To become a proficient web designer and have the most recognised qualification for the job market today, the course you need is Adobe Dreamweaver. The complete Adobe Web Creative Suite should also be understood in-depth. This will mean you have knowledge of Action Script and Flash, amongst others, and could lead on to the Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) or an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) qualification.
In order to establish yourself as a full web professional however, there is much more to consider. You’ll need to bolt on programming skills like HTML, PHP and MySQL. A working knowledge of E-Commerce and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) will give your CV some extra credibility and make you more employable.
Commercial qualifications are now, very visibly, beginning to replace the traditional routes into the IT industry – but why is this the case? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs spiralling out of control, alongside the industry’s recognition that corporate based study is often far more commercially relevant, there’s been a big surge in Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA accredited training programmes that provide key skills to an employee at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time. They do this by focusing on the skills that are really needed (alongside an appropriate level of background knowledge,) instead of spending months and years on the background ‘padding’ that degrees in computing can often find themselves doing – to fill a three or four year course.
It’s rather like the advert: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. All an employer has to do is know what they’re looking for, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. Then they’re assured that a potential employee can do exactly what’s required.
One feature offered by some training providers is job placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you get your first commercial position. Because of the massive need for more IT skills in this country today, there isn’t a great need to make too much of this option though. It’s actually not as hard as some people make out to get the right work as long as you’re correctly trained and certified.
CV and Interview advice and support should be offered (if it isn’t, consult one of our sites). Be sure to you polish up your CV straight away – not when you’re ready to start work! Being considered a ‘maybe’ is more than not being known. Many junior support jobs are bagged by students who are still at an early stage in their studies. The most reliable organisations to get you a new position are normally local IT focused employment agencies. Because they only get paid when they place you, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.
In a nutshell, if you put the same amount of effort into getting your first IT position as into studying, you won’t have any problems. A number of trainees curiously put hundreds of hours into their course materials and then call a halt once certified and appear to be under the impression that jobs will come to them.
Many trainers provide piles of reference manuals and workbooks. This isn’t very interesting and not a very good way of studying effectively. Where possible, if we can utilise all of our senses into our learning, then we normally see dramatically better results.
Study programs now come in disc format, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Using video-streaming, you can watch instructors demonstrating how something is done, and then practice yourself – via the interactive virtual lab’s. Always insist on a look at some courseware examples from the training company. You should ask for slide-shows, instructor-led videos and interactive labs where you get to practice.
Plump for disc based courseware (On CD or DVD) whenever you can. You’re then protected from the variability of broadband quality and service.
Students hoping to start an IT career generally haven’t a clue what route to consider, let alone what market to obtain accreditation for. Because without any commercial skills in Information Technology, in what way could we know what someone in a particular job does? To get through to the essence of this, a discussion is necessary, covering several different aspects:
* The kind of individual you are – which things you get enjoyment from, and don’t forget – what you definitely don’t enjoy.
* Do you want to re-train because of a particular motive – for example, do you aim to work based from home (being your own boss?)?
* Is salary further up on your priority-list than anything else.
* Looking at the many markets that computing encompasses, it’s important to be able to see how they differ.
* You’ll also need to think hard about the amount of time and effort that you will set aside for the accreditation program.
To bypass the industry jargon, and find the best path to success, have an in-depth discussion with an experienced professional; a person who will cover the commercial realities and truth while explaining each certification.
Remember: the training course or a certification isn’t what this is about; a job you’re training for is. Far too many training organisations put too much weight in the certificate itself. Don’t let yourself become part of that group that choose a course that on the surface appears interesting – only to end up with a qualification for something they’ll never enjoy.
Be honest with yourself about what you want to earn and whether you’re an ambitious person or not. Sometimes, this affects which precise certifications will be expected and what you can expect to give industry in return. Have a conversation with a professional advisor who has a commercial understanding of the realities faced in the industry, and could provide an in-depth explanation of the kind of things you’ll be doing on a daily basis. Getting all these things right before you start on any learning programme makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
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