How to Turn a Career in Instructional Design into Consulting

You say “potato,” we say, “po-tah-to.” You say “career in instructional design,” we say, “have you considered transitioning into consulting?” Let’s call the whole thing ON. Zing! See what we did there?

That’s right, guys— we’re talking about taking your career in instructional design to the next level as a consultant! At first blush, you may not notice a lot of technical differences between your current job in instructional design versus consulting, but that’s where you’d be wrong! They’re actually two totally different positions, each with their own set of expectations and skills that are unique to the job.

That being said, it’s possible that you’re kinda sorta already doing some consulting in your freelance career in instructional design. Confused? Don’t be. Before we chat about how to transition into consulting, let’s go over what sets it apart from freelancing.

Freelancing vs Consulting

As a freelancer, you work independently, selling your services or work to one or more contract employers on an hourly, daily, or project basis. In other words, you’re generally working on multiple projects at once with the expectation that you’ll hand over deliverables to your client at the conclusion of the gig. Moreover, these gigs may span a variety of skills. Put simply, you’re a jack (or jackie) of all trades.

As a consultant, you're more likely to take on long-term projects, where you’ve been hired to provide professional or expert advice in a particular field or speciality. Unlike freelancers, a lot of your work as a consultant may happen outside the home and will likely involve a greater level of problem-solving, teamwork, resourcefulness, and depth of experience.

Because consultants are hired for their expertise in any given field, they’re able to charge a higher rate that reflects their experience and proven skills. As a consultant, you’re getting paid the big bucks to help streamline projects, snuff out weaknesses, problem-solve, and forecast outcomes regularly and efficiently.

Wow, this consulting thing seems pretty sweet, right? Are you highly driven? Do you love to learn and work on a team?

If so, check out these tips on how to transition from ID freelie to ID consultant!

Tip #1: Ask yourself if you’re already consulting.

We know, we know— this one sounds weird and obvious. Here’s the thing, there’s a chance that you’re already acting as both freelancer and consultant without realizing it. And if you are consulting, geez you should be getting paid for that!

Assess yourself and your recent work. Outside of providing deliverables to your client, we’re guessing you probably provide a lot of guidance, analysis, and recommendations too. A client may not just ask you to build the eLearning content, but how to build the eLearning content. Think about it! They’re trusting you to build something that’s not only well-functioning but also compelling, effective, and proven to work based on your past experiences in the field.

This level of professional guidance could make you something of a closet consultant. If you think that’s you, slap it on your CV and get paid for your hard work!

Tip #2: Build your consulting network.

Like most things in business, it’s all about who you know and consulting is no exception. If you’re already networking as a freelancer— great job! You should be marketing yourself and making connections on all the social media biggies like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, IDLance etc. We know it’s a lot of work to run and maintain multiple professional profiles at once, but it’s absolutely crucial to both your biz and brand that you’re letting the world know how hard you rule…and often!

Where you’ve been making professional connections in #freelancing and #instructionaldesign, pivot to #consulting. If possible, we recommend seeking out a mentor— someone who can help you learn the in’s and out’s of consulting based on their own experience and depth of knowledge. Don’t be afraid to reach out to thought leaders in the industry to ask questions or get some advice. A big part of consulting is the ability to ask pertinent questions, so think of it as practice!

Check out conferences, online courses, seminars, forums, podcasts etc. to make even more valuable connections. Consider yourself in research mode and learn as much as you can. Remember, you’re on the hunt for knowledge and potential gigs and referrals, so always be on the lookout for new opportunities to connect! You may also find some in’s with previous employers who are now interested in hiring you as a consultant.

Keep in mind, organic networking takes time and never ends. You are now a networker. Networker is you. Get used to it, hot shot!

Tip #3: Hone your consulting niche.

As we mentioned above, consultants are hired because they’re able to provide advice as experts in a given field. In this case, the “given field” is instructional design and eLearning. Assess yourself in areas like writing, visualizing, planning, researching, problem-solving and listening. All of these are absolutely crucial skills for any consultant to have. Is there a particular area where you’re weak or could do better?

If so, be honest with yourself and look for ways to improve, whether that’s through courses and certifications, mentorship, or plain old practice. Remember, you’re getting paid for your expert advice, so make sure you really know your stuff!

Tip #4: Test the waters and strike a balance.

Ok, so you think you want to get into consulting but you’re not totally prepared to jump in with both feet and you already have a bunch of freelancing gigs lined up. We have a secret for you— you can do both!

That’s right, you can work as a freelancer and consultant at the same time if you’re able to strike a healthy balance that works for you. You may be a freelancing consultant! Or you may be a consultant working with a firm. Or you may be an ID freelie with a W2 job on the side at— you know what…this is getting confusing.

What we’re trying to say is, there are a lot of different ways to arrange your work life and they all depend on your individual needs and desires. Keep in mind, it can be tricky to split your career into two halves in the long-term so try to feel things out as you learn more about consulting and book more gigs. Is there one job or lifestyle you prefer over the other?

Remember, your decisions do not have to be permanent. You’re totally allowed to change your mind! If consulting isn’t for you, it isn’t for you and there’s no shame in that.

Tip #5: Practice makes perfect.

Lastly, as a consultant you’ll be doing a lot of problem-solving on your toes. The consulting industry is infamous for its use of case interviews to vet potential hires (that’s you!). A case interview is a type of job interview where the candidate is presented with a challenging business scenario to solve. It’s basically a simulation to test if you’re up for the job! That means you’ll be tested on things like your listening, writing and communication skills, attention to detail, resourcefulness, and problem-solving.

Sounds pretty intimidating, which is why it’s a good idea to practice, whether you have an interview lined up or not. You can find plenty of case interview samples on the interwebs. It’s a great way to test your creativity and general business sense even if you’re not ready to make the leap to consulting or just want to sharpen your ID skills.

Conclusion

We hope you found some helpful tips in this week’s blog to get you started on the road to consulting. We understand that it’s never easy to make a career change, but with drive and some hard work, we know you can do this!

Plus, if you hit some bumps in the road, we’re here every step of the way should you need us. So, don’t be a reluctant consultant…be exultant!