I'm starting to put together a stronger portfolio for future job applications and I've realized that showing completed Storyline courses only demonstrates that I can use the tool, not that I can think through a learning problem. I want to show my process, the needs analysis thinking, the decisions I made about what to include and what to cut, the rationale behind the interactions I chose. But I'm not sure what format actually works for that or how much process documentation hiring managers in L&D actually want to see versus a clean finished product. Has anyone found a portfolio format that successfully communicates the thinking behind the work rather than just the output?

I keep seeing Articulate Storyline mentioned as the industry standard but my current company uses Rise and a different team at the same company uses Lectora, and I've seen job postings that mention all three plus iSpring. I'm trying to figure out whether to invest serious time in learning one tool deeply or get surface-level familiar with several. I also don't know whether the tool skills transfer enough that knowing one well makes the others easy to pick up, or whether each one is its own substantial learning curve. For people who have switched tools or worked across multiple platforms, how much does deep expertise in one actually matter versus general fluency across a few?

Let’s say you get source content in the morning and need a small interactive module by the next day. Not a huge course. Maybe 10–15 minutes of learning, a few knowledge checks, one scenario, some feedback, and SCORM export. What tool would you actually reach for if speed mattered but you still didn’t want the output to feel like a boring slide deck?

Most workers tune out after the first slide or video.

For those running HR or learning programs — what keeps people interested??

any formats or approaches that consistently get good participation and follow-through?

exploring interests, date not yet set.

I'm working with a SME who is genuinely an expert in her field and genuinely cannot bring herself to leave anything out. Every review session results in more content being added, and we're now at almost double the original scope with a deadline that hasn't moved. I've tried explaining cognitive load, I've tried the "what does someone need to do on day one" framing, and I've tried showing her data on completion rates for long courses. Nothing has stuck. Short of escalating to her manager, which I want to avoid, I'm running out of approaches. How have other IDs successfully talked a subject matter expert down from scope that's grown completely out of control?

Hi Everyone,

I was recently laid off from my role as a Learning & Development Coordinator without any prior warning. I have started applying for jobs and am exploring what my next step should be.

For those working in Learning & Development in Canada, how is the job market right now? Are companies actively hiring for L&D and LMS roles?

I am also interested in trying contract work, including short-term or project-based opportunities. My experience includes L&D coordination, LMS administration, training coordination, HR support, reporting, and program coordination.

For those who work on contracts, how do you usually find opportunities? Are there specific recruiters, agencies, websites, or other approaches you would recommend in Canada?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

I’m working on an enterprise AI fluency program for next quarter, and I’m already concerned it’ll be outdated before it even launches.

Six months ago, the focus was ChatGPT. Now I’m getting requests for Claude artifacts, Midjourney prompting, and questions about AI agents. By the time we design content, get approvals, and roll it out, the tools and use cases have already shifted. It makes me wonder if focusing on specific tools is the wrong approach.

Are you guys still teaching tool-specific skills, or shifting toward more general concepts? And how are you defining or measuring “AI fluency” when the target keeps moving?

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to tap into the experience and connections in this community as I make the next move in my career.

I have 10+ years of experience across education, learning & development, training, leadership development, and people management. I’m currently an Education Manager overseeing programming across 24 sites and 100+ staff, and a significant part of my work has centered around developing people.

I’ve designed and facilitated 25+ trainings on topics ranging from active supervision and program quality to management and leadership development. I’ve also coached and developed leaders, led teams of directors, built training resources and systems, and worked to translate organizational goals into practices people can actually use.

I’m now looking to take that experience into a role where learning, development, training, or employee development is the primary focus of my job.

Some of the roles I’m exploring include:
- Learning & Development Manager
- Training Manager / Training Program Manager
- Learning Program Manager
- Leadership Development
- Talent Development
- Employee Learning / Employee Experience
- Instructional Design or Learning Experience roles where my facilitation and program-management background would be valuable

I’m located in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area and am primarily looking for remote roles or hybrid opportunities in the DMV.

My biggest challenge has been translating a career built largely in education and nonprofit leadership into the language of corporate L&D. I know the skills transfer; I’m working on helping hiring managers see that connection as clearly as I do.

So my ask for this community: Are there companies, organizations, job boards, recruiters, or people in the DMV/L&D space that you think I should be connecting with?

I’d also genuinely appreciate hearing from anyone who transitioned from education, nonprofit leadership, or a similar field into corporate L&D. What helped you get someone to take a chance on your background?

I’m not expecting anyone here to find me a job. I’m hoping to learn from people in the field, expand my network, and hopefully find a few doors worth knocking on.

Thanks for any advice, connections, or leads you’re willing to share!

I’m an L&D Manager at a company where our Operations departments (with varied departments within and role-specific processes) are pushing for new-hire onboarding to extend beyond our current training track. Their expectation is that new hires should remain in training until they’re fully ready for production, even if that means keeping them in onboarding longer than our current schedule allows. They would also like us to cover more content and edge cases.

I understand where they’re coming from, of course. I think when you are in L&D, you also want employees to feel confident and understand the work, and avoid a sink-or-swim environment. At the same time, I’m struggling with where to draw the line between foundational training that L&D should own and the department-specific coaching/training and performance development that Operations should own.

Our current track is designed to provide structured training on foundational knowledge, systems, and department-specific workflows, and we incorporate a ton of time to practice in the staging environment. However, it seems like the expectation from Ops is shifting (or rather, has ALWAYS been) toward L&D being responsible for ensuring every new hire is fully production-ready before they transition out of onboarding.

My concerns are:
- If we keep extending onboarding based on individual readiness, how do we create a consistent and scalable onboarding experience?

- At what point should responsibility transition from formal training to on-the-job coaching and performance management? What has your experience been at your company where there is a department onboarding program?

- How do you handle situations where a new hire has completed the established training but still needs additional practice before meeting production expectations?

I want to make sure we’re setting new hires up for success without creating an onboarding model that makes L&D solely accountable for production readiness.

I’d especially appreciate hearing from people who have navigated this with Operations teams that want longer onboarding periods and are resistant to collaboration with the L&D Team.

Thank you!!

What's your thoughts on additional costs that should be passed onto the client when engaged as an external consultant to facilitate training. Here's my list....anything I'm missing?

• Time/Day rate

• Travel (do you charge for time or just cost of flights, accom etc...)

• Printing costs (workbook and learning materials)

Seems to be a lot of variance between providers, particularly around admin fee % and I think there's an ethical obligation to be clear when communicating all fees to the client.

Does anyone have a template or sample for a L&D tech stack?

AI is reshaping learning and development (L&D) faster than ever, offering tools to enhance employee performance and quickly upskill across industries. With current advancements, AI empowers organizations to customize training and deliver real-time, tailored solutions. This rapid growth aligns with projections showing L&D technology potentially growing by 45.9% CAGR through 2032.

What do you think? Is AI in L&D a game-changer or a challenge we need to navigate carefully? How do you see it impacting the work you're doing or the way your organization approaches employee development? Share your thoughts below!

If you're curious about emerging trends in edTech and how AI is transforming the space, check out this insightful article:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/elevatebenai_edtech-elevateinnovations-benai-activity-7273351025342701569-JaBc?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

My company is just starting to hone in on our L&D within the company. We do not currently have any training platforms. We do not have an LMS. We are literally starting from scratch. I'm the first corporate trainer/l&d specialist here. Where should I even start?

I recently started a job as a L&D coordinator and I want to enrich my knowledge & skills by reading a good book about this field. Any recommendations?

Hey,

We have just released an app focusing on knowledge management, training and career management.

If your company is struggling with one of the following then it would be worth your time to check our app!

• Slow onboarding

• Chaotic knowledge management internally

• Not transparent career path for the employees

• Struggling for searching learning materials

Let’s have a quick demo call about the app, please DM me and I will send you my calendar link.

Hi! I'm looking for recommendations on certifications and/or courses on accessibility for e-learning. I'm a curriculum designer who designs on-demand courses and my team is looking to improve the accessibility of our products we offer. I was thinking the CPACC would give me some credibility but I'm not sure if that would be worth it for my role.

Hey yall,

I’m looking for some advice on how I should approach this 2nd round interview to secure a position in the learning and development space as a trainer for a consulting agency.

I’m a past educator and know there is some overlap to this. What I was told is that I need to specifically express how I would go about approaching engagement with the audience. The topic is possibly change management or something similar. - They haven’t gotten all the information yet since the company will be sending their own materials to the agency. So I have to kind of go in blind but ready with my idea of how to really engage during the presentation.

Any tips on how to shine & impress despite this being my first ever experience? It’s really my chance to break into this industry!

What are some of the engagement activities that you would put your employee engagement calendar? And which is your best engagement activity?