Episodes
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
Become an IDOL 96: Gamification Framework with Terry Pearce
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
Friday Mar 15, 2024
Become an IDOL 95: AI for Learning and Development with Ross Stevenson
Friday Mar 15, 2024
Friday Mar 15, 2024
Friday Mar 01, 2024
Friday Mar 01, 2024
In this episode, Jessica Evans shares her journey from classroom teacher to freelance instructional designer.
Tune in to hear:
- Jessica's career path from teacher to instructional designer and how she started her freelance business
- Tips on networking, building relationships, and generating referrals as a freelancer
- Advice for aspiring instructional designers on getting training, asking questions, and dreaming big
Friday Feb 16, 2024
Become an IDOL 93: Upskilling in Instructional Design with Chris Skees
Friday Feb 16, 2024
Friday Feb 16, 2024
In this episode, Robin Sargent interviews Chris Skees, a Learning Product Manager at Cisco, about his career progression in the learning and development industry. He provides insights into career development and upskilling strategies, emphasizing mindset, curiosity, and stretch projects.
Tune in to hear:
1. Chris Skees discuss his career journey from content creation to learning product management and the various roles and industries he has worked in.
2. Strategies for career development and upskilling, including taking online courses, reading, conferences, and stretch projects to expand skills.
3. Advice for aspiring instructional designers on clarifying career goals, researching job descriptions, and applying instructional design skills in different professional roles.
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn
Are you looking for a no-nonsense formula for creating engaging courses and training? Check out my new book, The Do It Messy Approach: A Step-by-Step Guide for Instructional Designers and Online Learners (IDOLs) on Amazon.
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Become an IDOL 92: Training Management with Russell Sweep
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
In this episode, Robin Sargent interviews Russell Sweep about his career transition from professor to instructional designer and training manager.
Tune in to hear:
- Russell's story of transitioning from academia to the corporate world as an instructional designer.
- How Russell prepared himself for 6 months before landing contract work and eventually a full-time role.
- Advice Russell has for others looking to make a similar career change, including building a portfolio and leveraging resources and your network.
Thursday Nov 30, 2023
Thursday Nov 30, 2023
In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, Robin Sargent interviews Destery Hildenbrand, an XR Solution Architect who helps clients realize their immersive technology dreams through virtual reality, augmented reality, and blended learning solutions.
Tune in to find out:
- Destery's career journey from graphic designer to XR Solution Architect and how he got involved with immersive technologies.
- Examples of use cases for augmented reality and virtual reality in learning and why certain modalities are better suited for different scenarios.
- Advice for instructional designers on getting started with no-code AR tools like Zappar and how to incorporate emerging technologies into their work.
Thursday Nov 16, 2023
Become an IDOL: Educated Exit with Kelsie Marks | 90
Thursday Nov 16, 2023
Thursday Nov 16, 2023
In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, host Robin Sargent interviews Kelsie Marks, the director of resume services at Educated Exit, an organization that helps teachers transition out of the education profession.
Tune in to find out:
- Kelsie's journey from being a preschool teacher to leaving the education field and founding Educated Exit.
- The process Educated Exit uses to help teachers find new careers outside of education, from identifying values and skills to resume/LinkedIn profile building to networking and job searching.
- Advice Kelsie gives to teachers looking to make an exit, such as having patience, trusting the process, and understanding it is a journey rather than something that happens overnight.
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Become an IDOL: Leadership Development with Susan Teague | 89
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
In this episode, Susan Teague shares her career journey in learning and development.
Tune in to find out:
- How Susan transitioned from her first training role to becoming an instructional designer and elearning project manager.
- Susan's insights into leadership development and how she helps companies think about professional development for their employees.
- Advice Susan gives to new instructional designers for learning about different businesses and the challenges they face.
Friday Oct 27, 2023
Friday Oct 27, 2023
In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, host Robin Sargent interviews Monica Garcia about her role as an instructional systems designer for the Air Force. Monica describes her career path which began in air traffic control and led her to become a branch chief overseeing curriculum development for 70,000 Air Force students across 180 career fields. She discusses some of the differences between developing training for the military versus corporate settings and provides advice for those looking to enter the field of instructional design.
Friday Oct 20, 2023
Modern Learning Ecosystem with JD Dillon | 87
Friday Oct 20, 2023
Friday Oct 20, 2023
In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, host Dr. Robin Sargent interviews JD Dillon, the Chief Learning Officer at Axonify and author of the book The Modern Learning Ecosystem. JD discusses his background transitioning from operations management into learning and development, focusing on supporting frontline workers. He shares examples of understanding workers' needs and problems to design effective performance support solutions rather than traditional training. JD emphasizes the importance of focusing on problem-solving over learning and using a variety of tactics beyond just courses.
Tune in to find out:
- How JD made the transition from operations management into learning and development while working for Disney
- JD's example of redesigning performance support for grocery store employees by understanding their workflow and challenges
- JD's advice to focus on understanding problems rather than "learning" and using a variety of tactics beyond just courses to solve problems
Are you looking for a no-nonsense formula for creating engaging courses and training? Check out my new book, The Do It Messy Approach: A Step-by-Step Guide for Instructional Designers and Online Learners (IDOLs) on Amazon.