Subscribe Feed (RSS)If you’re thinking of a web design career, find a course in 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.
To become a well-rounded web professional however, you’ll have to get more diverse knowledge. You’ll be required to have knowledge of some programming essentials like HTML, PHP and MySQL. A working knowledge of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and E-Commerce will help when talking to employers.
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.
Update your CV at the beginning of your training though (advice and support for this should come from your course provider). Don’t procrastinate and leave it until you’ve qualified.
Various junior support jobs are offered to students who are still learning and have yet to take their exams. This will at least get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile.
The most efficient companies to get you a new position are generally specialised and independent recruitment consultants. Because they make their money when they’ve found you a job, they have more incentive to get on with it.
A good number of students, so it seems, put a great deal of effort into their studies (sometimes for years), only to give up at the first hurdle when attempting to secure the right position. Market yourself… Make an effort to put yourself out there. A job isn’t just going to bump into you.
Many people presume that the state educational route is the right way even now. So why then are commercially accredited qualifications becoming more popular with employers?
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.
Patently, a reasonable amount of relevant additional information has to be taught, but essential specialisation in the required areas gives a vendor educated person a massive advantage.
If an employer understands what areas need to be serviced, then all it takes is an advert for a person with the appropriate exam numbers. The syllabuses are set to exacting standards and can’t change from one establishment to the next (in the way that degree courses can).
It’s likely that you’ve always enjoyed practical work – a ‘hands-on’ person. Usually, the trial of reading reference books and manuals is something you’ll force on yourself if you absolutely have to, but you’d hate it. Check out video-based multimedia instruction if book-based learning really isn’t your style.
Many years of research has time and time again demonstrated that becoming involved with our studies, to utilise all our senses, is proven to produce longer-lasting and deeper memory retention.
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.
You must ensure that you see some example materials from each company you’re contemplating. You’ll want to see that they include instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab’s.
Some companies only have access to online training only; and while this is acceptable much of the time, think what will happen when you don’t have access to the internet or you get a slow connection speed. A safer solution is the provision of CD and DVD ROM materials which don’t suffer from these broadband issues.
One fatal mistake that students everywhere can make is to concentrate on the course itself, and not focus on where they want to get to. Universities are stacked to the hilt with direction-less students who took a course because it seemed fun – in place of something that could gain them their end-goal of a job they enjoyed.
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.
Before setting out on a learning programme, it’s good advice to chat over the specific career requirements with a skilled advisor, to make sure the learning program covers all that is required.
(C) Jason Kendall. Pop to LearningLolly.com for in-depth advice. www.learninglolly.com or CLICK HERE.
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