Topic 7:

Marketing Yourself as a Trainer

Question: I have just completed a wonderful 1½ years as training coordinator for a major health insurance company. I was laid off due to a major restructure of the company and regionalization of the training functions. I was selected as trainer because of my ability to connect with people, my experiences/knowledge of the health insurance industry and my sense of humor. I loved my job!

I would like to develop myself and become more marketable as a trainer. Where shall I go from here? I have a BA in Management with a certificate in Human Resources.

Any words of advice…courses…curriculums…schools? Thank you in advance for your advice.

--Sharon Cilley, Location not named

Answer: What a wonderful positive outlook and a sense of optimism you have! You are certainly thinking in the right direction of keeping yourself updated in your training expertise while increasing your marketability. My suggestion is to think of what direction you would like your training career to take and what further learning you need to achieve your goal. Think about the trends and issues of the field, their impact on a corporation trying to meet its employees' needs, and what role you want to play in this scenario. Are you familiar with the latest thinking and methodologies, e.g. organizations as learning communities, e-learning?

You have many options in terms of professional development activities. The questions you need to ask yourself include:
· What skills, competencies, and knowledge would you like to acquire, update, or add to your base of expertise?
· How will you acquire your learning, e.g. courses, workshops, conferences, and/or professional meeting programs?
· How do you want your learning delivered, e.g. on-line, traditional classroom, computer-based?

One good way to market yourself is to volunteer in professional and community organizations to network, keep involved, and stay up to date.

--AR