If you\’ve aspirations to be a professional web designer and have the most recognised qualification for today\’s employment market, the course you need is Adobe Dreamweaver.
For applications done commercially it\’s important to have an in-depth and thorough understanding of the full Adobe Web Creative Suite. This includes (but isn\’t limited to) Flash and Action Script. Should you desire to become an Adobe Certified Expert or Adobe Certified Professional (ACE or ACP) then these skills are paramount.
Building a website only scratches the surface of the skill set required though – to drive traffic to the site, maintain its content, and work with dynamic database-driven sites, you\’ll be required to have additional programming skills, namely ones like HTML, PHP and MySQL. You should also gain an excellent grasp of E-Commerce and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Searching for your first position in IT can feel more straightforward with a Job Placement Assistance program. Don\’t get caught up in this feature – it isn\’t unusual for companies marketing departments to overplay it. The fact of the matter is, the still growing need for IT personnel in the UK is what will make you attractive to employers.
Having said that, it\’s important to have advice and support about your CV and interviews though; and we\’d recommend everyone to get their CV updated right at the beginning of their training – don\’t procrastinate and leave it for when you\’re ready to start work.
It\’s possible that you won\’t have even taken your exams when you land your first junior support role; but this won\’t be the case unless your CV is with employers.
Generally, a local IT focused recruitment consultancy – who make their money when they\’ve found you a job – should get better results than any recruitment division from a training organisation. It also stands to reason that they\’ll know local industry and the area better.
A big grievance for many training providers is how much people are prepared to work to get top marks in their exams, but how ill-prepared they are to market themselves for the role they\’re acquired skills for. Don\’t give up when the best is yet to come.
Commercial qualifications are now, most definitely, starting to replace the traditional routes into the IT industry – but why should this be?
As we require increasingly more effective technological know-how, industry has of necessity moved to specific, honed-in training that can only come from the vendors – that is companies such as CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA. Frequently this is at a far reduced cost both money and time wise.
Essentially, students are simply taught the necessary specifics in depth. Actually, it\’s not quite as pared down as that, but the most important function is always to focus on the exact skills required (with some necessary background) – without trying to cram in everything else (as universities often do).
The bottom line is: Authorised IT qualifications give employers exactly what they\’re looking for – the title says it all: i.e. I am a \’Microsoft Certified Professional\’ in \’Designing Security for a Windows 2003 Network\’. Therefore companies can look at the particular needs they have and which qualifications are required to fulfil that.
Trainees looking at this market often have a very practical outlook on work, and aren\’t really suited to the classroom environment, and poring through books and manuals. If you identify with this, try the newer style of interactive study, with on-screen demonstrations and labs.
If we\’re able to study while utilising as many senses as possible, then the results are usually dramatically better.
Learning is now available via DVD-ROM discs, where your computer becomes the centre of your learning. Utilising the latest video technology, you can sit back and watch the teachers showing you precisely how to perform the required skill, and then have a go at it yourself – in a virtual lab environment.
Make sure to obtain a look at some courseware examples from your training provider. You should ask for demo\’s from instructors, slideshows and virtual practice lab\’s for your new skills.
Choose disc based courseware (On CD or DVD) every time. Thus avoiding all the issues associated with broadband \’downtime\’ or slow-speeds.
Don\’t get hung-up, as many people do, on the accreditation program. Training for training\’s sake is generally pointless; this is about employment. Stay focused on what it is you want to achieve.
It\’s an awful thing, but a great many students start out on programs that sound marvellous in the syllabus guide, but which gets us a career that is of no interest. Try talking to typical university graduates to see what we mean.
It\’s a good idea to understand what expectations industry may have of you. Which particular exams you\’ll need and how to gain experience. It\’s also worth spending time considering how far you\’d like to get as it may control your selection of accreditations.
Look for advice and guidance from an experienced advisor, even if you have to pay – it\’s considerably cheaper and safer to investigate at the start if a chosen track will suit, rather than find out after two full years that the job you\’ve chosen is not for you and now need to go back to square one.
(C) Jason Kendall. Hop over to LearningLolly.com for clear career advice. Adobe CS4 Training or Dreamweaver Courses.
