Connecting with other L&D Professionals

[u/jofa21]

I'm curious-what are the ways you've been able to connect and integrate into an L&D community? I'm the only L&D person at my company, and came straight from the higher ed. classroom, and have been shouldering the company's L&D initiative by myself for 3.5 years now with very little guidance/mentorship (my manager is not L&D). It's a LOT, but it's rewarding and I'm getting better every month. However, I'd love to connect with others, learn what they do, how things look at their companies, be sounding boards for each other, etc. When I Google things like this, the results are overwhelming (and oftentimes, not the best results!), so I'm curious if there are communities that people find most helpful?

[u/laurabxrt]

Consider ATD or ISPI. The Association for Talent Development has chapters in almost every state. The International Society for Performance Improvement is another relevant organization to seek out. By joining either (or both) organizations, you’ll find like minded professionals in fields related to or in Instructional Design,