The need for education, learning and developing new skills does not stop at schools, colleges and universities. Indeed, many businesses want their employees to receive training, attend courses and earn qualifications to improve their performance and productivity.
Many individuals also want to improve their own personal knowledge, skills and qualifications to boost their employability. Consequently, the world of work needs corporate trainers and team building consultants!
If you’ve seen David Brent’s cringe-worthy motivational seminar in The Office, you might be excused for thinking that people working in corporate training are delusional, offering cheesy and pointless speeches to employees who don’t actually care about getting any further training.
However, this stereotype is far from the truth. If carried out effectively, corporate training and team building schemes can really help companies to reach their business objectives, and, if that sounds like what you’re after, a graduate job in this field could await you.
What do corporate educators actually do?
People who work in this corporate area of education tend to be teaching people about skills, methods and techniques rather than facts and figures. It is a form of teaching with very specific business-driven goals. It might involve giving people the relevant knowledge and practical skills to pass professional qualifications, or simply giving people general guidance on communication, teamwork and cooperation.
Working in this area of education can be challenging, as cynical adult employees might be resistant to your various training methods. However, most people are often glad to be doing something different to their normal daily tasks, so working in these careers can be extremely fun, especially considering the interactive nature of the teaching methods.
Indeed, whilst some corporate training might be carried out in the form of serious lectures, talks and seminars, a lot of corporate training and team building activities involve playing games and doing tasks.
What do I need to get into corporate training?
People who pursue careers in corporate training tend to either work in-house for large companies (i.e. in their HR department), for independent corporate training companies, or are often self-employed.
Excellent presentation and communication skills are essential. These guys need to have the ability to engage with a large group of people, whom they have probably never met before (and who, admittedly, might be a little bit cynical).
Many corporate trainers will use similar methods and tricks to engage their audience and get their messages across. However, it’s all about developing your own style and using your personality and ideas to be effective.
The most important thing in this area of education is to know your stuff; if you are spouting uninformed rubbish, then the highly-professional people that you are coaching will find you out pretty quickly. Corporate trainers often have a wealth of personal success, experience and knowledge. After all, people want to receive training from people with proven skills and know-how. To work in this highly-competitive area, corporate trainers need to be on their toes, and know about technological advances and changes to business methodologies.
All things considered, it’s very rare that you would start off your career directly coaching people about business skills and corporate matters. Many corporate trainers actually come from a human resources background, so this might be a good place to start. Alternatively, you might be able to secure an assistant position with an independent corporate trainer or training company, and learn the trade from there.
What do I need to get into team building?
People who work as team building consultants have pretty fun jobs. These guys are in charge of running fun schemes, which encourage existing team members to improve their teamwork, cooperation and decision-making skills.
These training schemes can involve simple bonding exercises and more complex games and tasks, such as putting a tent up when you are blindfolded. Team building schemes all have a specific purpose; it’s not just about messing around and having a laugh. Team building consultants will plan a range of activities in accordance with the client company’s specific objectives. The games are then designed to develop skills that can be translatable back into the work environment.
To thrive in these careers, you need to be friendly, have excellent communication skills and have the ability to motivate and engage people you have never met before.
Most people might start off as assistants, who actively help organise events and offer advice to people who are doing the activities. There are chances for promotion, however, where you’ll get the opportunity to lead and manage training schemes, and perhaps even start your own team building consultancy.
If you like the sound of a career in corporate training and team building, check out the occupational profile of a Corporate Trainer to find out more!