Want to know more about what it is like as a Course Creator? (Maybe you didn’t think you did, but now you’re curious… right?!)
The life of a course creator isn’t always exciting… we don’t have the prettiest Instagram feed (all you’d ever see is my desk and my laptop).
But there are definitely some upsides.
So, if you’ve ever wondered about the work I do… or even considered doing something like this yourself, then read below.
Disclaimer: This is my view of being a course creator and lot of the opinions below are simply that… my opinions. You may find that not every course creator thinks, feels or acts the same.
1. I can work from almost anywhere
But I don’t work from the beach…
Seriously, who really wants all that sand in their laptop, or all that glare on their screen.
While I could be location independent, I mostly work from my desk, in my very normal home in the suburbs.
See, I did warn you it wasn’t always exciting.
2. I don’t build a lot of content
I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true.
To be honest, I spend a lot of time editing content, guiding other people on how to build content and doing a lot of fiddly tech work behind the scenes.
Of all my time, I think maybe 20% is actually creating course content (my own or for someone else) and the rest is other stuff that goes with making a course work.
3. Ok, so I have been to some interesting places…
Facilitating courses, and teaching people how to create courses has taken me to some interesting places.
I’ve run course creation workshops in both Australia and in the UK.
And within Australia, I’ve taught course creation and facilitation for countless private companies and individuals, government departments, and even on a military base.
4. A course is a course
No matter what you are teaching, the same logic and principles apply.
It doesn’t matter if you are teaching people how to drive, how to cook, or how to fire a weapon… courses are built and structured the same way for a reason. We’re all human, our brains work in certain ways and we like to consume content in a logical, structured order. Because of this I’ve worked with people in a huge range of fields, and developing a huge range of courses.
5. It’s hard to build a portfolio and show examples
I often work under a non-disclosure agreement, especially when people are launching a course which is new to their industry. And, if I am developing or editing content for a clients paid course, then I ensure that I hand over all the IP rights to them at the end.
This is best for the client as it means they can use the content any way they want. They can change it, edit it and, of course, sell it.
So, as you can imagine… if I’ve been working under a non-disclosure agreement, or on content that a client is going to sell… then they are not to happy if I share it around the internet to show people examples of my work.
The downside of this – you won’t see a portfolio of work I have done, like you would if you went to a web developer or a photographer.
The upside of this – you know that working with me (or any other course creator hopefully) means that your content is completely safe and remains private. We value your work.
6. I don’t think that courses are for everyone
I’ll be really honest here… I don’t think that everyone should create a course.
Don’t get me wrong, courses can be a great way to leverage your income, reach a wider audience and even free up some of your time in the long run.
BUT… they don’t fit every business model.
In addition to that, I don’t think that ONLINE courses are for every business.
Even if a course does suit your content, your audience and your business model, you may be far more successful teaching face to face classes or workshops, than trying to put your content into an online course.
7. I work in batches or stints.
Creating courses isn’t always easy. My work involves a lot of editing content and tech work, and because of this my work is often detail focused and requires a lot of concentration.
Even more so if I am not familiar with the content that I am editing (because I work with courses on a HUGE range of subjects, I often don’t know a lot about the subject matter that I am working with).
I’m not a detail orientated person by nature, I’m a big picture thinker. This is great for looking at the course as a whole and working out how you can have the most impact on your students, but not always great for the editing.
To work around this I work in stints.
I’ll often smash out a batch of work in one go and then won’t do any for the rest of the day.
This allows me to focus really hard for short periods of time, and give the content I am working on all of my undivided attention.
I’ve met several other course creators and editors who work in a similar way. I think the nature of our work means that it is mentally exhausting sometimes and short stints are the most sustainable way to get through a big workload.
8. We often start working on paper
Most course creators I know start the process on paper (or at least with a pen).
It varies for everyone… but you’ll find them using post it notes, large sheets of paper, or even a whiteboard to outline modules, put content in order and work out a flow.
We don’t touch a laptop or any other tech until we’ve got the pieces in place.
I’m not sure why this is, but the tactile, tangible nature of post it notes, or big pieces of butchers paper makes the planning process a whole lot easier.
9. But I still spent a LOT of time at the computer
While the planning and outline might be completed offline, I spend a lot of time staring at a computer screen.
A LOT.
Probably more than is healthy.
If admin and file editing isn’t your jam, definitely don’t become a course creator.
So there you go, a little insight into the behind the scenes of being a course creator… as I said, it’s not always Instagram worthy, but it sure has it’s moments 🙂