elements are the secret sauce that helps you create real-world constraints.
Constraints—like who your audience is, what problem you’re solving, and the context learners are in—force you to design with purpose. They give your project a sense of realism. And they help hiring managers evaluate not just what you built, but why you built it that way.
So, in my latest video, I'm walking you through how to do this step-by-step. I'm also sharing a free template to help you craft your own portfolio project topics that's based in real-world instructional design...not flashy trends or FURU fluff.
🔗 Check out my latest video here: https://youtu.be/uT9IMpa8mkI
🔗 Snag the step-by-step guide and template here: community.elearningacademy.io/c/knowledge-base/how…
What tips, questions, or thoughts do you have to share? Throw them down in the comments!
Have a great week, all! 👋
—Tim
#eLearning #InstructionalDesign #TransitioningTeachers #LearningAndDevelopment
16 - 0
Happy Friday, All! Ya know, for those of you that know me, one of my little side hobbies is reading between the lines of corporate BS. Especially the BS that's clearly more theater than truth.
Let me give you some examples...
👉 The layoff email that starts with “We’re so proud of what we’ve built together.”
👉 The “culture” slide in the town hall deck with words like “synergy” and “boldness” in gradient font.
👉 The performance review that tells you you’re “doing great work,” but not quite great enough for a raise.
But lately, I've noticed a new act in the town:
The AI-innovation layoff.
More and more companies are laying off workers and dressing it up as “AI transformation.”
Let me give you some examples...
Salesforce recently let go of 4,000 support employees...and painted it as a bold leap into the future of AI.
IBM claimed it could eliminate up to 8,000 HR roles thanks to AI...which honestly raises more questions...what company has 8,000 people in HR?!
And Klarna replaced 700 human support agents with a chatbot…only to quietly walk it back after their customer service scores fell off a cliff.
Here's the truth: These aren’t stories about cutting-edge innovation. They’re stories about PR spin.
Because when a company says, “We’re downsizing due to shifting market realities,” it makes investors nervous. But when they say, “We’re leveraging AI to streamline operations”...BOOM...stocks go up, applause all around, maybe even a feature in a tech blog.
But let’s be honest: The AI tools replacing these roles are often not fully deployed. The implementation is slow and messy. The outputs are inconsistent at best. The actual strategy is just "Find a reason to use AI."
And how can you know this is true? Use any AI tool for more than a couple of hours and you'll quickly discover how incapable it really is. AI can do some amazing things, but replacing workers is not yet one of them.
So, no, these employees have not been “replaced” by AI. They’ve just been laid off, and the workers who are still employed will be expected to absorb the workload from their former colleagues.
AI didn’t eliminate 4,000 jobs at Salesforce, IBM, or Klarna.
Leadership did. Full stop.
Just something to keep in mind the next time you see a layoff post wrapped in buzzwords and futurism.
Have a great weekend! 👋
—Tim
#eLearning #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment #AI #SalesForce #IBM #Klarna
24 - 2
This week, I introduced you to Parta.io, a no-code authoring tool that’s rethinking how we build eLearning. First, I shared a video walkthrough of what makes it different. Then, I launched this month’s eLearning Challenge, where you can test it out by designing a course for first-time homebuyers.
Now it’s time to go deeper!
Join me on Thursday, September 11th at 12 PM ET for a live session with Andrew Matsiavin, the co-founder of Parta.io.
We’ll take you behind the scenes of the platform and explore how it’s designed to solve real-world pain points for instructional designers and teams...especially when it comes to speed, collaboration, and flexibility.
We’ll cover:
- Real-time co-authoring with SMEs and teammates
- Branding tools that keep your designs consistent (and your head clear)
- Flexible interaction design—no coding required
- Built-in AI that helps with writing, localization, and more
If your current toolset makes you feel like you’re constantly building workarounds just to get the basics done...this session is for you.
🔗 RSVP here: community.elearningacademy.io/c/events/parta-io-in…
Bring your questions, your curiosity, and maybe a few “why isn’t this easier?” stories. You’ll walk away with a fresh perspective on what modern course design could look like.
I hope to see you there! 👋
— Tim
#eLearning #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment
3 - 0
Yesterday, I shared my latest video, providing a sneak peek at Parta.io...a no-code eLearning authoring tool that makes development feel modern and way less chaotic. 😅
Now it’s your turn to try it out! This month’s eLearning Challenge inside the community is your chance to:
✅ Put your instructional design and eLearning skills into practice
✅ Explore a new, modern authoring tool
✅ Build a fresh portfolio sample you’ll actually want to show off
Here’s the challenge: You work as an L&D Specialist on the Customer Education Team at Vanderwell Realty, partnering with brokers and agents to create an onboarding course for new clients. All first-time homebuyers will enroll in this course once they commit to being represented by a Vanderwell buyer’s agent.
Your task? Design a short, interactive course in Parta.io that helps first-time homebuyers figure out their needs vs. wants before they head out on their house hunt.
Real-world scenario. Real-world tool. Real value for your portfolio. Oh—and there are prizes as well!
🏆 $100 Amazon gift card
🏆 1-year free license to Parta.io
Everything you need to get started...prompt, assets, even design inspo...are included. Submissions are due by Friday, October 3rd.
🔗 Check out the challenge details here: community.elearningacademy.io/c/design-challenges/…
Whether you’re just getting started or want to stretch your creative muscles, this is a great opportunity to learn something new and make something awesome.
#eLearning #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment
5 - 0
Ya know, in the world of instructional design and eLearning development, it’s easy to fall into familiar patterns. We rely on the same tools, the same platforms, and the same workflows...mostly because they’re what we know.
But after a while, we stop looking around. We stop exploring. And we just sort of…deal with our go-to authoring tools. You know the ones.
Maybe they're reliable. Maybe they're a little clunky. Maybe they need 17 triggers, 3 layers, and a sacrificial goat just to get a button to work. 🐐
Either way, we stick with them because they're familiar.
But every now and then, something new comes along that makes you stop and say, “Wait…why isn’t every tool like this?!”
Well, that’s exactly how I felt after trying out Parta.io...a web-based, no-code authoring tool that ditches the clutter and focuses on speed, flexibility, and actual collaboration.
You can design with your team in real-time, manage global branding, and track feedback and tasks...all in one place.
So, in my latest video, I walk through what Parta.io is, how it works, and why you might want to give it a spin.
🔗 Check out the video: https://youtu.be/Mz8sahdQFoM
Have you tried Parta.io yet? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Let me know down in the comments!
#eLearning #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment
4 - 0
Happy Saturday, folks. Just in case you needed evidence that AI isn't replacing L&D, here's Exhibit A: jobs.ashbyhq.com/openai/d68fede8-69a3-459a-bce3-f5…
Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 👋
—Tim
#eLearning #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment
17 - 0
The eLearning Designer's Academy by Tim Slade is the all-in-one community for new instructional designers and eLearning developers. Inside our free community, we help people grow their careers by focusing on the one thing that makes a difference: building actual skills. We do this through our community, hands-on learning experiences, and free resources.