Career in Training/Learning & Development

jcon81

Hello folks,

I will try and keep this as brief as possible but I am hoping someone with some experience in training or learning & development could take a look at my situation and would maybe advise me where I would stand or what steps I would need to take with regards to gaining employment as a trainer or learning instructor.

I am a 34 year old male who has spent the past 8 years working in customer services. Before that I spent 3 years working as a primary school teacher and while a career in primary school teaching wasn't what I wished for I do know I was naturally very good at teaching and I do miss that side of the job. I was also a well respected teacher and even spent a year as Vice Principal and I also sat on the Board of Management. I have also spent many summers teaching Irish to both teenagers and parents of school children so I have plenty of experience teaching across a variety of ages.

I have done well in my current job but unfortunately it is a very small company and chances for progression are extremely limited. While weighing up my options of leaving for another customer services role or possibly going back to teaching I came to realise that what I would love to do is to stay working in the private sector but in a teaching/training role. I am not sure how I only realised this recently but now that I know that this is where I want to go I am determined to forge a successful career for myself in this industry.

I have enrolled in a Training Delivery and Evaluation course (Train the Trainer) online and I will be studying that part-time in the evenings and hope to have it completed over the next 8 to 10 weeks. I am hoping that this will enable me to get an entry level job as a trainer but I really am not sure as I know the "Train the Trainer" course is only a stepping stone to becoming a trainer.

I have gained a wide range of experience in my previous roles and I know I need to convince my potential employers that I have gained numerous skills which are easily transferable to a role in training but I am wondering if that would be enough. I would love to hear from anyone in the industry who might be able to advise me on what I should be doing differently or even if I have sufficient experience to be considered as a potential trainer.

Thanks in advance and any advice will be greatly appreciated and duly noted.

Tom Dunne

Here's what I would do:

Get onto the various job websites, particular favourites of mine are LinkedIn and Irishjobs.ie and search for trainer roles. See what the jobs requirements are and tailor your own training towards that.

Either way, you have your teaching qualification and you are still teaching, both of these combined put you in a reasonably strong position for an entry level trainer role. Don't underestimate the value of yourself, apply for jobs and see how it goes.

jcon81

Some sound advice Tom, much appreciated.

Stheno

Do you see your self delivering training or working in a training department?

If it's on the delivery side what subject matter/s do you see yourself covering?!

jcon81

Hi Stheno,

Thank you for your response. I would definitely see myself delivering training to begin with. My long term ambition would be to progress and to eventually be involved in designing or creating effective training programmes but that's for much further down the road.

In terms of what subject matters I see myself delivering I have envisaged myself in a role based around training people to deliver good customer services as that is an area that I would feel very qualified and experienced in. That said I would also consider other subject matters if I felt I had enough knowledge to deliver the course but obviously it would come down to qualifications required and highlighting my competence in such matters on a C.V. and cover letter.

jos28

You are definitely putting yourself on the right track by doing the Train the Trainer. I did it last year with Hibernian Training and there was a great mix of people on the course who were all doing it for different reasons. It's a broad based course that will get you in the door somewhere.
Some of the people on the course with did it so:
They could deliver workplace training with their current employers (ie Health & Safety).
Some were from Local Employment services and planned to deliver training to jobseekers (help with CVs, interviews etc).
Some came from a catering background and wanted to train new recruits.
We had a County Councillor who wanted to deliver courses to young offenders in his area.
I did it so that I could deliver Adult Literacy classes. I can only do this on a voluntary basis as I don't have a teaching qualification. That won't be a problem for you. I think it's an easy enough course to do and it will definitely benefit you. Best of luck

jcon81

Thanks for the info Jos,

I'm glad you got so much out of the course and it's reassuring to know that it is worth my while doing it. I know it is something I will enjoy doing and once it is done I will probably look at taking the next step in terms of getting myself better qualified but I don't want to be get too far ahead of myself for now. It's clear from what you said that there are ample opportunities out there so it's just a matter of me finding a role where I will tick all the boxes in terms of experience and qualifications and hope it's the start of a long career. It's great to get some feedback on the course and it's much appreciated.

jos28

No problem at all. Enjoy and the best of luck

Birdsong

You should lion into joining the IITD,which is the professional organisation for those in the training and development area. They have a jobs board, and also various briefings & workshops which are good for networking also

jcon81

That's a great suggestion Birdsong and something I hadn't thought of. I have contacted them today with regards to becoming a member. Thank you very much for your input.

evey3624

I would second IITD and just a heads up Specsavers have a job advertised for a trainer and I am sure CS would be high on the list, you should check it out.

Good luck

jcon81

Thanks a million Evey3624. I will be sure to look into that. Much appreciated.