Instructional designer resume examples from 2025
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How to write an instructional designer resume
Craft a resume summary statement
A resume summary is your opening statement that highlights your strongest skills and top accomplishments. It is your chance to quickly let recruiters know who you are professionally - and why they should hire you for the instructional designer role.
Step 1: Start with your professional title, or the one you aspire to.
Step 2: Detail your years of experience in instructional designer-related roles and your industry experience.
Step 3: What are your biggest professional wins? Here is your opportunity to highlight your strongest accomplishments by placing them at the start of your resume.
Step 4: Don't forget, your goal is to summarize your experience. Keep it short and sweet, so it's easy for recruiters to quickly understand why you're a great hire.
Hiring managers spend under a minute reviewing resumes on average. This means your summary needs to demonstrate your value quickly and show why you are the perfect fit for the instructional designer position.Please upload your resume so Zippia’s job hunt AI can draft a summary statement for you.
List the right project manager skills
Your Skills section is an easy way to let recruiters know you have the skills to do the job. Just as importantly, it can help your resume not get filtered out by hiring software. Here is how to make the most of your skills section and make sure you have the right keywords:
- You often need to include the exact keywords from the job description in your resume. Look at the job listing and consider which of the listed skills you have experience with, along with related skills.
- Include as many relevant hard skills and soft skills as possible from the listing.
- Use the most up to date and accurate terms. Don't forget to be specific.
Here are example skills to include in your “Area of Expertise” on an instructional designer resume:
- Instructional Design
- Subject Matter Experts
- Project Management
- PowerPoint
- ELearning
- Training Programs
- Training Materials
- Articulate Storyline
- Customer Service
- Course Content
- Learning Solutions
- Learning Objectives
- Learning Management System
- Blended Learning
- SMEs
- Camtasia
- Graphic Design
- Training Content
- Addie
- Instructional Materials
- Adult Learning Theory
- Led Training
- HTML
- Professional Development
- Course Design
- Instructional Content
- Course Materials
- Course Development
- Adobe Captivate
- HR
Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.
How to structure your work experience
A work experience section is a vital part of your resume because it shows you have the experience to succeed in your next job.
- Put your most recent experience first. Prospective employers care about your most recent accomplishments the most.
- Put the job title, company name, city, and state on the left. Align dates in month and year format on the right-hand side.
- Include only recent, relevant jobs. This means if you're a fairly experienced worker, you might need to leave off that first internship or other positions in favor of highlighting more pertinent positions.
How to write instructional designer experience bullet points
Your resume is not a list of responsibilities or a job description. Instead, it is your chance to show your accomplishments and show why you're good at what you do.
- Use the What, How, and Why format. Answering these questions turns a bland job description into an effective showcase of your abilities.
- What were your responsibilities or goals?
- How did you accomplish them?
- Why were your results important? (How did it impact your company? Can you quantify the results in numbers? )
Here are examples from great instructional designer resumes:
Work history example #1
Instructional Designer
ICP
- Designed and developed instructional content and material for internal training courses and documents to support both in-class and eLearning initiatives.
- Created eLearning and assessments using Captivate software.
- Collaborated with Program Managers and Program Directors to develop standardized operational policies and procedures.
- Designed monthly PowerPoint presentations for classroom curricula of varying technical and corporate subject matter.
- Created PowerPoint presentations for Quality, Finance, and Cycle Count classes.
Work history example #2
Multimedia Designer
Amazon
- Developed monthly HTML and illustrations for internal newsletter, providing consistent style while offering seasonal variety in each issue.
- Optimized graphics for web, using Photoshop CS5.
- Completed interaction design of the checkout process and online catalog.
- Partnered with senior merchant to align and communicate top strategies to executives while successfully balancing vendor relationships and calendar.
- Designed retail sales floor layouts for all new and remodel stores to be in compliance with all company objectives.
Work history example #3
Support Specialist/Trainer
Bank of America
- Supported research of bankruptcy and foreclosure property loans with detailed research via internet, communication with attorneys and government record facilities.
- Performed daily personal banking transactions/procedures in a fast paced call center environment.
- Addressed escalated email inquiries within service-level agreements.
- Trained new employees and compiled email and phone scripts for department use.
- Selected to pilot an online text chat banking program.
Work history example #4
Corporate Trainer
The Cheesecake Factory
- Provided management with continuous feedback on all associates regarding adherence to policies and procedures.
- Created and presented PowerPoint presentations on safety and policy at various store locations.
- Exceeded merchandise budget expectations by 30K through implementation of successful in-store merchandising program.
Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.
Add an education section to your resume
The education section should display your highest degree first.
Place your education section appropriately on your resume. If you graduated over 5 years ago, this section should be at the bottom of your resume. If you just graduated and lack relevant work experience, the education section should go to the top.
If you have a bachelor's or master's degree, do not list your high school education. If your graduation year is more than 15-20 years ago, it's better not to include dates in this section.
Here are some examples of good education entries from instructional designer resumes:
Master's Degree in english
University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA
2011 - 2012
Highlight your instructional designer certifications on your resume
Certifications are a great way to showcase special expertise or niche skills. Some jobs even require certifications to be hired.
To list, use the full name of the certification and the organization that issued it, along with the date of achievement.
If you have any of these certifications, be sure to include them on your instructional designer resume:
- Certified Instructional Technologist (CIT)
- Instructor Certification (EPIC)
- Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP)
- Certified Technical Professional (CTP)
- Master Certified Web Professional - Designer (CWP)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Certified Professional Technical Communicator - Expert (CPTC)
- Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP)
- Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ)
- Microsoft Certified Learning Consultant