Careers in Training and Development Part 2: A quick study
Suppose you are delivering a training session (either virtual or face-to-face) and at the end of the session, a participant says, “I think I’d like to have a job like yours one day. It looks interesting. How can I learn more about the field? What should I do to prepare for a career in this field?” As you formulate an answer, you realize there is no one clear path to a career in T & D nor is there one simple or straightforward job description. In fact, even the actual name of our field is up for debate: transitioning from training and development to workplace learning to talent development.
Thankfully, there are specific tools and strategies that you might suggest to help those interested in the field to quickly get a sense of what it’s about and how to begin the process of career development.
For a sense of what our field is about, visit two sites maintained by the U.S. Bureau of labor statistics:
• O-Net: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1151.00
• Occupational Outlook Handbook: https://www.bls.gov/OOH/business-and-financial/training-and-development-specialists.htm#tab-6
They provide a quick overview of the field, the job outlook (which is excellent by the way) and key job titles. For a sense of the scope, training is a $90 billion industry that has experienced growth for the past 4 years.
Next, check out two association sites that pertain to training and workplace learning. Below are links to the national sites, but note that local chapters may be much more accessible and offer many free or low-cost opportunities to network and learn:
Association for Talent Development (ATD formerly ASTD): https://www.td.org/ Be sure to check out the ATD Competency Model at https://www.td.org/certification/atd-competency-model which answers the question of what you need to know to prepare for a career in T & D.
International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) https://www.ispi.org/
ISPI is a smaller, more grassroots organization that focuses on the bigger picture of performance, reminding us that there are multiple ways to address performance problems in the workplace besides training. Be sure to see the definition of performance improvement.
Finally, those who consider a new career or career change can research the job market to learn 1) the types of jobs available, 2) the requirements for education and experience that employers seek 3) the various job duties that individuals perform. So visit Indeed, Monster, or the ATD job bank and enter search terms like instructional designer, training and development specialist, e-learning designer, training manager, talent manager, etc. to see current positions. Be sure to evaluate the job postings in terms of the ATD competency model to note how the knowledge, skills, and abilities translate to career requirements.
The final question, “What should I do to prepare for a career in this field?” is a bit more complicated to answer and will depend on the individual’s background and resources for continuing education. For someone with a baccalaureate degree who is interested in pursuing a graduate degree, a Master’s in Training & Development, such as ours, or a degree in a related field like instructional design, or instructional technology can provide both the skills and credentials for career entry or change. When considering graduate programs, make sure the curriculum addresses the specific skill set you need for jobs that interest you. If you already have an advanced degree or lack the time or resources to pursue graduate study, ATD offers a variety of workshops and seminars linked to skill development. Langevin also provides similar workshops. Keep in mind that workshops such as these do not lead to degree completion or college credit and may not be viewed as positively in the job market.
Here are other strategies for self-directed learning:
• Read industry reports and articles. You may use the RU library to research specific topics related to training or use Google or Google Scholar.
• Check out books through the RU Library that pertain to training.
• Attend local or national conferences (see ATD or ISPI).
• Use Lynda to learn virtually. Most local libraries offer members free access to Lynda.com
• Attend free webinars. Just Google “free webinar” and keywords like training, e-learning, or performance improvement and you will find many options.
• Attend local chapters of ATD and ISPI and talk to members. You will find them very welcoming and happy to share their knowledge.
Questions for Discussion
1. What is your training story? Why are you interested in the field? If you are working in the field, how did you prepare?
2. Can you recommend additional resources that would be helpful to those interested in a career in training?
RU Training @ Roosevelt University in Chicago 
Training and Development is new to me. I am interested in this field because for years, I have seen star employees leave organizations due to leadership that is ill-equipped to lead. Or organizations not having a training and development program that teaches and evaluates the basic customer service methods that are needed to succeed. By taking courses in the Training and Development Program @ Roosevelt University, searching for credible resources (books and online), and surrounding myself with like-minded individuals made the adjustment easier for me.
My background is in HR, so before being introduced to the training and development field for an elective class as part of my MSHRM program, I had no knowledge or experience working in this field. After this course at RU, I have become more aware of techniques, methods, practices, and overall knowledge of what it takes to create and implement a training program and the multiple factors that tie into it. This article is insightful by providing great resources for anyone interested in switching careers or looking to dive further into the T&D field!
For those interested in a career in training, I would advise you to seek out your learning and development professionals at your organization and find out if there are opportunities to do rotational work or a stretch assignment. It is a great way to find out if you like the behind-the-scenes work that goes into training. Those attending training classes often think what they see during class is the job. I tell them it’s just 10% of the job and that all the cooking takes place back in the kitchen. 🙂
Why am I interested in the feild?
So, I actually started my first masters degree in Industrial Organizational psychology (I/O psychology). It was super interesting and I liked it but, there was just some gut feeling about the career choice. If you want to be a nurse, you can work at a hospital, if you want to be a teacher, you can work at a school, you want to be a lawyer, you can work in a layers office. However, you couldn’t really do that with I/O psychology. So you are going into the field with not much experience. I/o psy focuses on behavior of employees in the workplace. You are improving variety of worker related areas including selection, training, retention, motivation, teamwork and development of future fields. In his field, you are typically a (an expensive) consultant. T&D is a sub topic of I/O psy. Now, everyone picks I/O psy cause its the only field in psychology you can make money which is nice. I was bored in class one day and wanted to learn about other subjects. I used O*NET to compare. So I/O is lucrative but the job growth was about 2-5%. Also, it was roughly 40% of people had a bachelor degree in this, the other 45% had a masters, and the other had PhD. When I looked into a T&D Manager* I learned that this field is just as lucrative. I also learned that like, 60% had a bachelor in the feild and 20% had a masters which made me think that maybe at a masters level and competing to be a manager, wont be AS competitive compared to I/O psy. With I/O, you can only be a consultant but with T&D, you can be more then just a consultant which I really like. This is why I decided to switch program and I am really happy with my choice.
Almost everyone that I’ve worked with to date has been an “accidental trainer” and they don’t have the book smarts or leadership abilities to continue growing in a training role. It has been a tricky line to walk when being consulted for feedback or advice for an initiative or project going forward.
I though this was a great article and really appreciated the links as I look ahead to transitioning from merchandising into HR OD.
Thank you, this is a great article with many great resources! Currently in being in the training field, these resources are something that I can use and appreciate immediately. I have always been drawn to training, and originally got my degree to be a school teacher. I am now in the training field for a manufacturing industry, so my background in teaching has been useful so far.
Bookmarking this article. Wow! Thank you for all these resources. In my professional career, I have always been drawn to the training and change process. And have been given many opportunities to train others or provide input on how to improve training in a department or role I was in. I have to admit, I think the most important tool has been the ATD competency models. I didn’t know it existed until this course and I plan on spending a lot of time honing my skills over the next few years.
Thanks for the additional resources.
Thank you for all these resources! As a student who wants to work in the field of HR, it is so useful to be able to look up the responsibilities of jobs and what is typically required. It will help me understand how I need to prepare. I also find it very useful to read about the pay and outlook of a job as I can educate myself on the right options to pursue. This is my favorite blog post so far – I feel well equipped with tools to pursue my career.