How Do I Become a Training Specialist?

Training specialists are professionals who train other professionals. The subject matter can include skills training, computer training, or policy training. As with many other careers, you will need a combination of education and experience to become a training specialist.

Education is a necessary factor if you want to become a training specialist. This education can occur as a formal university education that results in a degree, or it could consist of professional education that leads to a certificate or other such credential. It may also be a combination of the two or may consist of on-the-job training obtained as a training assistant.

To become a training specialist, you will need to acquire skills in teaching others in a professional environment. This is usually somewhat different than teaching in a school. Training specialists typically must teach in very compressed time periods and often work with an audience of cross-functional professionals. Trainers must learn to address all learning levels effectively in a short period of time.

You will also need to be a quick learner yourself. Professional trainers are often employed as consultants and must be able to effectively explain and illustrate policies and concepts that may be unfamiliar to them. In order to become a training specialist, you will need to be able to demonstrate a strong aptitude for learning new facts and translating them into usable information in a way that resonates with your trainees. Much of this aptitude will come with practice, which is why experience is such an important factor.

Experience can be gained by working as an assistant to a professional trainer or by conducting training sessions in another setting. If you need to gain additional experience, you might volunteer to attend formal training for a new computer program being implemented at your workplace and then train the other workers in your department to use the program. You might also offer to teach courses on your area of specialty at your local community center or for a volunteer organization.

In order to become a training specialist, you also may need to have experience or training in curriculum design, which is the process of planning the coursework for a training class or seminar. This includes planning lectures, developing learning activities, choosing discussion topics, writing course materials, and developing success metrics. You may also need to be familiar with incorporating technology-enhanced learning, which refers to training that uses such technology as computers or handheld computing devices.