You probably know that Instructional Design is a rewarding career path with a brightly projected outlook. After all, the eLearning industry is growing by leaps and bounds, as organizations begin to realize its cost-saving benefits. However, there are some hidden rewards to this career path that aren’t widely publicized. In fact, some of these lesser-known benefits keep Instructional Designers in the field for years. Read on to find 6 of the best reasons to begin your Instructional Design career.

1. Earn A Solid Income

Instructional Designers have great earning potential based on their knowledge, experience, and years in the field. There is also the flexibility to choose whether you want to take on eLearning projects on a salary or hourly basis. Both options have their benefits. Depending on your lifestyle, you might find taking on Instructional Design projects on an hourly basis to be simpler. This is also a great option if you are just starting out and want to see if it is the career path for you. If you already know that you enjoy the field, then a salaried position might be best. Either way, the field has many options for lucrative positions and exciting work.

2. Interact With New Technology

If you are someone who loves to learn about the latest and greatest tech tools, this field is right for you. eLearning exists in a digital environment and there are always new advancements. You can try out innovative ways to present information and create dynamic eLearning courses. These new digital skillsare also a great way to boost your resume. Learning on the job and improving your skills will help you get even better results and can help you land better and more interesting Instructional Design positions in the future. There are also plenty of opportunities to attend workshops, trade shows, and expos that feature cutting edge tech, such as new eLearning authoring tools that allow you to create even more interactive eLearning courses.

3. Help Increase Digital Accessibility

A lot of people use eLearning as a way to overcome the barriers that traditional learning may present. Learning in a digital space helps people with disabilities and accessibility issues to learn on a level playing field. Many online retailers and prominent websites are already championing the crusade toward universal access online. Getting to be a part of this movement and learning to open up eLearning to a broad audience is an exciting opportunity. However, you must be ready and willing to create eLearning courses that cater to online learners with special needs. By including subtitles for the hearing impaired, for example, or audio narrations for those who are visually impaired. Another key group to consider is individuals who have learning disabilities, such as dyslexia or autism. All-inclusive eLearning courses take time and additional resources but the ability to help every learner achieve their goals is well worth the investment.

4. Indulge Your Thirst For Lifelong Learning

Your job is to find the best way to present eLearning content that people need to know. As you wade through facts and information, you will need to determine which pieces are most important. You will then have to translate those bits of information into interesting and engaging learning opportunities. This also goes back to learning new technology. You will be interpreting eLearning course content into unique knowledge-building online training activities. This will teach not only your online learners, but it will also teach you new things along the way as well. For this reason, Instructional Design is one of the most popular career paths for lifelong learners. You can quench your thirst for knowledge and constantly explore new topics, then pass this newfound knowledge onto your audience.

5. Learn How People Think

If you have ever been interested in the way the human brain works, then you will find Instructional Design fascinating and intriguing. Your goal is to support people in their quest to learn. In order to properly build an eLearning course, you need to understand how people think. Instructional Design is about designing eLearning to meet people’s individual needs. Giving them the tools to succeed is tough but rewarding. You will learn a lot about how people absorb and remember information. In addition, you will continually improve your ability to predict how most people will interact with information. This will help you to give your clients high-quality finished products that their online learners will enjoy. When your online learners are satisfied, you will have happy clients and more repeat customers.

6. Network With Like-Minded ID Professionals

One of the most notable perks of joining the ranks of Instructional Designers is that you become part of their network. You now have the ability to meet with like-minded professionals, who can offer valuable tips and tricks. Not to mention, offer recommendations for the best eLearning authoring tools and LMS platforms. As is the case with all networking opportunities, you need to branch out and be open to social events, such as eLearning workshops and conferences that other Instructional Designers are sure to attend. In addition, you can join online discussions and sign up for webinars to network remotely. Just remember that it’s a give and take. You must be willing to share your own experiences in order to play an active role in the Instructional Design community.

These are just a few of the benefits of embarking on an Instructional Design career. This dynamic field is filled with opportunities to learn and grow. Instructional Design also gives you the opportunity to explore many fields and share newfound knowledge with learners across the globe.