To become a proficient web designer with relevant qualifications for the job market today, you'll need to study Adobe Dreamweaver.
The full Adobe Web Creative Suite additionally should be learned in detail. This will introduce you to Flash and Action Script, (and more), and means you'll be in a position to take your Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) or an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) accreditation.
Learning how to build the website is only the beginning. Traffic creation, content maintenance and knowledge of some programming essentials should follow. Look for training that also include these skills (such as PHP, HTML, MySQL etc.), alongside Search Engine Optimisation and E Commerce.
You should only consider study courses that'll progress to commercially accepted exams. There's an endless list of trainers promoting minor 'in-house' certificates which are worthless when it comes to finding a job.
All the major commercial players like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA each have globally renowned skills programmes. Huge conglomerates such as these will make your CV stand-out.
Commercial certification is now, very visibly, already replacing the more academic tracks into the industry - so why has this come about?
Key company training (in industry terminology) is more effective in the commercial field. The IT sector has become aware that a specialist skill-set is vital to cope with an increasingly more technical workplace. CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA are the dominant players.
Obviously, a necessary portion of relevant additional detail needs to be learned, but core specialised knowledge in the exact job role gives a commercially trained student a huge edge.
When it comes down to the nitty-gritty: Recognised IT certifications tell an employer precisely what skills you have - everything they need to know is in the title: as an example - I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Designing Security for a Windows 2003 Network'. Consequently employers can identify just what their needs are and what certifications are required to perform the job.
Technology and IT is amongst the most stimulating and innovative industries you could be involved with. To be working on the cutting-edge of technology is to do your bit in the gigantic changes affecting everyone who lives in the 21st century.
Computing technology and connections through the web is going to dramatically shape the direction of our lives in the near future; incredibly so.
If money is up there on your list of priorities, then you'll appreciate the fact that the usual remuneration of IT employees in general is a lot more than salaries in much of the rest of industry.
With the IT marketplace emerging year on year, it's predictable that the search for appropriately qualified IT professionals will continue actively for quite some time to come.
One area often overlooked by people mulling over a new direction is the concept of 'training segmentation'. Basically, this means the breakdown of the materials for drop-shipping to you, which makes a huge difference to the point you end up at.
The majority of training companies will set up a 2 or 3 year study programme, and send out each piece as you complete each section or exam. On the surface this seems reasonable - until you consider the following:
What happens when you don't complete every single section? What if you don't find their order of learning is ideal for you? Without any fault on your part, you might take a little longer and not get all the study materials as a result.
Put simply, the very best answer is to get an idea of what they recommend as an ideal study order, but get everything up-front. It's then all yours in the event you don't complete everything quite as quick as they'd want.
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