Congratulations on the chosen subject. It's a great one to get into!
I have no qualifications in web design or that specialised field. I only have a college BTEC in ICT.
Has that stopped me?
Not at all! I'm self-taught in web design and development and have gained vast amounts of knowledge because of it.
I've been to University and dropped out twice (tut, tut in employers eyes!). I'm only 20 and I'm currently working for one of the leading design and marketing agencies in North Yorkshire. My life's just starting. This is my second official position within an agency.
Here's how to do it..
Find alot of tutorial websites to get you started within the subject and practice, practice, practice! Submit your work for review either on this forum or around the Internet. Some comments will be harsh and some will give you solid advice on how to improve. Some reviewers will give you advice and some will just simply say your work is either good or bad. The good and bad comments you need to ignore and concentrate on the advice given.
You can either get a qualification in this subject or go self-taught with none at all.
Employers
Employees are greedy and getting the right job is a stretch. Your portfolio is what they will be looking at. In the end, qualifications are nothing if you can prove you're creative through your portfolio. However, if you're trying to get a job with the top agencies, qualifications will be mandatory in some cases, however, in most cases experience in the sector with other agencies waives your qualifications. For smaller companies, your portfolio is all they'll be looking at.
Regarding the course description; you'll be an employers dream. However, unless you're creative and produce stunning (well.. attractive), valid websites the qualification and skills gained remain useless.
Thanks for the advice SPS, I really appreciate it!
Regarding the qualifications...
Here's the deal, I am totally clueless! I was told that to get a job, I would need to provide qualifications, which is why Im aiming to get one.
And I think I would really need it under the circumstances..
Little background here about me.
Im a Filipino and have been living here in the UK for nearly 6 years. I haven't experienced working in this country yet as I have been focused on raising my son, but since he's in school now, I have all the time in the world to do something for myself and hopefully help with bills by doing something that I believe I'd enjoy.
But as I said earlier, I was told that I would be needing qualifications, and also, that whatever education I had abroad won't be recognized here at all. It doesn't matter that I had 4 years in college, coz here that doesn't mean anything. This was what i was led to believe that's why I thought that it was mandatory in applying for a job, be it for a small or big company.
Im really excited to do these courses. I took up Interior Design and know a bit of CAD, which I know has nothing to do with web design but I guess it's safe to say that I have a streak of creativeness in me.
To SurreyWeb and mds..my thanks to you both as well!
I'll surely be back to share my progress.
I'll be doing homestudy and will be taking up web design courses, and hopefully find a job once I get my qualifications.
There are a few things that I need to know, though.
- First of all, is self homestudy enough for me to learn about web design?
- What do employees look for in a web designer?
- And lastly, this is the course description, and I would really appreciate anyone's opinion on it--will it be enough to be able to find a job afterwards?
WEBMASTER Course Description:
* Use all of the important HTML/XHTML tags, including hypertext links and anchors, lists, tables, frames and forms;
* Construct a fully-functional website with a range of useful page formats;
* Create sensational special effects, including roll-over buttons and scrolling marquees, without the need for specialist programming;
* Learn to use basic JavaScript;
* Build an exciting, visually-appealing online store; and
*Create stunning movies using Adobe's industry-leading Flash development tool.
Qualification Nationally Recognised NOCN Level 2 Diploma in Website Design & Construction.
This qualification is equivalent to an NVQ Level 2 or GCSE and consists of 6 credits which can be used to access higher education qualifications.
WEBMAESTRO Course Description:
* Create JavaScript functions and Java Applets;
* Develop eCommerce Websites;
* Implement Cookies to track your users;
* Use Dynamic HTML to modify pages in real-time;
* Implement Cascading Style Sheets for precise control of page layout; and
*Construct powerful web-based database applications.
Qualification Nationally Recognised NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Website Design & Construction.
This qualification is equivalent to an NVQ Level 3 or A Level
The courses come with a comprehensive software Library, which includes trial/freeware versions of the following software: Adobe Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks & PhotoShop CS3, Paint Shop Pro, Gif Construction Set, MapEdit, WinZip 11, Shop Factory Pro, Cute FTP and Colour Picker 1.9.
Sorry about the long post, but I do hope that someone replies.
