Networking & Job Searching for IP&T Narrow Down My Search - Where Do I Start?

Even if you don't know where to start, what to search for, or what you even want, this is a great place to begin! You don't need to have everything figured out all at once; in fact, having too many criteria in your search engine can actually limit the opportunities you're able to see!

This page is not meant to make you overload your search engine, but to give you some guiding questions to narrow down what you actually want. Having specific criteria or more defined priorities won't guarantee you will find what you're looking for, but can help you know what to look for, and more easily filter out what you don't want.

Prompts to Get You Started

Here is a list of ideas to help you get started doing something beneficial to your job search when you are unsure what to tackle first.

Things you can do when you don't know where to start:

If you don't know what you should do first, here are some productive ways to get started:

Explore what catches your attention: browse available opportunities or organizations that are hiring
Discover fields, industries, positions, and organizations that sound interesting
Explore what opportunities align with your qualifications (education, certifications, past jobs, experience, skills, etc.)
Compare your skills/qualifications with contemporary standards
Note keywords, skills, responsibilities, or job titles people are using, so you have some context to search for
Compare benefits and compensation across positions, organizations, or geographical locations
Get ideas on how to strengthen/refresh your professional profiles and documentation
Discover opportunities within your existing network, where you are more likely to find advocates and contacts
Find and build new connections based on commonalities (BYU alumni, previous co-workers, etc.)

Questions to Help Narrow Your Search

If you don't know where to start, try asking yourself these questions to narrow down what you're looking for. Answers to these questions can be used as more focused search parameters, such as what you value in a job, your priorities, as well as define and match your education, skillset, and experience.

General

Ultimately, what kind of career do I want to have?

Am I looking for a career position? Am I looking for a perfect job match?
Is this a position where I can grow? (As in start in a lower position and promote up?)
What kind of experience do I want to gain? What kind of skills do I want to develop?
Which factors am I willing to sacrifice for my highest priorities?
What kinds of knowledge, skill, or experience gaps am I looking to fill? Ex: "I need to gain experience in X position to qualify for the kind of position I want later down the road."

Location

Where do I want to live?

Do I have a destination in mind, or am I open to relocating?
How broad or narrow is my ideal location? Is there a general area, district, city, region, state, or country?
Am I willing to commute to work? If so, how far is reasonable?
Do I have a car? Should I narrow my search to places with public transportation?
What kind of cost of living can I afford? Are the opportunities I can find here going to maintain the kind of life I am hoping to build?
Should I prioritize working remotely so location isn't a factor?

Industry

What sector or industry do I want to be a part of?

What interests me more: Educational, Governmental, Public, or Private sectors?
Do I have experience/interest/proficiency in a specific sector: technology, finance, engineering, real estate, healthcare, etc.?
Am I more interested in non-profit or for-profit?

Role/Responsibilities

What kind of work do I want to do? What kind of responsibilities do I want to have?

What kind of day-to-day tasks do I want to perform?
What hard skills (i.e., tools, platforms, technologies) do I want to use or develop/build?
What social or soft skills do I want to use or develop/build?
Do I enjoy project-based work? Or a more consistent role with similar tasks each day?
Do I want a fast-paced or more moderately paced work environment?
Do I work well under pressure with high-stakes deadlines? Is that the kind of experience I want in the workplace?
Do I want to be responsible for others (management/leadership)?
What certifications, education, or qualifications does this position require?
Does the position offer opportunity for advancement?
Am I willing to accept a lower job/status than I want with the expectation that I can work my way up?

Organization

What is the organization like?

How old is the organization? Are they a startup, a few years old, or long-established?
What size is the company? How many employees?
Where do they stand in terms of the industry? Do they have a foothold? Large market share?
Are they successful/profitable? Are they growing, shrinking, or staying consistent?

What kind of work experience does this organization create?

Am I looking for a company that aligns with specific values?
Are there programs or initiatives I want to be a part of (politically, institutionally, socially)?
What is the work environment or company culture like?

Employment Factors

What qualities does the position have?

Schedule: Can I set my own schedule?
Mode: Does the position require in-person/blended/remote work?
Term: Is it part-time, three-quarter time, full-time, as needed, seasonal, or by contract (unenforced)?
Duration: How long is the position for? Is there a set term?
Compensation: Am I a salary, commission-based, or paid by the hour employee? Do they have bonuses?
Employment classification: Am I classified as an intern, employee, or contract worker (i.e., freelancer)?
Travel: Does the position require travel or relocation?

Employee Benefits

What kinds of employment benefits am I looking for?

What specific benefits or benefit ranges am I looking for? (ex. salary, time off limits, maternal leave, etc.)
What benefits do I want versus need?
Are there initiatives or programs I want to be a part of?
Do I need my job to have medical/health/dental insurance?

Explore what people around you are doing:

Exploration and Research

One of the best ways to test if an organization or job will be a good fit for you is to learn what other people working for the company are doing through informational interviews or by searching the "About" section on the company website. Below are resources to help you know what to look for to get the most out of your research:

Make a Plan

As you prepare to enter the job market, create a schedule or plan to help you stay on track to find a job. The following resources will help you figure out potential goals, opportunities, and priorities as you create your career exploration plan:

IP&T Alumni

BYU Resources:

Career Services - Graduate Outcomes: This website has the results of BYU's graduate survey sent to students six months post-graduation. IP&T students can report information on what types of jobs they are working, their salary, how long it took them to find a job, and other pertinent information.

EdTech Careers:

IP&T Alumni Profiles: Check out the alumni profiles to learn about what instructional designers are doing after BYU and how they got there.
Alumni Video Interviews: Get a close look at what it's like working as an instructional designer from other instructional designers.

Where Do BYU IP&T Alumni Work? Interactive Map: This is a tool to view the companies, schools, and other organizations where BYU IP&T students and alumni work (locally or remotely). You can use it to view the most popular sectors and potential organizations to apply to.

Education

Where do people with similar qualifications to mine end up?

Here are other comparable degrees to Instructional Psychology and Technology at other universities. You can explore what graduates of these programs are doing to get ideas about the kind of work that an IP&T degree can prepare you for. Look up graduates of this program on LinkedIn, or explore their department's website, linked here below, as many have graduate outcomes stats that report on their alumni's careers.

Indiana University Bloomington: Instructional Systems Technology
Florida State University: Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies
University of Georgia: Educational Psychology; Learning, Design & Technology — Instructional Design & Development
Purdue University: Learning Design and Technology
Michigan State University: Educational Psychology and Educational Technology
Utah State University: Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences
University of Florida: Curriculum and Instruction
Bloomsburg University: Instructional Design & Technology
Syracuse University: Instructional Design, Development, and Evaluation
Harrisburg University of Science & Technology: Learning Technologies and Media Systems
University of San Francisco: Educational Technology
Indiana University of PA: Education, Training, and Instructional Technology

Finding Jobs to Match My Skills

What positions are there for the skills I already have?

Use the following resources to improve how you communicate your instructional design skills, expertise, and certifications in the professional sphere.

Job Sectors: Provides an overview of the job sectors instructional designers typically work in and what responsibilities those roles entail.
Job Competencies: This page goes into the various skills and competencies valued in instructional designers as well as suggestions for how to cultivate them.
Current Trends: It's important to keep up with current trends and technological advancements in instructional design. Scroll to the slides on this site for a list of the current top instructional design trends.

Instructional Design Keywords & Job Titles

What keywords and job titles should I be looking up to find "instructional design" jobs?:

IP&T goes by many other names, and "instructional designer" is rarely the only job title advertised for work that actually involves instructional design. These resources provide insight into the skills, titles, responsibilities, and everyday tasks involved in ID careers that you might be interested in. Having the right keywords in your search can help you locate opportunities that align with your skills under unexpected titles.

Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) Field Introduction: This site provides a list of the various names for IP&T as a discipline that can help you add to your list of relevant keywords in your search
Top 10 job titles for instructional designers in 2023
10 Rewarding Instructional Design Jobs in Modern Education
ID Job Titles and Responsibilities: This is a list of the responsibilities involved in different positions in the instructional design field.

Tip:

The video walkthrough for "Job Titles/Responsibilities" on the Common NW&JS Scenarios: Video Walkthroughs/Demonstrations page covers some strategies to find relevant keywords and titles while exploring LinkedIn.