Learning and Development Specialist Resume Guide
A learning and development specialist helps individuals and organizations improve performance by designing and delivering training programs. They may also conduct needs assessments, develop curriculum, facilitate learning sessions, and measure the effectiveness of training programs.
You’re an expert at designing and delivering training programs that get results. But your potential employers don’t know that, so you need to write a resume that highlights your skills and experience in the field.
This guide will walk you through the entire process of creating a top-notch resume. We first show you a complete example and then break down what each resume section should look like.
Table of Contents
The guide is divided into sections for your convenience. You can read it from beginning to end or use the table of contents below to jump to a specific part.
Learning and Development Specialist Resume Sample
Diamond Lesch
Learning and Development Specialist
[email protected]
095-425-3781
linkedin.com/in/diamond-lesch
Summary
Committed learning and development specialist with 3+ years of experience designing, developing, and delivering corporate training programs. Proven ability to assess learning needs and create comprehensive instructional materials that achieve desired outcomes. Demonstrated success in reducing new-hire onboarding time by 17%. Seeking to leverage knowledge-sharing expertise to support the long-term growth of ABC Corporation.
Experience
Learning and Development Specialist, Employer A
Naperville, Jan 2018 – Present
- Achieved a 96% success rate in designing and implementing training programs that met or exceeded business objectives.
- Diligently created a resource library of development materials, including e-learning modules, job aids, and reference guides which reduced the time to develop new programs by 30%.
- Improved first-time pass rates on certification exams by 18% after revising the study guide to better reflect test content.
- Coached 10+ employees per year on how to effectively use learning tools and resources for self-development.
- Expedited the creation of 5 new training programs by developing templates and processes for team members to follow.
Learning and Development Specialist, Employer B
Fullerton, Mar 2012 – Dec 2017
- Proficiently designed and delivered training programs on a variety of topics, including customer service, sales, management and product knowledge.
- Guided employees through the learning process by providing individualized attention and support; helped them overcome challenges and realize their potential.
- Streamlined departmental operations by developing new methods for tracking employee progress and measuring program effectiveness.
- Encouraged employees to actively participate in their own development by setting goals and participating in regular check-ins.
- Inspired employees to continuously learn and grow by sharing my own love of learning with them; created a positive learning environment that was fun and engaging.
Skills
- Coaching
- Employee Training
- Team Leadership
- Leadership Development
- Time Management
- Training Delivery
- Performance Management
- Human Resources
- Change Management
Education
Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources
Educational Institution XYZ
Nov 2011
Certifications
Associate Professional in Learning and Performance
Association for Talent Development
May 2017
1. Summary / Objective
The summary/objective at the top of your resume is like a teaser – it gives the employer an outline of who you are and why you excel as a learning and development specialist. Here is where you can showcase your best qualities. For example, you could talk about how you develop training programs that increase employees’ productivity, how you create e-learning modules that reduce company costs, or how you assess employees’ needs to identify areas for improvement.
Below are some resume summary examples:
Energetic and experienced learning and development specialist with a focus on instructional design and eLearning. Proven ability to create engaging content that drives business results. At XYZ, increased retention rates by 25% through the design of an innovative eLearning program. Recognized as the”go-to” person for all things training, including the successful rollout of a new LMS platform company-wide.
Dependable learning and development specialist with 2+ years of experience creating, managing, and delivering successful training programs. Demonstrated ability to improve employee performance via assessment, analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation. Eager to join the team at ABC Corporation to develop creative solutions that address business objectives and support the growth of the company.
Proficient learning and development specialist with 6+ years of experience in designing and delivering training programs for employees across various industries. Achieved a 96% success rate in onboarding new hires at previous company. Seeking to join ABC Corp as the next learning and development specialist where I can apply my expertise in eLearning platforms to develop engaging content.
Driven Learning and Development Specialist with 5 years experience designing, developing, and delivering training programs for employees across various industries. Proven success in creating effective learning experiences that improve performance and enhance engagement. Certified e-learning developer seeking to leverage skills at ABC company to create award-winning content.
Enthusiastic and highly skilled Learning and Development Specialist with 7+ years of experience designing, developing, and delivering training programs that promote employee engagement and improve retention rates. In previous roles increased participation in learning initiatives by 33% on average. Recognized as a top performer at DEF Corp for 4 consecutive years.
Passionate learning and development specialist with experience designing and delivering training programs for employees at all levels. At ABC Corporation, built a successful onboarding program that increased new-hire retention by 25%. Seeking to leverage my experience and knowledge to help XYZ achieve its learning and development goals.
2. Experience / Employment
The work history/experience section is where you provide information on your past employment. This should be written in reverse chronological order, which means that your most recent job is listed at the top.
In this section, it’s best to stick to bullet points; this allows the reader to take in the information more quickly. When writing out the bullet points, make sure to include details on what you did and any quantifiable results that were achieved.
For example, instead of saying “Created training materials,” you could say, “Authored five new training guides and manuals that increased employee comprehension by 23%.”
To write effective bullet points, begin with a strong verb or adverb. Industry specific verbs to use are:
- Developed
- Implemented
- Delivered
- Facilitated
- Trained
- Assessed
- Evaluated
- Coached
- Mentored
- Counseled
- Supported
- Encouraged
- Motivated
- Inspired
- Guided
Other general verbs you can use are:
- Achieved
- Advised
- Compiled
- Coordinated
- Demonstrated
- Expedited
- Formulated
- Improved
- Introduced
- Optimized
- Participated
- Prepared
- Presented
- Reduced
- Reorganized
- Represented
- Revised
- Spearheaded
- Streamlined
- Structured
- Utilized
Below are some example bullet points:
- Structured and delivered training programs on company policies and procedures to new hires, resulting in a decrease of onboarding time by 15%.
- Counseled employees on professional development opportunities and created individualized growth plans to help them reach their full potential.
- Coordinated with cross-functional teams to develop targeted training solutions that addressed specific business needs and objectives.
- Advised management on the most effective ways to integrate newly acquired companies into the existing organization through training and development initiatives.
- Accurately identified gaps in employee knowledge and skillsets through regular assessments and evaluations, then implemented appropriate learning interventions to close those gaps.
- Competently designed and delivered training programs to employees across various departments, resulting in a 20% increase in productivity.
- Mentored new learning and development specialists on best practices and program delivery methods.
- Revised the company’s existing training curriculum to better meet the needs of employees, resulting in a 5% decrease in attrition rates.
- Optimized training programs to be more cost-effective, saving the company $10,000 over the course of 6 months.
- Spearheaded the development of a new e-learning platform that is now used by all employees globally.
- Trained 50+ employees on new software programs, procedures and processes; prepared training materials and manuals as needed.
- Implemented a new e-learning platform for the company which reduced training time by 20%.
- Supported the development team in creating custom learning modules and assessment tools.
- Prepared monthly reports on training statistics and effectiveness; identified areas for improvement and suggested changes accordingly.
- Independently designed and delivered soft skills workshops to groups of up to 30 employees at a time.
- Reduced training time by 10% for new hires through the development and introduction of an e-learning module.
- Reliably achieved training goals and objectives within set timeframe and budget constraints.
- Introduced innovative methods to deliver curriculum content which resulted in a 5% increase in learner engagement levels.
- Demonstrated expert knowledge of adult learning principles, effective instructional design techniques, and popular authoring tool suites such as Articulate 360 and Adobe Captivate.
- Motivated team members to work collaboratively towards common goal; recognized by management with “Exemplary teamwork” award during peak season.
- Utilized a variety of instructional methods to deliver engaging and effective training programs on topics such as customer service, sales techniques and team building.
- Assessed employees’ needs and skills gaps through surveys, interviews and observations; used findings to design targeted development plans that helped improve performance by 15%.
- Actively participated in the planning, designing, delivery and evaluation of all training initiatives.
- Presented new ideas for improving existing learning programs as well as developing new ones; implemented 2 successful pilot programs that saved the company $5,000 annually.
- Evaluated the effectiveness of all training courses by conducting post-training surveys and collecting feedback from participants; identified areas for improvement and made necessary changes to future offerings.
- Developed and delivered training programs on a variety of topics, including customer service, conflict resolution and sales techniques.
- Confidently led group trainings of up to 30 participants at a time.
- Compiled survey results and feedback from trainees to create detailed reports for management on the effectiveness of each training program.
- Reorganized the department’s filing system, resulting in a more efficient workflow for all employees.
- Represented the company at conferences and networking events related to learning and development best practices.
- Consistently facilitated training sessions for up to 30 employees at a time, ensuring that all participants were engaged and able to follow along.
- Delivered over 100 hours of training on various topics such as customer service, sales techniques and product knowledge.
- Formulated new training curriculum for the company’s flagship product launch which was successfully completed by all employees within 2 weeks.
- Participated in regular meetings with managers to discuss employee development needs and created individualized learning plans accordingly.
- Monitored employee progress via post-training assessments and provided feedback to help them improve their skills further.
3. Skills
The skills required for this job will differ depending on the company you are applying to. It is essential that you tailor the skills section of your resume to match the requirements of each individual employer.
One way to do this is by including a mix of both hard and soft skills. Hard skills would be specific knowledge or abilities related to the job, such as learning facilitation and e-learning platforms, while soft skills are more general interpersonal qualities, such as communication and time management.
It’s also a good idea to include some keywords from the job posting in this section, as many employers use applicant tracking systems which scan resumes for certain keywords before passing them on to a human.
Below is a list of common skills & terms:
- Account Management
- Adult Education
- Banking
- Blended Learning
- Business Development
- Business Process Improvement
- Change Management
- Coaching
- Communication
- Curriculum Design
- Curriculum Development
- Customer Satisfaction
- Data Analysis
- Editing
- Employee Engagement
- Employee Relations
- Employee Training
- Event Management
- Facilitation
- Fundraising
- Higher Education
- Human Resources
- Instructional Design
- Instructor Led Training
- Interviews
- Leadership Development
- Learning Management
- Learning Management Systems
- Management Development
- Nonprofits
- Onboarding
- Organizational Development
- Performance Management
- Process Improvement
- Program Management
- Project Planning
- Recruiting
- Social Media Marketing
- Social Networking
- Staff Development
- Strategy
- Talent Management
- Teaching
- Team Leadership
- Team Management
- Teamwork
- Time Management
- Training Delivery
- Training and Development
- Workshop Facilitation
4. Education
Mentioning your education on your resume is important if you are a recent graduate or do not have much experience in the field. If you have been working in learning and development for several years, you can choose to omit the education section.
If you include an education section, be sure to mention any relevant coursework related to learning and development. For example “Courses included Training Methods & Techniques, eLearning Development, and Creating Effective Presentations.”
Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources
Educational Institution XYZ
Nov 2011
5. Certifications
Certifications show that you have taken the initiative to further your professional development and keep your skills up-to-date. This is always impressive to potential employers, as it indicates that you are motivated to stay ahead of the curve.
If you have any learning and development certifications, highlight them prominently in this section of your resume.
Associate Professional in Learning and Performance
Association for Talent Development
May 2017
6. Contact Info
Your name should be the first thing a reader sees when viewing your resume, so ensure its positioning is prominent. Your phone number should be written in the most commonly used format in your country/city/state, and your email address should be professional.
You can also choose to include a link to your LinkedIn profile, personal website, or other online platforms relevant to your industry.
Finally, name your resume file appropriately to help hiring managers; for Diamond Lesch, this would be Diamond-Lesch-resume.pdf or Diamond-Lesch-resume.docx.
7. Cover Letter
Writing a cover letter is an opportunity to sell yourself to a potential employer and demonstrate why you’re the best person for the job. It should be made up of 2 to 4 paragraphs and include additional information about your professional experience and skills.
While not all jobs require a cover letter, writing one is always a good idea. Not only does it give you a chance to introduce yourself in more detail, but it also allows you to show off your writing skills and explain why you’re the ideal candidate for the role.
Below is an example cover letter:
Dear Isac,
I am writing to apply for the Learning and Development Specialist position with XYZ Corporation. My experience developing and delivering training programs, combined with my strong project management skills, makes me confident I would be a valuable asset to your team.
In my current role as a Learning and Development Specialist at ABC Company, I manage all aspects of our company’s training program, from design to delivery. I have developed successful relationships with managers across departments to identify training needs and create programs that meet those needs. I have also created an e-learning platform that has increased employee engagement in our training program by 20%.
Additionally, I am experienced in managing large projects from start to finish. In my current role, I successfully managed the implementation of a new LMS, which resulted in a 30% increase in completion rates for online courses. My ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously would be an asset to your team as you continue to grow and develop your learning and development offerings.
I am excited about the possibility of joining XYZ Corporation as your Learning and Development Specialist and look forward to speaking with you soon about this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Diamond