Some careers grow with you, year after year. For JudyNollet, hers has spanned technologies, tools, and team roles—guided by curiosity, clarity, and a willingness to evolve.
In this Member Spotlight, you’ll find insights and takeaways from her decades in learning and development (L&D), including ways you can put them into practice as you shape your own path.
Growing with the Field: From Slides to Storyline
Judy’s career has evolved alongside tools and technologies.
“I’ve been in learning and development throughout my adult life, though it wasn’t always called that,” Judy says. “My early jobs involved producing training and marketing programs, and I had to adjust my skillset as the tech evolved—from 35mm slides to interactive videodiscs, and eventually to what’s now called eLearning.”
“While contracting with a large company, the manager asked if I’d learn a new software called Articulate Studio. What an incredible opportunity. I learned Studio, then Storyline 1, 2, and 3, and eventually Storyline 360 and Rise 360.”
Her path shows how staying open to new tools has supported her growth at every stage. The same spirit is guiding many learning designers as they begin exploring AI alongside traditional authoring tools.
💡 Tip: Let your skills evolve with the tools. Each new technology is a chance to stretch, specialize, or shape a niche that sets you apart.
The Value of Community
Community has played a steady, supportive role throughout Judy’s career. “I received lots of helpful advice from generous colleagues. And the Articulate community is invaluable. I’ve learned so much simply from reading comments by Super Heroes like Phil Mayor and the late Walt Hamilton.”
“Walt used to write ‘PIAWYC’ — Pass it along when you can. That embodies the spirit of the community. I often use a variation of that: Pay it forward when you can.”
Judy’s experiences show how powerful community can be, both in strengthening your skills and in reminding you that you’re not learning alone.
💡 Tip: Look for small ways to “pay it forward.” Even a brief comment or shared insight can make someone else’s learning easier.
Skills That Made the Biggest Difference
For Judy, what shaped her career wasn't any specific tool she used. It was the way she approached problems and ideas.
“I’m good at simplifying content, which is vital for this work. I also like to learn — that keeps instructional design and technical writing enjoyable, because I’m always learning new topics and new tools.”
“For programming and troubleshooting in Storyline, it also helps to be logical and detail-oriented.”
💡Tip: Strengthen your core thinking skills — clarity, logic, and simplification can go far in L&D. If you want a place to practice these, check out some past ELH Challenges like:
- Exploring & Magnifying Details in E-Learning — great for building attention to detail and visual clarity.
- Using Tabs Interactions for Exploration — perfect for practicing simplification and content chunking.
- Interactive Video Scenarios & Quizzes — a solid way to build your logical thinking and sequencing skills.
Advice for New and Transitioning Learning Professionals
Looking back, Judy encourages others to explore, while staying grounded in what energizes them.
“Don’t be afraid to stretch and try new things. But don’t let others steer you down a path you don’t want to follow. I realized early on that I didn’t want to climb the traditional corporate ladder. I prefer doing the hands-on work to create courses.”
Her path shows how clarity about what you don’t want can be just as important as discovering what you love.
💡Tip: Try new things early, but stay true to the kind of work you actually want to do. Clarity makes your career more sustainable.
💬 Your Turn
Judy’s story shows how L&D careers evolve one tool, one challenge, and one shared insight at a time.
What’s one mindset or habit that’s helped shape your own L&D journey?
Share it in the comments below!
