For a class assignment, I wrote a one-page summary on the topic of the effectiveness of blogging as a professional development tool for critical thinking. Something like that. I don’t know. My topic changes every freakin’ 5 seconds probably because I’m just not that into this class. Light 3K on fire, right? Anyway, I had included the term ‘learning professional’ in my topic title originally. Big mistake.
When the professor is critiquing my summary in class and says, “what is a learning professional? Am I a learning professional? Isn’t everyone in the industry ‘professional’?” Laughs. More laughs. I ended up dropping the term entirely from that paper because I really used it to limit the study to a particular group (as opposed to professional development for scientists, engineers, etc.) and it shouldn’t have been in the title to begin with. Whatev.
Anyway, I decided that I’m part of the problem here. I’ve used “learning professional” 100s of times. In blog post titles, in reports, web copy, etc. I thought I wrote about my dislike of the term before but can’t find anything. I probably tagged it “learning professional” and then in a fit deleted it. Perhaps it was in a dream or nightmare where I was searching for professionals to learn from or learning about professionals or trying to find professional learners.
Just answer me one little question. Does anyone actually hold the job title, “Learning Professional”? If so, my apologies. If not, what is your job title? What blanket term describes your role? What would you say you do to a six year old? And I don’t want “Performance Improvement Professional” or something equally head-cockingly lame.
Poking job sites, I see frequent variations of the following job titles associated w/ workplace learning. Note there is not much in the way of “learning”:
Training Manager
e-Learning Developer (Specialist, etc.)
Instructional Designer (and the various pay scale/skill descriptors: I, II, trainee, Sr., Rock Star, etc.)
Corporate Trainer
Curriculum Design (Development, etc.)
Facebook/Janet Clarey
LinkedIn/jclarey
Twitter/jclarey
Skype/janetclarey
GMail/JClarey
Blog/Instructional Design
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I was a ‘technology project coordinator’ but asked for a job re-write because TPC was just too undefined fell low ont he pay scale. So recently I became an ‘instructional technologist II’ which isn’t any clearer but pays much better. now, I’d really like to be an ‘instructional technologist – rock star’! speaking at conferences would be like going on tour.
is who you are defined by what you do or is what you do defined by your title?
‘elearning specialist’ is pretty clear- someone who specializes in teaching/learning online
‘curriculum designer’ works well for those of us who build/manage content/modules/tech projects for use in F2F and elearning environments. But ‘instruct tech / designer’ works there, too.
It’s a great question Janet!
And certainly an issue that’s been bouncing around the industry for a couple of decades…
Is the “Learning Professional” a more all encompassing term – that umbrellas all the other titles (and more) that you’ve listed?
Or is it also the industry’s attempt to “professionalise” their practices?
eg. you don’t say Medical Professional – or Legal Professional…
I say I’m an adult educator – because I cross different sectors ie. academia (then I’m a lecturer or academic), or organisational learning & development…
So do we just say learning practitioner? Or Educator – as the umbrella term…
Or are we splitting hairs…?
And are we struggling to find ourselves a respected identity?
Look forward to hearing others thoughts too!
Thanks for asking the question Janet!
Anne BB
Yes, I suppose “Learning Professional” really means “Professional Learner”. It’s good in its own way, but not really as a job title.
So are you more about Training or Knowledge or Performance or Rock Star?
Are you more focused on Corporate or Academic?
Mark Oehlert will laugh at this, given his tirades on the use of the word “learning” to mean training…
All of this to say, I don’t have many useful ideas here.
Cammy Beans last blog post..Guesstimating Seat Time
In my last role, my official title was Learning Designer. I had problems with that, because I didn’t feel as if I designed the learning – that was the job of the learner.
One of my colleagues (doing the same job) referred to herself as a Learning Solutions Designer, which I felt was closer to the mark.
The thing is, we didn’t just design the solutions, we also got involved in the needs analysis and audience analysis. We quite oftnen got involved in business analysis and change management, too (a bit like your poster, really!)
In the end, I used to refer to myself as an L&D consultant, a title I have retained now that I have branched out on my own. It’s about the closest thing I can find to a fit, but it still tells most people absolutely nothing about what I do. Most people assume that means I work in a school.
Sigh.
Karyn Romeiss last blog post..Customer service: a vote of confidence
I have struggled with this one too. Sort-of officially I’m the “Technology Training Prime”, which is a sucky title. Sometimes I use “Training Consultant” because that is more descriptive but in a big company like Nortel that makes it sound like I’m an outsider.
I like Learning Solutions Designer, I think that can encompass the full supply chain, can’t it?
Of course my favorite title, while not strictly L&D related, is Creative Abrasionist, from Lance Dublin – that is what I want to be!
Hey Janet,
The term professional is appropriate and screw the prof is what I say. I call myself a learning and development professional for two reasons:
1. The adjective – “following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain: a professional builder, a professional trainer, a professional instructional designer etc.
2. Because I am sick and tired of academics, doctors and lawyers being considered “professional persons” because of unknown consensus.
You chose your occupation and you ar known within your occupation for your expertise and for your contribution. That makes you and me a professional in my eyes and screw the establishment is they want to stuff around with semanitcs. Create your own meaning, it is all that matters.
Rob
Rob Wilkinss last blog post..Learning, Knowledge and Information – are the lines blurring?
Hi Janet,
You have raised an interesting question. Infact, I thought about the same when responding to one of the Learning Circuits Question of the Month (March 07), “The Role and Responsibilities of Learning Professionals”.
I am quoting my response to the question (http://tarunagoel.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-is-scope-of-our-responsibility-as.html):
“As a learning professional, I constantly hop into the shoes of an instructional designer, trainer, human resource personnel, recruiter, line manager, supervisor, mentor, coach, change initiator etc…” “In my current role, I feel like a learning leader. I like to lead learning and also create and engage with the learning environment. ”
I have realized that if I bother too much about what I am called, I won’t go places…I will give you an example.
I am called a Lead Analyst which is, I guess (!) equal to a Rock Star Instructional Designer. In this role, I analyze, design, and develop custom content for my (external) customer organizations. However, I also manage all training for my division, which makes me a ‘Training Manager’ for my internal customers. I also advise my division on any learning needs and training that we should be designing/developing – that makes me a Learning/Training Advisor, and I also deliver classroom training – which makes me a trainer! But does it really matter? At the end of the day, I like to be called a Learning Professional because all I ever want to do is with ‘learning’ and this term very well defines what I am doing and even has scope to absorb all I ever want to do in the future.
Ofcourse, if it’s ‘Chief Learning Officer’, it makes things much clearer!
- Taruna
Taruna Goels last blog post..Learning by doing – a practical example
Hi Janet, I would say that your professor is unaware that that title is used in the corporate world.
From http://www.astd.org/astd: “ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) is the world’s largest association dedicated to workplace learning and performance professionals.”
Your professor should understand that at least some trainers feel that the title “trainer” limits them to just training. (Even though alternative titles tend to be very clunky…)
Professors have their own title issues. A professor would say that he or she “teaches” but would not like to be called a “teacher.”
Tom Werners last blog post..Intelligent Avatars
I guess I agree with Taruna in that I try not to nitpick at my title too much. Right now it is Leadership Senior Consultant. How’s that for a string of meaningless words? At least to others -they usually give me that quizzical, “Oh how nice for you” look! But I work on leadership initiatives, plus other projects, I have been doing this for 20 years so Senior is the nice way to say I am old
and I act as a consultant to the training departments in our lines of business or to the lines of business with no training department. It is fairly accurate, but mostly I just say I work in corporate learning and development.
I will say we have tried to avoid the word training lately so people don’t think we are just creating instructor-led training classes. Basically, we are trying to create or help others create a whole host of tools that help people learn to do their jobs better, faster, and cheaper.
Thanks everyone. So many great comments.
@Carrie (or should I say @rock star?) You asked: “Is who you are defined by what you do or is what you do defined by your title?” I would hope that the former is the case but I suspect the latter comes into play more often than it should. Maybe then “learning professional” says hey, I’m a lot more than just an e-learning developer. Anne touches on this when she asks if we are struggling to find ourselves a respected identity by “professionalizing” our practice. Perhaps we’re differentiating ourselves from the ‘not my job’ colleagues how do only what is defined (not a good survival skill BTW).
@Anne, yes, I think I use the “Learning Professional” term more as an all encompassing term. I don’t know that it was the industry’s attempt to “professionalise” their practices or just a way to appeal to a larger group. I’m sure both are true of the term. I like “adult educator” but think ‘educator’ (and ‘education’) are roll-eye words in corporations. I think it’s viewed as too school-like, too formal outside of academia. Do you find that academics role their eyes at the term “learning professional?”
@Cammy – thank you for bringing to my attention that the bug in my bonnet (pretty btw) is probably the meaning of ‘learning.’ And I’m not going there. Not right now anyway.
@Karyn – ditto sigh. I try to explain that I write & research for learning professionals. Most people (after several exchanges) say, ‘so, you’re like a consultant?’ You betcha’! Double sigh.
@Geof – “Technology Training Prime” Oooh…mysterious. “Creative Abrasionist” Oooh…shiny yet sharp.
@Rob – What you’re saying here really resonates with me. However, I’m still conflicted about the ‘learning’ part now and no so much the ‘professional’ part (which is really where I think I started). Our own meaning IS really all that matters. And, yes…at first I was all like, ‘screw you’ w/ the prof. but later said, well…if he’s questioning it then someone else will so at the very least I will need to define it. Such is the nature of research.
@Taruna – thanks so much for bringing up the ’07 question from the Learning Circuits blog and including your response. And, great examples of working outside of what you’re title is. In conjunction with what I said to Rob…it’s our own meaning and I’m glad to hear that you’re (as Rob is) comfortable working under the umbrella term “Learning Professional.” I believe I may be splitting hairs…something Anne said.
(P.S. You may want to shoot for Rock Star ID II since it’s a higher pay class. Wouldn’t go with Sr. Rock Star because you sound washed up and lame before you start. Although, I think CLO would fit you just fine.)
@Tom – Oh, believe me I explained the use of the title in our world. My third language is confrontation (after English and sarcasm). (Gee, that has pretty in pink written all over it and probably explains a lot. My therapist will get a kick out of that.) Anyway, my professor keeps telling a story about how his advisor made him go back through his dissertation and make sure that EVERY WORD was what he intended. “A” instead of “the,” etc. I think that’s what he was trying to address. Re: trainer. I see two types of people: I’m a trainer damn it! and, I’m not a trainer damnit! I’m liable to go down a path of clinging to guns and religion if I go there so will not.
@Maria. What’s the difference between a Leadership Senior Consultant and a Senior Leadership Consultant? Perhaps it just needs a comma. Just wondering. Anyway, congrats on the job BTW! “I work in corporate learning and development” is pretty understandable. And, I like L&D because the D brings in the aspects of our jobs that relate more to performance. Training is an important part of what we do though. I’m going to put all of this in a tag cloud and see what emerges.
Thanks everyone! Hope some other chime in too!
Word Clouds
Your comments and
My comments
I am so relieved to hear I’m not the only one confused about what job (career) titles are in this industry.
I’ve had this topic on my mind for awhile and had it drafted in my blog for some time. Thanks Janet for sparking the motivation to finish writing about it.
Kevin Thorns last blog post..What’s in a job title?
My title is Senior Technical Education Specialist. It doesn’t really describe what I do well though. I am definitely printing out that picture for my cube!
gminkss last blog post..How secure are IT Certification tests?
My job title was recently changed from IT Support Specialist to Learning and Technology Specialist to better reflect my role in researching learning theories and technologies used to meet pedagogical needs. Although I feel that “Specialist” may be too big of a term to assign me yet considering that there are so many great experts out there, I suppose “Enthusiast” doesn’t sound strong enough. You could say I’m a Learning and Technology Specialist in progress haha!
-Erin
Erin Murphys last blog post..On Dogfooding and Learning/Technology Conferences
Hi Janet,
For a long time, I’ve been trying to find a title that summarises what I do, but also makes sense to other people. I stuck with Learning Solutions Architect for quite a while, but people just looked blankly at me or laughed when I said that!
So now, I’m either a Learning Consultant or a Learning Technology Consultant. At least most people think they know what a consultant does…
Mark Berthelemys last blog post..Learning Organisation Heuristic
Erin – everything and everyone is in Beta…so Learning and Technology Specialist (beta)
Mark-
I end up saying ‘consultant’ sometimes too, even though I’m not working that side of our business. It is a recognized term but I often think it is viewed as a “big bucks” thing or a “part of the problem” thing. I imagine we both hope we’re neither of those two things.
Hi Janet, the cover of the December 2008 issue of T+D is:
“Learning in 2020: Forward Thinkers Forecast the Future of the Workplace and the Role of (wait for it) Workplace Learning Professionals.”
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