There are as many paths to a career in training and development as there are types of training. Many trainers can tell you they “came in the back door.” Some are trainers for a while before realizing that training is a profession in its own right.
Because training became a collateral duty to the “real” jobs they have, they don't consider that someone may have studied the training process to ensure effectiveness!
Many trainers work for organizations in other departments. They may drift over to the learning and development department or the human resources department and apply for a job. Sometimes they have taken a class and decide they want to be at the training end of the classroom rather than the learner end. In other cases they may have been tapped to conduct training on a new product, service, or procedure. Enjoying the experience, they followed up on how to do it full time. Some individuals enroll in adult learning degree programs.
No matter how you have gotten to this point in your career, and whether you’re a part-time trainer, full-time trainer, or wannabe trainer, remember that a professional certification is available to you through ATD, providing you with the foundation for becoming a skilled professional.