Forum Discussion
Corporate Trainer with No Degree
I worked as a trainer for a trucking company. I facilitated in-class training and managed continuous learning by creating PPTs, converting them to MP4 videos and uploading to an LMS. I then assigned them to office staff and drivers and comminicated completion to leadership.
I do not have formal training in instructional design or a college degree, but want to continue in this career with the goal to eventually freelance.
I'm currently working on learning Articulate and upskilling with other multi-media and editing tools, and brushing up on learning methodologies. I do plan to get my ID professional certificate.
My concern is the lack of the degree and no formal training in ID. I was a Quality & Security SME and was promoted to a trainer internally and have 6+ years experience.
I've been getting mixed feedback on what's most important, a degree or a good portfolio to show I have the skills needed. I'm also seeing a mix of degree requirements and equivalent experience.
I want to make sure I'm on the right track with just upskilling, the professional certificate, and working on a good portfolio or if I need to try to get a degree. Any advice?
4 Replies
I agree with Judy. When I started out, I was working at a large corporation and doing really well. I introduced new ways to raise the quality of e-learning and was recognized for it. But there was a clear glass ceiling—I couldn’t get past it without a degree. That was over 20 years ago, and it ultimately led me away from the corporate constraints and into the world of freelance work and consulting.
It took some time to build momentum, but you know what helped me the most? This community. I shared my ideas here, had a lot of fun doing it, and learned a ton along the way. I also became more recognizable within this space—which, as it turns out, is the largest community in the world for this kind of work.
At the time, I didn’t fully realize what was happening (this was well before we talked about personal brands and social media strategies), but that visibility created awareness. New clients started finding me—one of them was Harvard. Yes, me, without a degree. I was flown to Cambridge, attended lectures, and helped create e-learning for humanitarian disaster response. That work led to many other great projects over the years and continues to this very day.
Presence and reputation—especially when they clearly demonstrate your skills—can absolutely make up for missing credentials. Trust me.
Good luck on your next journey!
This is a great testimonial and reminder to "go after it". Thanks!
Thank you. I truly appreciate this feedback! 🙂I will take all of the advice I can get.
Tim Slade ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/sladetim/ ) doesn't have an ID degree. He started in training working in retail-theft prevention. Now he runs a huge eLearning development, consulting, and training business.
Some full-time positions list degrees in the requirements. Apply anyway if you're interested, because demonstrating skills and experience can be more important.
And if you go the freelance route, well, someone running a business doesn't give potential clients their résumé. They show them a portfolio and explain how they will help the client.
This is not to say that you don't need any ID background. Yes, be familiar with ID principles and methodologies. However, I think your current focus is good: work on your skills and develop a good portfolio.
