If you’ve aspirations to be a professional web designer and have the most recognised qualification for the current working environment, you’ll need to study Adobe Dreamweaver.
Additionally, it’s good practice that you learn all about the entire Adobe Web Creative Suite, which includes Flash and Action Script, to be able to utilise Dreamweaver professionally as a web designer. Having such skills can take you on to becoming an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) or Adobe Certified Professional (ACP).
Creating a website is only the beginning of the skill set required though – in order to drive traffic to the site, maintain its content, and work on dynamic sites that are database driven, you’ll need to bolt on more programming skills, for example HTML and PHP, and database engines like MySQL. A good web designer will additionally develop an excellent grasp of Search Engine Optimisation and E Commerce.
Finding your first job in the industry sometimes feels easier to handle if you’re supported with a Job Placement Assistance program. Don’t get caught up in this feature – it isn’t unusual for companies marketing departments to make too much of it. The fact of the matter is, the still growing need for IT personnel in Great Britain is the reason you’ll find a job.
Nevertheless, don’t wait till you’ve completed your exams before bringing your CV up to date. The day you start training, mark down what you’re doing and get it out there!
It’s not uncommon to find that junior support jobs are offered to people who are still learning and have still to get qualified. At least this will get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile.
Generally, you’ll receive quicker results from a local IT focused recruitment consultant or service than any training company’s recruitment division, because they will understand the local industry and employment needs.
Fundamentally, if you put the same amount of effort into finding a position as into training, you’re not going to hit many challenges. A number of trainees strangely spend hundreds of hours on their training course and just give up once qualified and seem to suppose that interviewers know they’re there.
One crafty way that training providers make more money is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and then including an ‘Exam Guarantee’. This sounds impressive, but is it really:
You’re paying for it one way or another. One thing’s for sure – it isn’t free – it’s just been rolled into the price of the whole package.
Evidence shows that if students pay for each examination, one after the other, they’ll be in a better position to qualify each time – as they are conscious of the cost and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.
Don’t you think it’s more sensible to not pay up-front, but at the time, not to pay the fees marked up by a training course provider, and also to sit exams more locally – rather than possibly hours away from your area?
Considerable numbers of current training providers make huge amounts of money through charging for all the exam fees up-front and cashing in if they’re not all taken.
Many training companies will require you to do mock exams and hold you back from re-takes until you’ve demonstrated an excellent ability to pass – making an ‘exam guarantee’ just about worthless.
Exam fees averaged about 112 pounds twelve months or so ago through UK VUE or Prometric centres. So what’s the point of paying maybe a thousand pounds extra to have ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when common sense dictates that the most successful method is consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software.
You should remember: a training itself or the accreditation isn’t what this is about; the job or career that you want is. Too many training companies place too much importance on just the training course.
It’s unfortunate, but a large percentage of students start out on programs that sound marvellous from the prospectus, but which gets us a career that is of no interest at all. Speak to a selection of college graduates for a real eye-opener.
It’s a good idea to understand what expectations industry may have of you. What particular qualifications they’ll want you to gain and in what way you can gain some industry experience. You should also spend a little time setting guidelines as to how far you’d like to get as it will affect your choice of exams.
It’s good advice for all students to speak with a skilled advisor before following a particular study path. This gives some measure of assurance that it features what is required for the chosen career path.
Huge changes are flooding technology over the next generation – and it only gets more exciting every day.
We’re in the very early stages of beginning to get a feel for how technology will affect our lives in the future. Computers and the web will profoundly alter how we regard and interact with the world around us over the next few years.
Wages in the IT sector aren’t to be ignored either – the typical remuneration across the UK for the usual IT worker is much higher than in the rest of the economy. Odds are you’ll bring in a much greater package than you could reasonably hope to get in other industries.
It’s no secret that there is a significant nationwide need for trained and qualified IT technicians. Also, as growth in the industry shows little sign of contracting, it seems there’s going to be for a good while yet.
Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Hop over to Dreamweaver Courses or www.computer-courses-uk.co.uk.