Jessica Thal
Third grade teacher (10 years) Freelance Instructional Designer
Artisan Learning & Center for Responsive Schools
ID Bootcamp (Now the Certification Program)
After 10 years in the classroom, Jessica Thal transitioned into instructional design, landing two remote roles after completing her portfolio.
Burnt out from teaching but still passionate about helping others learn, she discovered instructional design during virtual teaching. She tried making the leap on her own first, but the advice felt vague and the lack of structure left her overwhelmed, so she joined the bootcamp.
“I don't think I would've made it this far in the process or landed the jobs I have without the bootcamp.”
— Jessica Thal
A Portfolio Built with Intention and Polish
Every detail of Jessica's portfolio, from her color palette to strategic background images, was designed to showcase her visual skills, with subtle animations and embedded video clips drawing recruiters into her process.
Every interviewer mentioned they had her portfolio open during their conversation and called out specific parts they enjoyed. She was even able to reference her portfolio's write-up page during interviews when asked about her design process.
Apply NowBark to Basics: Teaching Dog Safety Through Storytelling
Jessica's flagship project tackles a real-world training need: teaching children how to safely interact with unfamiliar dogs. Using Articulate Storyline, she built a visually immersive, scenario-based eLearning course with storytelling, personalization, and learner agency at its core.
From avatar selection to a 'give the dog a treat' interaction, the course keeps learners engaged while reinforcing key safety concepts. Jessica credits the Storyline Project Lab for giving her the confidence to bring the vision to life.
From Three Offers to Two Dream Roles
Jessica was soon juggling multiple interviews and had three offers come in around the same time, including a full-time hybrid role she ultimately turned down.
She accepted two remote contract positions with organizations she believed in: Artisan Learning and the Center for Responsive Schools. In one role she focuses on Storyline development alongside a team of instructional and graphic designers; in the other, she independently rewrites curriculum in the early stages of ADDIE.
For Jessica, having options felt transformative. 'It felt so different from teaching to finally have options and the flexibility to choose what fit best,' she said.
“I don't think I would've made it this far in the process or landed the jobs I have without the bootcamp. It not only gave me the technical skills I needed, but also gave me the confidence to finally see myself as an instructional designer. My whole identity up until that point was 'teacher,' so this was huge for me, and I think that confidence is what helped me land the jobs I have now.”
“I tried to make the transition on my own. I took a few online classes and followed several teacher transition sites and courses, but the advice always felt vague. After leaving teaching — a career I was so ingrained in for 10 years — I realized I needed more structure and hands-on guidance. I wasn't sure how to translate my teaching experience into corporate language, and after a few months I felt overwhelmed and knew I needed a clear, step-by-step path.”
“Every interviewer said they had my portfolio open during our conversation and mentioned specific parts they enjoyed. After 2 months of applying to instructional design jobs, I started getting interviews and eventually had 3 offers come in around the same time. It felt so different from teaching to finally have options and the flexibility to choose what fit best.”
