Meet
Niki Anderson – Mentor
Zones of Genius
- Storytelling
- Project Management
- Wellsaid Labs
- Resumes
- Image Editing
- PowerPoint Design Tool
- Powtoon
What job/career did you transition from?
Prior to transitioning into ID I was an elementary school teacher for 14 years where I taught my class, mentored new teachers, planned and facilitated professional developments, and organized and ran different after school clubs.
Why did you join AIDA?
I joined AIDA to invest in myself. I knew I no longer wanted to teach but wanted to use the skills I had from my teaching career. When I heard about AIDA and its program, I knew it was my next step after teaching.
How did AIDA set you up for Success?
AIDA taught me all the tools I needed to be successful as an Instructional Designer. From design docs and storyboarding to learning the current programs being used in the field, everything done in AIDA is exactly what I do now. AIDA showed me how to get out of “teacher mode” by revamping my resume so it made sense outside of K-12, picking up the ID “lingo”, and gave insight to what corporate life would look like. I had an amazing group of mentors helping me to succeed all throughout my journey, along with being able to be part of a community of the most helpful and like-minded individuals.
What do you love about AIDA?
I love the AIDA community. When transitioning, everyone is starting at their bottom. With encouragement from your pod and other members, it makes the transition easier. Being able to join coaching calls to ask questions or just see what everyone is working on was instrumental to my growth. I loved that everyone helped everyone!
What are you doing now?
My current role is a Senior Instructional Designer with a multinational corporation in their Tax and Accounting Learning and Enablement Division. This is a contracted position where I have been able to really develop my storyline skills.
