In an earlier post, I mentioned somewhat in passing that although I’ve been in the profession of instructional design for over 30 years, my academic background is entirely in music, with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classical vocal performance.

So how did an aspiring opera singer end up creating learning materials for technical professionals for a living?  Probably like all important life decisions: luck + preparedness.  

The luck part was running into an old friend from our master’s degree days one afternoon on the streets of Rochester, NY.  Being an aspiring singer, I naturally was working full-time as a secretary.  (If I had been an aspiring actor, I would have been waiting tables.  It’s the arts.  That’s how it works.) 

I told my friend I was having doubts about my future as a professional musician and starting to question my true life path.  Hearing this, he reminded me that while he was a student, he had worked part time at this great training and publishing company called Logical Operations.  He knew they were hiring, thought I’d be a great fit, and urged me to apply.  I did; was interviewed; was hired; and I’m still with LO decades later. Luck indeed! 

The preparedness part relates to the magic triad of qualifications I’ve spoken about here previously.  

• Writing ability. I was always a good student, and (I say with a blush), a good writer. Although I didn’t have technical writing experience per se, it was not hard to demonstrate my language and analytical skills to the leadership team.
• Technical aptitude. This was the early 80s, and IBM PCs were just filtering their way onto desks in offices all over the world. Leaders tended to view them as a sort of “super-typewriter,” and administrative roles like mine often got first access to this powerful technology. I loved learning to use this new tool, and I’d been doing everything I could, including taking side classes, to acquire expertise well beyond what was needed in my job.
• Instructional instincts. Ah, my didactic urge! As I learned more about the PC, I enjoyed finding more and more opportunities to show others what I’d learned and teach them what this technology could do! Naturally and organically, I became the “go-to” person for colleagues and staff throughout the organization who had questions or problems with their own computer use. So I was already a de facto computer instructor, supplementing the formal efforts of our local IT group.

I’m living proof of how potential can be as big an asset as experience. Don’t overlook it!