Instructional Designers: Why Your Resume Isn’t Enough Anymore (And What to Do Instead)

In today’s digital learning landscape, a CV alone doesn’t cut it.

Hiring managers in L&D want to know how you think, how you solve learning problems, and what results you create. And they want to see it. Not just read about it.

Your resume lists tools.Your portfolio proves capability.

What Hiring Managers Are Looking For

According to a 2024 report by Training Industry:

• 76% of L&D hiring managers say they prefer candidates who include a working portfolio alongside their CV

• 62% stated that portfolios showing measurable learner impact were a key differentiator

• Only 34% of instructional design applicants had portfolios that demonstrated end-to-end learning design

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Additionally, a 2023 ATD survey found:

• Candidates with interactive work samples (like SCORM demos or walkthroughs) were 2.3x more likely to progress to interview

• The biggest red flag? “Links that don’t work or lead to irrelevant content” — cited by 48% of L&D hiring managers

  
  

The Problem with Most Instructional Design Resumes

Resumes tend to focus on:

• Job titles

• Tool proficiency (e.g. Articulate, Vyond, Canva)

• Project counts or general responsibilities

What’s missing:

• Design rationale

• Audience alignment

• Impact metrics

• Learning outcomes

Most hiring managers aren’t hiring for tools used. They’re hiring for problems solved.

Build a Smart, Searchable Portfolio

A standout instructional design portfolio includes:

• SCORM demos recruiters can interact with

• A brief summary: audience, challenge, learning goal

• Design decisions: why you chose a format, media type, or strategy

• Outcomes: improved completion rates, feedback scores, or behavioural impact

• Clear contact details or CTA (contact button, email, LinkedIn)

This shows you don’t just build content. You design with purpose.

Advice from the Field

Instead of writing:

“Designed onboarding module for sales reps using Storyline”

Try:

“View interactive onboarding course used by 1,200+ new hires, built in Storyline. Includes branching scenarios and a 94% completion rate within 10 days of hire.”

This small change tells a story — and shows your value in action.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Generic portfolios with no explanation or structure

• Dead links to Dropbox, Google Drive, or private LMS instances

• No measurable results — even qualitative feedback helps

• No way to get in touch — recruiters shouldn’t have to work to find you

• Overloaded with outdated work — curate, don’t dump

Why ID Portal Solves These Problems

ID Portal is built for instructional designers — not generic creatives.

It lets you:

• Upload SCORM content and launch in an integrated LMS player

• Add context, rationale, and measurable outcomes

• Include tags like “healthcare,” “microlearning,” or “compliance training” for discoverability

• Share your portfolio from a custom link or embed it directly into your CV or personal site

You can update it in minutes. No coding, no plugins, no maintenance.

Final Takeaway

Your CV might open the door.But your portfolio closes the deal. It shows you don’t just know tools. You know learning. You know people. You know results.

Build your free portfolio now on ID Portal and let your work do the talking.

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