![CV vs Resume: Key Differences [+ Examples]](https://cdn-images.zety.com/pages/man_thinking_about_cv_resume_difference.jpg?fit=crop&h=250&dpr=2)
CV vs Resume: Key Differences [+ Examples]
A resume is a CV... except when it isn't. Find out what the difference between a CV and a resume is to maximize your chances of landing the job in any industry, not just academia.
You're an instructional designer who can turn complex concepts into digestible lessons, like a magician transforming a rabbit into a bouquet of flowers. But hiring managers are a notoriously tough crowd to please.
That’s where we come in. Together, let's conjure up an instructional designer resume that leaves hiring managers enchanted and eager to bring your educational wizardry to their team. Prepare for a magical career transformation!
This guide will show you:
Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.
Sample Instructional Designer Resume—See more resume examples here.
Looking for other guides for the design industry? Check these out:
You’re more into educating? Here’s a selection of dedicated guides:
Still need more examples? Check Sample Resumes to Land Any Job.
Troy Romano
troy.romano@gmail.com
4687-984-1894
Enthusiastic instructional designer with 6+ years of experience. Introduced document-improving initiative helping to save $1M in search time. Designed 25+ associate’s level programs 1 month before deadline. Seeking to bring learning excellence to Pepper Course.
Instructional Designer
Boulevard Education, New York, NY
2016–
Key achievement:
Instructional Designer
Design Expand, Los Angeles, CA
2012–2016
Key achievement:
Master’s Degree in Instructional Design
California State University, California, CA
2012
Now, here’s how to write an instructional designer resume that will help you rise above the noise and land your dream job.
Instructional designers identify knowledge gaps of a targeted audience and fill those gaps via designing games, creating training materials, or even developing entire curriculums to achieve better learning outcomes.
You’re a scroll-down away from learning how to write the best instructional designer resume. But first—
Picture this:
There are 217,700 candidates for instructional designer jobs out there. That makes you a needle in a haystack.
The good news—
You can make your instructional designer resume magnetize.
Here’s how:
Here comes the shocker:
Recruiters take an average of 6 seconds to scan a resume.
If nothing grabs their attention, the resume lands in the bin.
But—
There’s a trick to make the recruiter stick to your resume like superglue:
Write a resume profile. It’s a snappy two-three liner that pulls the recruiter into the meat and potatoes of your effective instructional design resume.
Here’s a rule of thumb:
Pro Tip: Write your heading statement last, as you will change it again and again as you complete the rest of your resume.
Picture a recruiter—Lucy.
She picks a random instructional designer resume to skim it.
Responsible for… Was part of… Collaborated with…
That’s as fun as the hierarchical analysis.
Delete.
Finally, Lucy picks your instructional designer resume template, AND her pupils dilate with joy.
Why?
Because you gave her specifics.
So—
Here’s how to write the perfect instructional design job description:
Here’s the thing:
You need a master’s to land a job in instructional design.
But—
Don’t just dump a fancy degree into your instructional designer resume and move on.
A well-crafted education section can help you stand out and knock out the competition.
Here’s a bulletproof formula:
Pro Tip: If you’re writing your first job resume ever, put the education section over your work history for the most impact.
Your instructional designer skills is what the employer is after.
And—
Listing relevant skills in a separate section not only makes your abilities stand out. It will also please the ATS (Applicant Tracking System).
Here’s a sample list of good skills to put on an instructional designer resume:
Do you need to cram all these skills into your instructional design resume?
No.
Scan the job ad, and pick the ones the employer wants the most. Include a mix of both soft skills and hard skills to give them the entire picture.
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, our professional resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.
Remember Lucy?
She’s still not sure if you’re the cream of the crop.
So—you need to convince her.
Best way to do it?
Add extra sections to your instructional design resume to spotlight more than just your professional side:
Some say you do and others that you don’t.
Here’s the truth:
A whopping 49% of recruiters expect an instructional designer cover letter even if they didn’t say it in the job ad.
So—
Unless you want to sabotage your application success rate, you’d better write a cover letter.
Here’s how:
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
This is it!
This is how you make a job-winning resume for instructional designer positions.
Are you a career changer looking into starting a career in instructional design? Need some help with a resume profile? Drop us a line below. We’ll be happy to help!
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