Gwen Karaba is an Instructional Designer contractor for Microsoft through Oxygen Learning, a consulting firm specializing in sales enablement and workplace learning programs. Based in Dallas TX, Gwen collaborates with clients to design impactful learning experiences that drive organizational growth and employee development. With a background in education and instructional design, she brings a passion for creating engaging and effective learning solutions. Join us today for discussion on contract work and instruction design!
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Begin Transcript
Elizabeth: welcome everyone today. We’re very excited to have Gwen Karaba with us. Welcome, Gwen.
Gwen: Hi.
Elizabeth: thank you for joining us and I can’t wait for everyone to listen and we’re excited to dive into your career as an instructional designer, but we’d love to kick this off by hearing about your experience in education.
Gwen: I was, in public education, as a teacher, which in my resume says instructor. Um, just a couple of naming changes on that, but it’s the same thing. And I was in public education for 15 years before transitioning out.
Elizabeth: and then so what was that point after 15 years in education where you decided, you weren’t going to pursue a, a lifelong career of teaching? I.
Gwen: So there were a few factors that went into deciding to leave public education. I loved being a part of the education. I love students working with peers, um, collaborating. Um, but the one thing that always rose to the surface for me was every single school district that I worked in, I was always looking for a new challenge.
Gwen: I was always looking to grow myself, just personally. So it would be taking on A new leadership position, creating new curriculum, creating new classes, wherever I felt that there was a gap in student need, I would work endlessly to fill that gap, whatever it was. And so I, uh, kind of got to a point that it was either, pursue going into administration or potentially going out into, uh, the private sector. And so I decided to choose going into the private sector from there. So, it took about a year long process to upskill myself in a lot of it was renaming my resume, renaming and, um. Rebranding where I was in education, uh, to make it relatable to private sector.
Gwen: So it took me a, a year, I took a series of classes to upskill on my own, just to see. I thought I wanted to go into data analytics. Wholeheartedly, and it wasn’t just data analytics that I ended up enjoying. It was instructional design that I felt the real crossover. And so, I interviewed lots of different places, and I ended up landing a contract with, Microsoft three years.
Gwen: And, still there and enjoying everyone who is on that team and, all the innovation that comes along with it. I keep the theme of challenge and I love a new challenge, and I am always challenged by something new and learning something new. So in the last three years, I think I’ve grown probably more than I did in the 15 years in education, which just the element of where I’m at now.
Elizabeth: Thank you for sharing that, and I’d love to hear a little bit more about that journey when you were upskilling. But before we get into that, if you wouldn’t mind sharing. I know a lot of educators and administrators who are looking to leave the profession have this question or. Around retirement. So was that a struggle for you when you were looking to leave and leaving your pension?
Elizabeth: how are you able to move past that and are there retirement options at your new company?
Gwen: That is such a phenomenal question. because I had changed, in different states, I taught in different states. I started off in Washington, taught in Wisconsin, taught in Colorado. each one of them had a different retirement program. Some were, within the state run. Some were completely private, uh, just like a private sector, 401k.
Gwen: so I had to weigh those. My husband and I both weighed those options and I ultimately decided that I had plenty years left in my retirement, um, journey, I’ll say until I get to there. so it was worth it for me to,
Elizabeth: Thank you for sharing that. And that’s, that’s helpful to hear everyone’s story. I know it’s in unique, it’s unique and personal, to the person, so it’s always helpful to hear everyone’s story and how they navigate that. And tell us about, your journey and how you landed on instructional design. You mentioned analytics, so how did you find that career clarity to really know that you should invest in these upskilling courses for instructional design.
Gwen: So great question. so again, I, I thought that’s where I wanted to go was, uh, data analytics, got into a certification course. I did love the certification course, but that was not something I could see day in and day out. The only thing I would be doing. So I reached out to a number of individuals, just friends who knew someone in instructional design.
Gwen: Um, some other peers that had actually moved out of education themselves. I reached out to them and just ask them, what’s your story? Almost like we’re talking here today. and they were able to give me a little bit of glimpse in the life of what an instructional designer does. And it really resonated with me as it is still education. It is still helping others to grow in their profession. and it’s very rewarding. I have seen multiple programs, uh, being launched, had a lot of accolades into those programs being, recognized.
Gwen: And so it’s still an education element to it. It’s just, different topics is what I’ll say. And, the speed runs a. As well, of a course being launched, than what it would be in public education.
Elizabeth: And then is, was there a portfolio that you needed when you started to apply to these different jobs?
Gwen: Great question again. so I upscale, one of the other areas that I upscale in was rise in storyline. I did the 30 day trial and it happened to be, during a break that I had, I think it was spring break that I had, and I. 12 hour days and upskilling in Rise and Storyline. And I built a site for myself.
Gwen: I did built Google sites, websites and uploaded, a bunch of documents and a bunch of programs that I had done on. using all kinds of elements of my rise course that I built, which was a philanthropy, philanthropy, PO project. And, um, and then I also built in Canva, a different onboarding program for someone that I was working with.
Gwen: And then, just other displays of my skillset. So I built that into a website and included it as part of my portfolio so that going into the interview process, they could see some of my work that, so that was something that I had worked on, quite.
Elizabeth: That’s great to hear, and I know when employers are able to see that, it, it sets you apart. They can see your skillset, see what you’re doing. And I even recommend it too for sales roles. you can have a role play video. Up there on a portfolio, for revenue operations if you’re working in HubSpot or A CRM, things, even outside of instructional design.
Elizabeth: So I think it’s great to have that. And then you can, you have it, you can update it. And if there are ever jobs in the future, you’ve got this, this kind of showcase of your skillset.
Gwen: I’ve seen some great, just like elevator pitches, just a quick elevator pitch on a website, and that’s a very telling opportunity to be able to see a quick snapshot in what you can do. So that’s a, to your point of the sales, progression. So that’s another avenue that you can kind of add to your, uh, to your portfolio.
Elizabeth: And you spoke a little bit about rebranding, so are there any other kind of tips or tricks that that really helped you in your journey?
Gwen: I was a sponge. I took lots of notes and, anyone that I spoke with, I would immediately ask them, is there someone else in your field that you would recommend talking with so that I could learn a little bit more? And I would had some very generous. Individuals who said, yes, I do. There is somebody else.
Gwen: Let me get you, lemme give you the introduction. So it was really a lot of kindness of what started out as a friend of a friend and it just grew from there. So I really have them to thank for being able to see through that journey of what is it. I had a little bit of better understanding.
Elizabeth: That makes sense. And it sounds like there was a lot of networking and a lot of warm networking with people you knew, which then expanded, with people you didn’t know.
Gwen: Definitely, and I’ll say AI started at the beginning of things. I. from the get go and really made sure that I was utilizing that as a resource and even asked it questions, all kinds of questions of, how, what would be, a different way to rebrand in the private sector so you can do some great searches, um, with AI tools to be able to help you rebrand for what are education terminologies in a private sector.
Elizabeth: Oh, that’s a great tip. in your role, can you tell us what an instructional designer does and then what you do on your day to day?
Gwen: You bet. so instructional design is, so what I do is I take basically a project from end to end. There is a business initiative that, there is some sort of a gap in skilling within the business and, meet needs. By, understanding what is the issue. Having content to fill that gap and then presenting it into basically like a curriculum so that everyone can take it and upskill so that they can do a better job in their job.
Gwen: Um, so they have knowledge base that is not commonly used for them. Um, so it’s an upskilling of them. Of their own, or maybe it’s a realignment in the job positioning and they need a little bit more content to help them, uh, be a little bit more efficient in their job. So it just depends on the initiative that you have presented in front of you.
Gwen: but there could be a lot of different formats to it. So it could be an online training, so an OLT, which is e-learning. Um, and an ILT, which is, in-person, our instructor led, uh, training and then A-V-I-L-T, which is the virtual instructor led training. So there’s a lot of different platforms for the education, and I really draw upon what I had used In all my years of teaching, to be able to lay that out in a knowledgeable way, a bite-sized way to make it easily attainable and something that is always gonna answer the question of why, why do I need this training? Why do I need this information? How is it gonna help me? And what is it gonna do to make me better, in my position, whether it is, personal, professional.
Gwen: Wherever it is, what’s gonna help me?
Elizabeth: And what’s one of your favorite parts of the job?
Gwen: gosh. I really like the beginning of it because I really like trying to understand what it is that we’re trying to, what goal it is that we’re trying to help them meet, and then digging into, meeting with subject matter experts. So these are professionals that have been in the position and they are basically your living and breathing textbook in front of you.
Gwen: They have the knowledge and so it’s asking them the questions to be able to build content, that is going to help others understand their positioning that they currently have. So I like the beginning of it, but then there’s nothing like a rollout and understanding that, it was successful.
Gwen: People really enjoyed it. seeing verbatims, in the, in surveys and understanding it really did, it really hit the mark that they needed.
Elizabeth: And what about some of the challenges?
Gwen: Some of the challenges, number one is timeline. often we have a project that a deadline may be six weeks, eight weeks. It may even be a couple months. It, depending on the complexity of how many individuals are involved. No matter what that timeline is it getting all that content still in that time, sometimes you have readily a.
Gwen: can we have 15 minutes of your time, 20 minutes of your time, anything to be able to, make that work. And then the overall coordination and collaboration with the team. So making sure, do we have developers that can help us? Do we have graphic designers to help us? Do we have other people in coordination, and publishers?
Gwen: Who do we have on our team? And make sure that they’re all coordinated to, hitting the one goal. And,
Elizabeth: And what does your work environment look like? Are there specific hours you have to be online? and who do we collaborate with?
Gwen: Great question again. so I have, a set of eight to five is what I have, set on my calendar. However, since we’re a global company, it sometimes I have to be on time zones and. All different time zones just to be able to meet those individuals and to be able to talk to them. So it, it really varies from time to time.
Gwen: But for the most part in my day, it’s an eight to five with a little bit of, of course a lunch break and stuff like that. but it is, teams will vary sometimes it. Sometimes it’s 3, 4, 5, depending on the project, who we need to, who we need to bring in. So it varies who we’re working with.
Gwen: I am lucky that I’m a hundred percent remote, so I can pretty much work from anywhere as long as I have a great wifi and a computer. I am very lucky on.
Elizabeth: That’s great to hear. And again, we just love to hear these different stories, every company’s different and, and how they run, whether it’s remote or hybrid and even different situations while you’re remote about when you’re online and when you’re not. And can, you mentioned your contract.
Elizabeth: So can you talk a little bit about, you were exiting a steady salary and a full-time W2 position, how did you navigate deciding whether. were gonna go into a contract role or look for something salary based.
Gwen: I have often even thought to myself, is that something that I wanna continue doing is staying with contract. It’s been, for right now, it has been amazing. I can’t encourage it enough. Um, I have a great con contract, a great company that I work with for that contract. And, uh, then ultimately, you know, my day to day is working with other contractors and FTEs in the business that are super supportive.
Gwen: So I, I did, I guess, unless an FT comes around. That would draw me away or draw me in some other direction. Um, I’m enjoying what I’m doing and I’m, I am challenged and I’m always gonna look for another challenge. Uh, taking more leadership positions as they’re available and taking on more challenges as they’re available.
Elizabeth: So I know you’re looking for those opportunities, as they come and always looking to learn, but in terms of instructional design. What does the career trajectory look like?
Gwen: so instructional design, uh, is just an element of learning and development. And so there are different areas, so. a lot of peers that I’ve talked with, uh, sometimes it’s learning experience designer. Sometimes it’s going into another position in learning and development, getting into more of a managerial role.
Gwen: So it’s a program manager. Um, a project manager is another opportunity. So there’s a. Positions or leadership positions that can go into from here, having a solid instructional design background or learning experience background will really kind of set you up to figure out is that something you wanna get into?
Gwen: Is that a next program that you would like to champion and be a manager of?
Elizabeth: And, and what skills, you mentioned this earlier too, that, what skills did you bring from teaching that you use every day at your job now?
Gwen: a lot of it still every time. Program that I ever have created in the last three years and in the 15 years in public education, was always, centered on the why. Why do they need to know this? Why, why is it important? And so I’ll never lose sight of that. That’s always my two North is making it relevant, making it important so that everybody is getting what they need out of it.
Gwen: And so that comes in different facets. So answering the question of why maybe understanding a learning type, so maybe it’s an individual that needs a little bit more of a learning experience that resonates to them. So there’s a lot of different ways that you can answer the question of why, but that’s the one thing that I keep, I have kept consistence throughout everything is, answering that question or trying to answer that question for.
Elizabeth: Oh, I love to hear that. And I, I feel like when you do see materials that are built by a teacher, because they’re, they’re always, they always have that in mind with are my students. Understanding this is it meaningful is irrelevant. And what does your work life balance look like now that you’re outside of the classroom?
Gwen: I love the work life balance that I have. I, more than anything, I love Sundays. Again, I I always dreaded Sundays and the school calendar because it meant that I took home a very large amount on Friday afternoons to work on over the weekend and inevitably it would come to, five o’clock on Sunday night and I still have all that work.
Gwen: to do I love Sundays again That is biggest work life balance. I have.
Elizabeth: I love to hear that. and what have you learned about yourself during this process? We love to wrap up by hearing about, in this big career journey as you’ve shifted from education to instructional design. What have you learned about yourself?
Gwen: I really have learned that setting your mind to something really does hold true Stay with it, encourage it. Find ways, ask people to answer questions. Don’t be afraid of looking at, um, at what’s next. And don’t lose the faith so that, if you want to continue into a chosen career path or changing into a career path, stick with it.
Gwen: Absolutely stick with it. Always looked at better yourself. What can you do to upskill yourself? Tell your story. ’cause that was another good advice that I had was tell your story. What have you done? My initial beginning was. Uh, one of, well, I don’t know if I can relate what I’ve done in the classroom to others, um, in a private sector.
Gwen: And when I started breaking it down, I really could, but it took a while to develop that story. and once I did, I could relate it very well.
Elizabeth: Thank you so much for sharing that, Gwen, and for sharing your story today. I’m so excited for everyone to listen. Thank you so much for your time.
Gwen: Thank you, Elizabeth. I appreciate it.
