From Technical Writer/Instructor to Learning Solutions Consultant.
I am a member of NokiaEDU, which is the customer training and employee learning and development organization for Nokia. After spending the first few years of my career performing technical writing and courseware development roles, I was offered the opportunity to fill a part-time project manager role for technical courseware development. When the scope of the project management role expanded significantly, I discussed with my manager the prospect of migrating full-time to the project manager role. Before this opportunity, I remember that I would have been content simply continuing my career as a technical writer. My manager supported the job transition and additionally approved the knowledge and skills training that would help assure my success in the role. My manager's guidance for this first significant career change for me and the latitude she allowed me to develop professionally in to the new role impacted me profoundly. Three years later, when I expressed interest in technical instructing (Training Delivery) and then in managing technical instructors, again my leaders provided guidance and support my career choices. I feel that the technical instructing role was the best and most consequential job experience I've had - as it contributed greatly to my enthusiasm for expanding my knowledge of and participation in the Corporate Learning and Development field. My passion for Corporate Learning and Development, the desire to enhance my knowledge and skills for my professional development in the field, and having the support of my management team helped motivate me to pursue a Master of Education degree and then a Ph.D. in Education. Largely due to the good fortune and privilege of working hand-in-hand with the finest technical experts, colleagues, and leaders to be found anywhere, my Nokia career has allowed me to contribute to Nokia's success as a Learning Specialist in the field I love most.
I manage technical training proposals/delivery to Americas' customers.
For my current position in NokiaEDU, as a Learning Solutions Consultant performing Technical Training Delivery Management, I have primary responsibility for the delivery of technical training for Nokia customers located in North America and Latin America. The position requires fast-paced responsiveness and customer, technical product, and process knowledge and execution. My specific domains of Technical Training Delivery Management include Nokia Mobile Networks, Nokia Software, and Nokia Software - Core. The technical training request may come directly from a customer, from the responsible Nokia Customer Team, or from a Customer and Partner Learning Solutions colleague within NokiaEDU. For each request received, the Learning Solutions Consultant obtains specific details for the training request (i.e. customer name, customer contact name and information, specific training being requested, a date range for the training delivery, training deliver mode [e.g. virtual, classroom, web-based, etc.], language, number of individuals needing the training, payment, etc.). Using the training request details, the Learning Solutions Consultant confirms that the personnel and facility resources are available during the needed date range to provide the requested training delivery. The Learning Solutions Consultant works with the training requester to develop and submit a Training Delivery Proposal that communicates the training delivery that can be provided by Nokia. If the customer accepts the Training Delivery Proposal, the Learning Solutions Consultant works with other members of the NokiaEDU team as needed to provide the proposed training delivery. Additionally, the Learning Solutions Consultant monitors the preparations and delivery of the training and addresses any technical or customer satisfaction issues that may arise before, during, or after the training delivery. Training requests may be received several weeks or several months before the actual training start date. The number of training requests managed each year by individual Learning Solutions Consultants can average from 500 to 800, or more requests.
Working with fast-pace, customer-focused, learning & development teams
What I like most about my current position as a Learning Solutions Consultant providing Learning Delivery Management for Americas' customer is that (1) the role supports customer training which is critically important to customers' workforce knowledge, skills, and behaviors, and that (2) the role resides within Learning and Development field which has been my career passion. Because customers expect a quick turnaround on their training delivery requests to Nokia, the Learning Solutions Consultant position requires fast-paced decision-making and responsiveness along with a customer, technical product, and process knowledge and execution. The role allows me to work directly with Nokia customers and to team and collaborate with experts at all management levels throughout the technical and business communities within Nokia, from technical instructors, to courseware developers, to product managers, customer team account executives, to Bell Labs subject matter experts. I also appreciate that the role can be performed from Nokia offices or from a virtual/home office - especially during these times of coronavirus.
Never be afraid to speak up, be genuine, everyone needs to contribute
Don't be the person with the best idea that was never shared with others. Being open and honest in sharing your ideas and opinions on relevant business topics and during discussions (whether about company business or about your individual role and career) is an important thing to do. Every idea or opinion deserves consideration, and everyone's contributions should be respected. Diversity, whether cultural, gender, age, or other, is a business workforce advantage that makes us all better employees. Different employee's contributions, based on their individual and collective experiences, help assure that multiple perspectives are considered before a final decision or consensus is reached. Where some employees may have more experience, other employees may have more recent education, and yet other employees may have other valuable perspectives. Being the person who happens to be new to the company or new to your team is no reason to not share your thoughts and ideas with others.
Earning a PhD, and then using the learning to contribute more to Nokia
There are many individual and team achievements to be proud of during my career. I chose the Ph.D. achievement, not because of the personal accomplishment, but because the program included areas of study that have allowed me to become a better learning and development professional - the career area where my passion resides. For example, the field of study makes clear that environmental factors (e.g., instructions, tools, feedback, and incentives) more often have a greater impact on employee performance than do individual factors (knowledge, capabilities, and motives), and that training works best for employees' knowledge, skills, and behavioral performance improvements and that non-training intervention (such as job aids and manager involvement), when feasible, are often better for addressing other performance-improvement needs. In summary, with the Ph.D., I am able to use much of what I learned to improve my work performance and to support others on the team and throughout the organization. My management supported me throughout the undertaking, which was an incentive to me then, and is motivation to me now.
