If you're thinking that with all this emphasis on IT careers, somewhere out
there must be a huge market for training, you're right.
In 1999, Training magazine, along with Lakewood Research, did a survey of
companies with more than 100 employees and asked them about their training
expenditures. They found that the total budgeted for formal training in that year
was a whopping $62.5 billion.
Now that you've got dollar signs in your eyes, let me entice you further by
saying that training organizations are looking everywhere for good instructors
and doing their best to keep them.
Recently I interviewed Rene Munday, Internet Program Manager at Santa Clara,
Calif.-based New Horizons Computer Learning. She told me that it's common for
instructors to be approached by students on a regular basis to see if they will
go to work for the company the students work for.
Maximum Possibilities
Suitors on every block, more opportunities than you can count--sound like
your kind of career? It may well be: If you like teaching and like computers,
you've got the basics of what it takes to become a computer trainer. If you don't
like either one, though, keep the seat behind your own desk. You'll never be
happy in front of a classroom.
If you think you've got what it takes but you've got a day job, don't worry.
Depending upon how flexible your time is, you may be able to take on some
nighttime and weekend teaching jobs. After all, some people can't get time off to
take computer classes during the day, so there are night and weekend courses to
accommodate their needs.
I teach computer classes at the local community college on an as-needed basis
and as my schedule allows. Spring and fall are the busiest times, and I teach
short-term courses (no more than 18 hours or so of classroom time). I do it
because I like being part of the solution--after all, I tell people all the time
how important training is, so I figure I'd better do what I can to help raise the
level of computer literacy in the world.
I made a decent hourly rate--less than I make writing, but enough to put a
smile on my face. If I took the time and trouble to sign myself up to teach at
the local computer stores, I could double my hourly rate. That might let me make
enough money to quit writing, but I like the mix and I like working at home most
of the time.
If you do it for a living and you work as a full-time employee instead of an
independent contractor, you could make about $40,000-$50,000 per year teaching
basic application courses. If you're a certified instructor in one of the
programs that carries certification, you can earn a lot more.
Independent contractors can earn at least $50 per hour working in a training
organization classroom--and more if they will work on-site with groups of
employees. Think of yourself as a learning consultant and you can cheerfully
quote hourly rates of $100 and up.
Another possibility you might want to consider is becoming an in-house
trainer for the company that employs you now. You can do it full- or part-time,
and all you need to do is convince your boss that you're capable. Ask for help
finding materials and for certification training if you need it.
There are many valuable resources available for trainers who want to do IT
training, including course materials and materials to train the trainer.
Prentice-Hall makes an excellent series of hands-on training materials for use in
computer labs. There are several good books on how to train people to use
computers, so check out your favorite online bookstore.
What the Job Is Like
As I said earlier, you have to like computers and like teaching. Let me add
to that list the absolute necessity for liking to work with people.
You'll be surrounded by them all day long and most of the time they will be
depending on you to help them learn. But unlike students in a regular classroom,
they're often highly motivated to learn what you have to teach, which helps keep
up your enthusiasm.
You will notice that I haven't said much about how much you have to know
about computers and software. That's because you don't necessarily have to be an
expert.
With the right training materials-the kind that guide you through the
lessons-all you need is some experience with the software and confidence with
computers in general.
You will need to be a certified instructor, though, if you aspire to teach
about software and topics other than general business applications. As the old
saying about teaching goes, you do need to know what you claim to know. Nothing
turns students off faster than teachers who guess at answers to their questions
for fear of having to say, "I don't know, I'll have to check on that."
This need to know covers the whole range of IT certifications, from webmaster
to MCSE. You'll also need to stay current with your certifications, which could
result in constant training if you aspire toward full-time training work.
Presentation skills also are useful, as are general teaching skills that
classroom teachers don't use. One of your jobs is to help people enjoy learning,
so you'll need to learn some techniques for helping them feel involved. Computer
subjects also can be dry and technical, so it helps if you can explain
complicated material clearly and in a lighthearted way.
Where Are the Jobs?
In a word, everywhere. Look in the classified and display ad sections of this
newspaper and start making phone calls. Then pick up the Sunday edition of the
local newspaper and go through those ads.
Make a few phone calls, and you'll discover that you can choose to work for a
training organization or inside a company training only its employees.
Once you find a few places to consider, make sure you check out their
attitude toward learning in general before you make your decision. You don't want
to work for a company that cares only about the potential profit in IT training.
I know it makes a difference to me to work for an organization that genuinely
believes it is delivering a much-needed service to the community. Teaching,
whether you teach children or adults, is something you do in part because you
believe in the value of education.
You might also want to consider getting involved in online training. Some
online training organizations are hiring experts to sit behind the scenes and
help students when they have questions or hit a snag. You'll never see your
students, but that doesn't mean you're not delivering a valuable service.
Contributing Editor Molly W. Joss writes from Gilbertsville, Pa.
Training facts
These facts are from the Industry Report 1999, a survey of the training
expenditures of companies with more than 100 employees. The report was done by
Training magazine and Lakewood Research; a full copy of the report appeared in
the October 1999 issue of Training magazine.
Total dollars budgeted for formal training in 1999 by U.S. organizations:
$62.5 billion.
Of that sum, amount that will go to outside providers of
training products and services: $15 billion
Percentage of U.S. organizations that teach employees to use computer applications: 95
Percentage that pay to teach some employees a foreign language: 28
Percentage that will send some employees to an outdoor experiential program: 9
Of all formal training, percentage currently delivered via computer: 14
Of all training delivered online, percentage in which the student interacts online with other humans: 36
Of all formal training, percentage devoted to teaching computer skills: 33
Of all computer-skills training, percentage delivered in a classroom, by live instructors: 74
