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Software Trainer

Interviews

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Like a lot of software trainers, James Martin followed an indirect route to his career.

"I intended to be an English professor, so I have a master's in English, but while I was in grad school the job market for new PhDs looked pretty abysmal."

Fortunately, there was another field that had plenty of opportunities -- computing.

"I'd always had an interest in computing. I had done web development on the side, and I looked around and thought, 'What's the quickest way for me to transition to something IT related?'" Martin says.

"One option would have been to go back and do a computer science undergrad degree. But then I discovered educational technology. So I did an M.Ed. in educational technology and kind of veered off into [software training]."

Martin is now a software trainer and instructional developer at Trident Technical College in Charleston, South Carolina. He does face-to-face training for college staff. He also records screencasts so staff can learn about software on their own time.

"We also function as a kind of second-tier help desk," says Martin. "If there are questions that are related to how to do things in various apps, they ultimately get funneled up to us and assigned to whoever's responsible for that app.

"Beyond that, we do some departmental consulting," he adds. "If there's some new software coming down the pike, and some department needs to migrate from what they're currently doing to the new software, we'll work with them one-on-one... and get the training in place so they have job support on the new system."

Martin says it's important that a software trainer doesn't just like teaching, but also enjoys the technology itself. That interest will make you a better trainer, and you'll enjoy your job more!

"I like new software," says Martin. "I'm always testing new software on my own. If you take an interest in these kinds of things and you genuinely like seeing how you can solve problems and like kicking tires on software to see how it fails and how it doesn't, then I think that's really the main requirement."

Software trainer Kathryn Kroll agrees. "The best trainers come from the people who actually use a software on a daily basis," she says.

"They are the people who know every shortcut, trick and special technique to produce amazing results. When I take a class, I want to be taught by someone who uses a particular software 10 to 12 hours a day, every day. I don't care if that person has a college degree or not."

Kroll owns a business in Texas that provides graphic design and computer training services.

In the late 1980s, Kroll worked as a graphic artist in a typesetting/paste-up production environment. She'd been working at the job for 10 years when she was laid off, to be replaced by a computer. She took a three-month AutoCAD course to get a job using a computer to produce graphics.

"As I progressed in this course, I was able to help new and slower students grasp concepts through my explanation of the process," says Kroll. "My instructor made note of this, and teased me about taking his job."

A few months after taking that course, the school asked Kroll to lead their graphic design training program. In that job she had to quickly learn a lot of new software. Fortunately, she had an aptitude for it.

"I learned QuarkXPress over a weekend, and was teaching it on Monday," Kroll says. "For that first class, I was barely one day ahead of my students, but it made me learn the program in depth. Within a year, I had learned six different applications and began teaching them."

The ability to quickly learn new software is essential for software trainers.

"The biggest requirement is that you can quickly get up to speed on new technologies, because there are always new ones. And you always have to be immersing yourself in something new so you can teach other people how to use it," says Martin.

Kroll says there are three additional qualities that are important for software trainers.

"First: patience," she says. "Second: absolute knowledge of a software in a real working environment. You can't fake it. Third: laugh. Enjoy working with people to help them learn something new."

Michael Shumko says the best part of being a software trainer is interacting with people and sharing ideas.

"I especially like the 'Aha!' moment, seeing the light bulb come on when someone has grasped a difficult topic," he says.

Kroll echoes Shumko's comment: "The best is when I hear the DING and the light bulb comes on, and the student 'gets it.' They become excited with a new skill, and I have seen some amazing talent hiding in students. The next best is when they call me to thank me years later, because they landed a job they wanted, and they get to use what I taught them."

Shumko became a software trainer after discovering how much he enjoyed sharing his knowledge of computers and software.

"As a young nerd fascinated with science and computers, I studied computer science in college," says Shumko.

"Then I worked as a programmer analyst for a big company for about seven years. During that time I became specialized in certain computer systems, and started sharing what I knew with my colleagues. That's when I discovered that I enjoyed working with people even more than working with computers, and that sharing what I knew gave me satisfaction."

If you think software training might be for you, Shumko suggests you take a close look at the teachers you have particularly liked, or not liked. Use them as examples to see if you have the qualities that make a good instructor.

"They can try teaching their peers and parents about some software topics that they themselves are knowledgeable," Shumko says.

"Prepare some written materials, workbooks, examples, exercises, and see if they can get grandpa to start Skyping or using Excel. [They can] get constructive feedback from their 'students.'"

Kroll offers similar advice: "Tutor younger students or older slower students in your strong subject," she suggests. "Develop patience, compassion, understanding."

Kroll also advises keeping an eye on the big picture.

"Young persons still in high school who want to become a software trainer should focus on a career field first, and the software used within a field second," says Kroll.

Technology is leading the advances made in any field: Medicine, engineering, electronics, etc. The field drives the development of the technology and the software."

Aspiring software trainers should also have a high tolerance for change. Software is an ever-changing field. Kroll has seen this first-hand.

"I have watched companies and the software they created rise to the top and be knocked off by another company's software," Kroll says. "I have thrown out at least half of the software I learned, because the company that created it is no longer in business. This trend will not change.

"Do not be brand loyal to one particular software manufacturer or operating system," she adds. "It will change, and every year the changes come faster and faster."