Have you sat down and wondered how prominent eLearning entrepreneurs like Andrew Ng Eren Bali Gagan grew their careers to a desirable level? These eLearning moguls didn’t wake up one day to find themselves as the most successful eLearning entrepreneurs in the world. They started somewhere!

Their meteoric rise to the top probably began with a game plan, followed by determination, focus, and execution. Of course, the journey wasn’t a smooth ride; there were probably lots of bumps, hindrances, and setbacks. However, they grew their career in eLearning regardless, and today, we cannot mention eLearning without referring to their platforms.

If you would like to follow in the footsteps of these great men, here are six steps to consider. But before we go into that, why should you start an eLearning career?

 

Why Should You Start an eLearning Career?

There are many careers to invest your time and money in that could probably guarantee you white-collar jobs later in the future. So, why should you ignore such lucrative careers and embrace a career in eLearning instead? The answer is quite simple!

You see, looking at the current educational trend (online learning), one can correctly predict that technology will have a more significant and probably permanent role to play in the future educational system.

And when this happens, you expect a career in eLearning to be more lucrative! In fact, that seems to be the case already because, according to statistics, the global educational technology expenditure is expected to grow from $152 billion in 2018 to $342 billion in 2025.

So the big question is, do you want to be left out, or would you love to have a share of the cake? Definitely, you’ll go for the latter. But why should you make such an unpopular decision? Here are a few reasons why:

• The eLearning sector is profitable, and it boasts of lots of potential
• Its flexible model of learning helps attract lots of people worldwide
• It comes with lots of features
• The eLearning industry is the future of education

Udemy and Coursera, owned by Eren Bali and Andrew Ng, respectively, are clear examples of why a career in eLearning is the real deal. The latter’s annual revenue is a whopping $755 billion (more than Amazon’s 2021 annual revenue), while the former, Udemy, generates around $293 billion revenue yearly.

Are you pumped up yet? Let’s go into the crux of this article! How do you start a Successful eLearning career?

 

1. Find your eLearning Niche.

Before you jump into a career in eLearning, you need to determine your area of expertise. Is it computers and technology? Business and entrepreneurship? Arts and crafts? Health? Fitness? Writing and content creation, or personal development?

For those skilled enough to have a broad niche, you may want to niche down and examine the details. For instance, if your niche is writing and content creation, you may want to niche down to email copywriting, website copywriting, SaaS copywriting, or other preferred sub-niches.

By niching down, you’ll limit your competition, improve your online visibility and, of course, establish a strong network.

 

2. Develop an eLearning Course Sample

After niching down, what next? Creating an eLearning course sample!

When you meet potential clients, you may have to showcase your work to prove your expertise. By creating an eLearning course sample, you won’t have to scratch your head or mumble when asked for a sample during a meeting with a potential client.

So how do you create an eLearning course sample? Simple!

First off, you’ll need to select the best classes you have taken in the past. What made these classes unique? After figuring that out, create an eLearning course taking inspiration from past unique classes and other online materials. Of course, you can leverage the help of voice over actors for your audio, including tools like Canva, Gliffy, Unsplash for anything graphics. You can also leverage Camtasia for animation.

 

3. Be Open to Feedback

After creating your eLearning content, don’t rush to publish it. Instead, your focus should be on fine-tuning it to serve your audience (who would have different backgrounds and experience levels) better. And how do you go about that?

There are several ways to get feedback on your eLearning content. But, one of the most common, easy, and effective ways to do that is by selecting a group of online learners and convincing them to try out your eLearning course samples. Afterward, you can then request their “honest” feedback.

However, you must note that seeking eLearning feedback is just a snippet of the equation. It is what you do with the feedback that matters. And, of course, you may not use all the feedback provided. Regardless, be open to all sorts of criticisms and act on them.

 

4. Hone your Professional Style

As you begin to note mistakes and commendable features of your eLearning course, make the necessary changes. The truth is, this step might take a toll on you as it takes lots of effort, time, and brainstorming to modify your style to something that suits your online learners. However, ensure you stick with one style and quell the urge to play with different styles in a bid to please everyone. Rather than make such a mistake, brainstorm on what makes the most sense in terms of industry growth, e-Learning trends, and learners’ demands.

5. Create an Effective eLearning Portfolio

When a typical digital marketing graduate is applying for a job, he submits his CV, which indicates his past experiences, skills, successes, etc.   However, when an online course creator searches for jobs, he creates an eLearning portfolio.

Your eLearning portfolio can act as the CV of the digital marketing graduate. It should contain work samples, recommendations, and information about your skills and talents. In fact, your portfolio should consist of everything potential employers need to make their choices. Ensure you give your portfolio the best design to make it more appealing.

 

6. Network with other eLearning Professionals

Sometimes, networking can offer you opportunities that you may not even be qualified for. For example, you could get a job at a prominent company because you have a good connection with the HR you met at an event or on social media. That is the importance of networking!

In addition to giving you access to potential job openings. Networking can also offer you access to lots of informational tips, advice, etc.

 

Conclusion

The eLearning industry is growing at a fast pace! In a matter of years, successful online course creators will be up there rubbing shoulders with some of the wealthiest individuals in the world.. So, if you want to hop in, you should do that now. However, don’t expect the ride to be an easy one. Also, remember that to create a successful eLearning career, you must be passionate about eLearning.