Wednesday, July 29, 2020

A LinkedIn Success Story!

Right before the beginning of the Summer Semester, I found myself trying to engage more on LinkedIn. While I had been on the platform for awhile, I really never utilized it beyond creating a resume and linking with connections.


Occasionally, I peruse the job postings on the site. In the wake of mass unemployment, I was curious to see if eLearning and Instructional Design positions had vanished or if they were now in high demand. By pure happenstance, I stumbled across a volunteer position with a local non-profit looking for volunteers with eLearning experience. It was the first time I had ever read a job description and not only knew every responsibility and program listed, but actually felt confident in my abilities to exceed the expectation in achieving the set goals.

I completed the digital form and held my breath. Luckily, I received an enthusiastic reply shortly upon sending my information over. A fun interview call and onboarding Zoom chat later, I was in.

One semester and two projects later, I just sent my supervisor a freelance proposal at her request. Moments of pure joy such as this reassure me that the long nights and debilitating debt are worth it. I love what I do. I love fixing problems and helping others and empowering learners on their educational journeys. Continuing to be able to do what I love for an organization that empowers girls and women AND potentially make some cash to pay bills is just *chef's kiss* perfection.

I fell into this great place I find myself by accident. What could happen if I actively work to cultivate a network on contacts? Maybe I'll be able to pay my good fortune forward.

1 comment:

  1. I am so glad to hear a success story! I have been trying to find an Instructional Design position in the last few weeks because I am terrified of what the K12 school year will look like. I also have just three classes left in the ISLT program and felt like it was best to job on some of these available jobs while it is hot, so to speak. However, it has been so long since I have had to interview and market myself I sort of forget what it was like and now having to use digital portfolios, LinkedIn, and Web 2.0 to network adds a lot of extra that I wasn't worried about before. I am so happy that you are enjoying your position!!

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