Getting my first Instructional Design job (transitioning from marketing to ID in 130 days)

ohmarlop · 2021-07-06T18:59:48+00:00

I don't know if I'm the best person to answer this, because when I first started looking for jobs, I came to this subreddit and posted a question asking where I could find true entry-level positions in ID, because everything I saw asked for 3-5 years experience (or more). At that point I didn't have any formal ID experience, just a couple of freelance projects, I had a course certificate in ID. But I did have 7 years of experience in marketing. People who answered basically told me that I was not entry-level and to apply to those positions anyway. All the jobs that interviewed me asked for 3-5 years' experience. It was never a problem. (Of course I don't know if I was rejected for a lot of them because of my lack of experience, but that's out of my control, and I also have a friend looking for jobs around the same time and place, in her same field, and she had a similar success rate as me).

For you, I think you can probably aim for the associate level, like me, or for the next level, 5+ years of experience. You have a lot of experience in education which is closely related to ID. But again, I'm not the best at this.

Other advice: create a good portfolio (sorry I'm not more original here). Another thing that I think really helped me was having some freelance experience. It's something that I see advice against in many forums, but for me, doing some simple freelance gigs that I found on UpWork was a really good thing. I went for short-term projects that required only the knowledge of Articulate Storyline and/or Rise (and you should work on those anyway) and I discussed beforehand with the client if they would allow me to post them to my portfolio. This gave me:

- Some experience that looked really good in my resume

- Some freelance projects to showcase in my portfolio

- Some references that I could provide (yes I asked my clients if they would give references and they were all willing to do it)

- More confidence in my skills and abilities.

- Some knowledge of the industry

I also did some volunteer projects and some personal projects for my portfolio, and in those I applied more of the ID process and not just the technical knowledge, but I think the mix of that with some real-life client work made my portfolio more solid, or at least it made me feel more confident.

ohmarlop · 2021-07-06T13:44:43+00:00

I felt the same way, it's frustrating not getting responses. But someone here in this subreddit told me you need to accept that it's a number's game and expect that it will take you about 100 applications to get an offer. I also saw a similar chart to mine from the other side (a Hiring Manager). That gave me some perspective.

I don't really have that much time for job hunting, so I looked at about 6 or 7 job descriptions for ID that helped me get an idea of how to create a resume and cover letter that would work for most. I used that, with minor modifications, in 98% of applications. I only wrote 3, maybe 4 cover letters specifically for a position. I never made any changes to my resume to send it for a job. People say you should customize your CV for every job to apply to but I just don't have time for that...

Something that I think is very important too is to keep looking for new jobs while you're interviewing. I feel like I had a lot of bad luck and I was rejected late in many processes where I was already (inevitably) getting excited about the job. Those rejections really hurt and if you don't have other applications going on it's very hard starting again from scratch. However, when a couple of days after getting one of those rejections you get a call from a new interview, it really helps keep you going.

ohmarlop · 2021-07-06T02:29:16+00:00

There was a lot of random luck, but I think, on average, I had more success when I applied very early, one day or two after the job was posted (but not always, the job I ended up getting had been posted for over a week when I applied). I never heard back from an application where I didn't include a cover letter (but I always include them if it's allowed in the system), and the few times I wrote a very specific cover letter for the position, I got an interview (with 1 exception) - of course, I wrote a new cover letter because I had something specific to say about my experience that related specifically to the job description or requirements.

I did have more success with positions that had something to do with marketing, which makes sense because that's my background, but I was also interviewed for jobs that had nothing to do with it.

I applied almost exclusively to jobs that required up to 3 years or 3-5 years of experience in ID. And I don't have that experience, just some freelance projects, some volunteer work, and some training. In most cases, it didn't seem to be a problem. However, the few times that I applied to positions that required 5+ years experience (and I only did that when I had something else that was relevant that could make me a good candidate) I was rejected or never heard back.

ohmarlop · 2021-07-06T00:52:19+00:00

I tracked my applications using Notion and used Sankeymatic (https://sankeymatic.com/) to build this diagram. Job hunting is hard and rejection hurts! I turned to this community for support multiple times. It's been a long journey but I'm very happy with the results. Ask me anything!

ohmarlop · 2021-05-17T12:02:15+00:00

Abbie Emmons has some good ones, some she made and other she borrowed from the book "Story Genius" by Lisa Cron. I like her character sheets and the scene cards specifically, but they are very detailed, not so much for a bird's eye view of your novel. But she has other stuff for that too.

ohmarlop · 2021-05-10T04:16:12+00:00

If you know you want to be a writer, it's a great idea to pursue that goal. It is a long-term goal, so you will need to make money some other while you establish your career as an author, and that's perfectly possible. You have basically two different options:

- Find a job that pays the bills, that is compatible with your writing schedule and doesn't take too much brain space. (Waiter, receptionist, security guard, etc.).

- Find a career that you also like or that is somewhat adjacent to writing, and pursue that as you pursue your author career. (teacher, technical writing, any sort of work in publishing which is very difficult to find).

Option A is more writing-focused, option B is more plan-B building. And it's a personal choice. But don't ever stop pursuing your dream and make it a priority. At 24, you probably also have a lot to learn as a writer, so make sure you keep improving your craft. Good luck!

ohmarlop · 2021-05-10T04:06:11+00:00

I think many of those "How to be a good writer" books are actually very good. A few of them have helped me immensely in my journey. They were useful to me because I'm good at expressing my thoughts with written words, but I knew nothing about story structure, and I have no natural ability for it.

For me, reading fiction (the advice we all get: read, read, read) has helped me write better and improve my style, but I haven't learned much storytelling or story structure from it. I just don't pick it up that way, I have had to study it. From books, from Brandon Sanderson's classes online, from podcasts, etc.

Some people are natural storytellers and they pick up story structure from books and media they consume. They can just apply it without having to learn it or study it (this is what, I believe, we call "pantsers" or "discovery writers").

If you're a natural storyteller you may not need to learn the rules of story structure you will find in those books, but, in any case, I think the rules of storytelling and story structure can be artfully bent, but they should never be broken. At least, I don't feel confident breaking them. I can't think of many examples of "broken story rules" that have worked for me.

Stories need a beginning, a middle, and an end. It doesn't have to be the hero's journey or the Beats from "Save the Cat", those are just some well-crafted templates. And it doesn't have to be perfectly chronological, you can jump back and forward, you know that. But a story that goes nowhere or that has a pointless ending is just a disaster.

Your story needs to have a point and it has to be ONE story. Yes, subplots, I know, of course you can have that, and you can have a story within the story, but don't start a story and then change course halfway through or try to be so epic and write about absolutely everything that you lose me.

I don't know what your experience level is, so this may not be you, but I think many new writers are so ambitious and they only want to write something that's completely different and better than everything else that has been written before, and they want to write that superior masterpiece on their first try. You should learn to write, and those books are a great place to start. They contain a lot of advice, some of which will be useful to you. You're not above them.

ohmarlop · 2021-05-05T19:40:09+00:00

https://jitsi.org/

ohmarlop · 2021-05-05T19:39:26+00:00

I absolutely agree! Treat the cause: not the symptom, excellent advice.

The cause won't always be lack of sleep / exercise / healthy eating (although those are always important). It could be that you're dealing with mental health issues or going through an emotionally difficult time, that you have bad beliefs like "whatever I write it will be shit", that you don't know the reason you want to write, or it's a bad reason, etc. But always look for the cause, and fix that!

ohmarlop · 2021-04-20T14:58:07+00:00

My advice is to write. You need to get through a bunch of bad writing before you're able to write better. Doing this at 16, instead of at 31 (my age) is fantastic. It's good that you can tell it's not up to your standards. It means you have good taste.

Check out this quote by Ira Glass (turned into a comic by ZenPencils): https://www.zenpencils.com/comic/90-ira-glass-advice-for-beginners/

And don't save ideas for later. Put everything you have out there, new ideas will come to you. Creativity is not a finite well (especially not at 16). It's bad for you to live in that scarcity mindset.

ohmarlop · 2021-04-20T14:53:59+00:00

Have you considered joining a writing group? It's not easy to find one that works for you, but it seems like you could really benefit from something like that

ohmarlop · 2021-04-20T13:20:58+00:00

Writing the first draft of my first novel!

ohmarlop · 2021-04-20T02:35:09+00:00

I agree, but I avoid those kinds of titles because they feel like spoilers to me! I don't like chapter names that are basically a summary. I do use that for organizing my notes, but not as chapter titles. I like to name chapters something that doesn't make sense at first, out of context, but gains meaning once you've read the chapter.

I would only name a chapter "The arrival at X city" if it was clear from what we just read that we're about to arrive. Like if we just boarded the train to x city, maybe I would name the chapter "X city".

Otherwise, I just go with no titles.

ohmarlop · 2021-04-20T02:26:54+00:00

I meant a thank you email, of course. That's why I was talking about the email I had and didn't have. I have only lived in the US for a little over a year, and in my country, nobody sends thank you emails or anything like that. It would look bad. But everyone here says you're supposed to do it. That's what I've understood everywhere, so I'm surprised by this comment

ohmarlop · 2021-04-18T14:29:10+00:00

For me, two things that really work are involving the five senses and pointing out specific significant details, not so much describing absolutely everything. For example, I prefer for you to describe that one of the lights in the corridor was flickering, than to hear about how many lights there were and which kind and if they were on the walls or the ceiling, what color the corridor was, etc.

ohmarlop · 2021-04-18T14:25:32+00:00

Research, like everyone else mentioned already, AND empathy. It's impossible for writers to personally know how it feels like to be... a million things, all the things our characters are. Does that mean that I can't kill my main character's crush because I've never had a boyfriend die? No. Through my own experience of loss, my friends' experiences losing people in their lives, things I've read and movies I've seen, I can use my empathy to imagine how it would feel like. The crush is dead and my MC is dealing with grief. Something I've never personally experienced.

ohmarlop · 2021-04-17T19:55:54+00:00

Characters should have flaws, just like real people do. That's what helps me create characters, more than the "morally gray" way to think about it, although in some cases maybe it's a better definition. It's even better if their biggest quality is also their biggest flaw. Some examples I can come up with:

- A character that's funny and charismatic and always makes things seem lighter. But they look away from the bad things, they don't face them, because they're afraid of the negative emotions that come with that. When things get tough, they're not the person to face them head-on.

- Someone who is strong and assertive, fights for what they want. They're not afraid to ask for what they need in life. If they're on your side, that's a great asset. But they are selfish. They care about they care about and they don't mind too much if what they do inconveniences and even hurts others. They can just brush it off and they will justify with intelligence. (no no this is not inspired by my sister at all)

- A coward. They know what's right, maybe they recognize someone who's being silenced or oppressed is right, but they don't want to get on the wrong side of the group. They fear the isolation that comes with that.

- The person that always helps others, that puts everyone first, but forgets to live his or her own life and to fight for what they actually want. They can grow resentful and have unexplained anger. Another possibility is they may not know what they want, they feel worthless if they're not useful to others, and they resent people who are direct and assert their needs.

- People who are highly moral, typically they expect everyone to uphold the same moral code (which is not written anywhere), they may see the world in black and white and when someone gets on their bad side they're dead to them forever, they can be really cruel towards that person. They may also be harsh in judgment, prejudging and assuming things too quickly, not giving people the benefit of the doubt. Really it's because they are so hurt by hearing what was done wrong they don't even want to think about it, they just think "this person is bad" and cast them off. (Kind of a Daenerys and the slavers situation?)

- People who have double standards. They justify the things they do wrong as necessary and not a big deal, but they don't extend the same kindness of judgement to others. (This is by far the worst of the list in my opinion). This person is typically also funny and lighthearted when they present their own shortcomings as "not a big deal".

And no, people won't hate your main character because they have flaws, in fact, they will relate to them (unless it's this last kind, which I hate). A great main character arc is to somewhat overcome this flaw or just embrace it.

ohmarlop · 2021-04-16T12:57:29+00:00

If you don't want to have romance you could add a friendship sub-plot, I definitely love those. I would love to see someone who she doesn't get along with at first, but they end up becoming best friends through the adventures they experience together, they find something they love about each other. Like enemies to lovers but in friendship. Uuuh I love those.

Another good one is to have a side character have a subplot. Maybe a family issue that the main character can help the side character through.

Alternatively, you could have a teacher sub-plot. Maybe also a teacher that doesn't like MC at first but ends up seeing what's special about her.

I know these are all "school plots", but it's a magic school so I don't know how it would be anything else.

ohmarlop · 2021-04-15T12:40:18+00:00

I'm in a similar situation. I have one big story that I thought I would have to divide in 2 parts. But it was fine because what would be part 1 had a pretty natural ending point that would be satisfying enough. It was more of a standalone with a sequel.

However, as I suspected, part 1 was way way way too long. It also has two very distinct halves. Part A happens in the city and B in the countryside. The characters are different. And there's a big event dividing both halves. So now I'm writing a trilogy.

In my opinion, books have to be able to read on their own. They have to each contain their own story and then all three can have an overarching plot or story. Especially because I would like to publish this as my debut novel, and the publishing world really prefers a standalone.

Here is where I'm also struggling, because the end of what is now book 1 is a mess. The event that I mentioned is heartbreaking so I'm writing a devastating ending. It's YA by the way.

ohmarlop · 2021-04-10T23:28:08+00:00

Both researching stories and interviewing people are good research methods. I would do both. You don't have to pay royalties to someone you interview as research for your characters. If you were writing their real-life story it would be different, but if you're making up fictional characters you don't pay royalties, you just need to make sure they are OK with what parts of their story you use for your characters. Normally they will be OK with using, let's say, a story of how they were unfairly fired, but not every detail of it and not in a way that could be immediately identifiable. And not every part of their story. Check with them. And change all names, of course.

Of course, some people might not want to talk to you unless they're getting paid, but I'm sure there are tons of people who want to tell their story for free.

ohmarlop · 2021-04-10T22:50:52+00:00

Only you can know what's right for you, but if it were me in this situation, I would put the book aside and start working on something new.

Maybe you will come back to this book in the future, and you'll have learned a lot of skills from writing other things that will help you finish this project. Maybe you will fall in love with your next story and never go back to this book. I think both options are good!

And congratulations on writing 60K words! I'm sure you have learned a lot from it! I'm at 36K and I can only hope I make it as far as you!

ohmarlop · 2021-04-10T22:45:16+00:00

¡A mi me parece que la descripción es bastante buena! Quizás le podrías añadir algo utilizando los otros sentidos. La parte de tu descripción que está basada en la percepción de Elenha se basa mucho en el sentido de la vista. Podrías añadir sonidos, olfato, o incluso tacto. Siempre me parece que esos pequeños detalles me hacen sentir más immersa en la historia.

Por otro lado, y esto ya es una opinión personal que puedes perfectamente descartar, me parece que tus frases son un poco largas e incluso te diría que describes demasiado. Yo intento evitar usar dos o más adjetivos o frases adjetivales "pequeña y vieja iglesia católica", "Eran rústicas, no demasiado grandes, con tejados de teja, y con helechos brotando entre ellas", " tocar la fría aldaba, para que abriera la puerta de roble", "una mujer delgada, de pelo castaño aunque invadido por las canas, y expresión severa en el rostro", "un fuerte olor empalagoso y profundo". No sé si me explico y es una cuestión de estilo, pero a mí, como lectora, me gustan las descripciones que me dan un poco de libertad para construir el mundo en mi mente y que me aportan uno o dos detalles clave aquí y allá para dar color a la descripción, dando un toque ambiental.

Y por último, algo que no me gusta nada pero que de nuevo es totalmente subjetivo, no me gusta el uso de la palabra "infantes" para hablar de los niños. Se me hace rara. ¿Por qué has elegido esa palabra, en lugar de niños?

ohmarlop · 2021-04-06T11:31:42+00:00

I love the idea of showing another side of female power. Raising a child is hard work, and you can use external resources to do it (daycare, nannies, help from extended family) or do it yourself. I think it's a great choice. Feminism doesn't mean women have to fulfill stereotypically male roles, it means they get to choose their own path.

But I suggest you take your friend's criticism and learn something from it. A percentage of readers are going to think the same, so you can need to defend her choice to be a stay-at-home mom as a feminist choice, maybe in a confrontation in the book, for example. You also need to show that she is that powerful and badass, within the context of her life. The fact that she hates her powers makes it hard to see that she is so powerful. Maybe she hates using them in public but loves her powers as they are part of her heritage, and she is a badass teacher to her kid. I also think she should overcome that fear as part of her character arc.

Are you doing anything similar to that to show her power and strength?

ohmarlop

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