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Advice on changing to a career in training

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After graduating with a BA in FIne Art, I taught English in Thailand and Japan, and spent 4 years in my native Cape Town teaching English to everyone from Angolan geophysicists to German bankers. I then worked as a Props Master on TV commercials for several years before deciding to do a Journalism MA in London. During my course, I found that my strength lay in getting teams of journalism MA students to work together in group projects where I was often team leader. A stint in retail followed (where I have often been surprised at the lack of customer service awareness at the Garden Centre where I work) and I also work part time teaching online journaiism to MA students - a job that I put heart and soul into because it is so rewarding. I truly say teaching is in my blood and I have decided to focus on training as a career. What would be the best place to start (I need to keep earning while I make the change), and is the industry friendly to career changers like myself?

3 Responses

  1. Career change to training role
    Hello Tanja,

    I think you have all you need to succeed as a trainer: a personal passion for what you want to do and focus on your students.

    You may get advice on good courses to train you up as a trainer.

    I would take a different route and go for an apprenticeship if you can find one.

    You need to find a good trainer, probably a freelance unless you find an enlightened employer who can see the vast benefits this process would have for their in-house trainer.

    To get someone good, get recommendations. If you could indicate your area I can let you have my own recommendations of people in that area.

    The process I foresee would require you to observe, be instructed, coached and trained by the trainer. You would observe and participate in courses until you could run part and then all of it receiving feedback and instruction all the time for your mentor in a live setting.

    This, I feel, would be a better route for an individual than doing a course. In addition to the training you would also gain some course content knowledge of at least one or two courses and you would have been learning about managing clients and delegates at first hand as well as being your own boss etc.

    You may have to pay for this but it would be well worth the money.

    Who knows, you may end up doing some work for your mentor on a long term basis.

    Good luck.

    Nick

  2. A training apprenticeship
    Thanks for the advice. Nick, I would be keen to pursue the idea of an apprenticeship. I am based in West London and would be most grateful if you could recommend anyone who might be good to approach in this regard.
    Tanja