From Sales to Digital Learning Creator: Emily’s Story

Emily McAuley discovered her passion for creativity and digital learning through the Digital Learning Institute. Here’s how she transformed her role—and how you can, too.

I’m Emily McAuley, and I’m a Digital Learning Business Executive at Meritec Limited. After leaving university last year, I began working in sales but quickly realized I wanted something more creative. Learning about the products I was selling sparked my interest in how they were built, and that’s when I discovered the Digital Learning Institute (DLI).

I started with the Associate Certificate in Instructional Design, which was fantastic, and progressed to the Professional Diploma in Digital Learning Design. The courses have been instrumental in helping me understand the products we sell at Meritec and even get involved in creating them.

There has definitely been a lot of benefits. I wasn’t a very confident person and always kept my ideas to myself. So once I got into this area, I was able to develop in a different place more in line with my interests. From building these courses I’ve given them new ideas about video development which actually I managed to create an animated video and send it forward to the team and CEO of the company and to say you don’t have any video content and I think this is what you need to do. So now we implement the videos and trailers I make into our courses, on social media and our website. So it’s just done magic for me to be honest.

Since completing the Diploma, I’ve moved away from sales into a more creative role. I now market our products, demonstrate them on Zoom, and even build courses myself using tools like Articulate 360, which I got to explore during the Diploma. I also collaborate with stakeholders to create animated videos and develop engaging content for our courses, website, and social media.

Before starting the Diploma, I wasn’t a confident person and often kept my ideas to myself. Now, I’ve grown in confidence and found a role that aligns with my interests. I’ve introduced new ideas, like video trailers and animated content, which are now integrated into our courses and marketing efforts. Sharing these projects with my team and CEO has been incredibly rewarding.

The Diploma opened up a whole new world for me. It’s accessible, manageable alongside work, and gives you the skills to explore exciting new career paths. If you’re on the fence about enrolling, I’d say go for it—it’s an amazing opportunity to gain valuable skills and discover something you love.