For those interested in joining a web design team, Adobe Dreamweaver training is a fundamental criteria for attaining relevant qualifications that are globally recognised. The entire Adobe Web Creative Suite ought also to be understood in its entirety. This will mean you have knowledge of Action Script and Flash, amongst others, and could lead on to the Adobe Certified Expert or Adobe Certified Professional (ACE or ACP) accreditation.
In order to establish yourself as a full web professional however, there’s a lot more to learn. You’ll need to bolt on programming skills like HTML, PHP and MySQL. A practical knowledge of Search Engine Optimisation and E Commerce will also give you a distinct advantage in the marketplace.
Being at the forefront of progressive developments in new technology gives you the best job satisfaction ever. You become one of a team of people creating a future for us all. We’re barely beginning to comprehend how all this will mould and change our lives. The way we interact with the world will be inordinately affected by computers and the web.
Wages in the IT sector aren’t to be ignored also – the income on average in Great Britain for an average IT worker is noticeably more than remuneration packages in other sectors. Odds are you’ll make a whole lot more than you would in most other jobs. The need for appropriately qualified IT professionals is assured for many years to come, due to the ongoing expansion in the technology industry and the massive skills gap that we still have.
It’s indisputable, the UK computer sector shows outstanding potential. However, to arm ourselves with the correct information, what sort of questions should we ask, and what are the most important factors?
Remember: a training itself or a certification is not what you’re looking for; the career you’re training for is. Far too many training organisations place too much importance on just the training course. Avoid becoming part of the group that choose a course that seems ‘fun’ or ‘interesting’ – and end up with a plaque on the wall for a job they hate.
Stay tuned-in to where you want to go, and build your study action-plan from that – not the other way round. Stay on target and study for a career you’ll enjoy for years to come. You’d also need help from an experienced person who can explain the sector you’re considering, and who can offer ‘A day in the life of’ outline for that career-path. This really is essential because you need to know if this change is right for you.
A lot of trainers will only offer support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; not many go late into the evening (after 8-9pm) or cover weekends properly. Never accept certification programs which can only support you through a call-centre messaging service when it’s outside of usual working hours. Training schools will defend this with all kinds of excuses. The simple fact of the matter is – you want support at the appropriate time – not when it suits them.
The best trainers use multiple support centres active in different time-zones. Online access provides the interactive interface to join them all seamlessly, any time of the day or night, there is always help at hand, avoiding all the delays and problems. If you accept anything less than support round-the-clock, you’ll end up kicking yourself. You may not need it in the middle of the night, but you’re bound to use weekends, evenings and early mornings at some point.
Trainees looking at this market are usually quite practically-minded, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and struggling through thick study-volumes. If you identify with this, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, where learning is video-based. If we can get all of our senses involved in our learning, then we often see hugely increased memory retention as a result.
The latest audio-visual interactive programs with demonstrations and practice sessions beat books hands-down. And they’re a lot more fun to do. Each company you’re contemplating should be able to show you a few examples of their training materials. Make sure you encounter videos of instructor-led classes and many interactive sections.
Purely on-line training should be avoided. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where possible, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want – you don’t want to be reliant on your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.
The way a programme is physically sent to you is often missed by many students. How many stages do they break the program into? And in what order and what control do you have at what pace it arrives? Normally, you’ll join a programme taking 1-3 years and receive one element at a time until graduation. While this may sound logical on one level, consider this: Students often discover that the company’s standard order of study is not what they would prefer. Sometimes, it’s more expedient to use an alternative order of study. Perhaps you don’t make it in the allotted time?
To be straight, the very best answer is to have a copy of their prescribed order of study, but make sure you have all of your learning modules right from the beginning. Everything is then in your possession if you don’t manage to finish within their ideal time-table.
Consider the facts below very carefully if you’ve been persuaded that that over-used sales technique about a guarantee for your exam looks like a reason to buy:
In this day and age, we have to be a little more ‘marketing-savvy’ – and usually we grasp that it is something we’re paying for (it’s not a freebie because they like us so much!) Evidence shows that when trainees fund each examination, one by one, they will be much more likely to get through on the first attempt – as they are conscious of their payment and their application will be greater.
Do the examinations at a local pro-metric testing centre and go for the best offer you can find when you’re ready. Paying upfront for examinations (which also includes interest if you’ve taken out a loan) is a false economy. Resist being talked into filling the training company’s account with extra money of yours just to give them a good cash-flow! Many will hope you will never make it to exams – but they won’t refund the cash. You should fully understand that re-takes through companies who offer an ‘Exam Guarantee’ inevitably are heavily regulated. They’ll insist that you take mock exams first until you’ve proven that you’re likely to pass.
Prometric and VUE exams are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in the UK. Why pay exorbitant ‘Exam Guarantee’ fees (usually wrapped up in the course package price) – when a quality course, support and consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.
A service provided by many trainers is a Job Placement Assistance program. This is designed to help you get your first commercial position. Ultimately it isn’t so complicated as you might think to get your first job – assuming you’re well trained and qualified; the growing UK skills shortage sees to that.
However, don’t procrastinate and wait until you’ve passed your final exams before updating your CV. Right at the beginning of your training, list what you’re working on and place it on jobsites! Many junior support jobs have been offered to people who are in the process of training and haven’t got any qualifications yet. At least this will get you on your way. The most reliable organisations to get you a new position are usually local IT focused employment agencies. Because they get paid commission to place you, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.
Do make sure you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, just to give up and imagine someone else is miraculously going to sort out your employment. Stand up for yourself and get out there. Put as much focus into landing your first job as you did to get trained.