For anyone looking to get into a web design team, an Adobe Dreamweaver course is an absolute must to achieve relevant qualifications recognised globally.
The complete Adobe Web Creative Suite additionally should be studied comprehensively. This will mean you have knowledge of Flash and Action Script, amongst others, and means you’ll be in a position to take your Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) or an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) certification.
To establish yourself as a full web professional however, there’s a lot more to learn. You’ll be required to have knowledge of some programming essentials like PHP, HTML, and MySQL. A good understanding of E-Commerce and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) will also give you a distinct advantage in the marketplace.
How the program is actually delivered to you isn’t always given the appropriate level of importance. In what way are your training elements sectioned? And in what order and how fast does each element come?
Most companies will sell you some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and courier the materials in pieces as you get to the end of each exam. Sounds reasonable? Well consider these facts:
What if you don’t finish every section? And what if the order provided doesn’t meet your requirements? Through no fault of your own, you may go a little slower and not receive all the modules you’ve paid for.
In a perfect world, you’d get ALL the training materials right at the beginning – enabling you to have them all for the future to come back to – whenever it suits you. This allows a variation in the order that you attack each section if you find another route more intuitive.
It only makes sense to consider retraining programs that progress to commercially acknowledged accreditations. There are way too many small colleges pushing ‘in-house’ certificates that are essentially useless when you start your job-search.
You’ll find that only recognised accreditation from the major players like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco and CompTIA will have any meaning to employers.
People attracted to this sort of work can be very practical by nature, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and poring through books and manuals. If this could be you, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, where learning is video-based.
Research over recent years has always verified that becoming involved with our studies, to utilise all our senses, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.
Locate a program where you’re provided with an array of CD or DVD ROM’s – you’ll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, and be able to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills.
You must ensure that you see examples of the study materials provided by your chosen company. It’s essential they incorporate video demo’s and interactive elements such as practice lab’s.
Avoid training that is purely online. Ideally, you should opt for CD and DVD ROM courseware where obtainable, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want – it’s not wise to be held hostage to your internet connection always being ‘up’ and available.
Authorised exam preparation and simulation materials are a must – and should definitely be supplied by your training company.
Steer clear of depending on non-official exam papers and questions. The type of questions asked is often somewhat different – and sometimes this can be a real headache when the proper exam time arrives.
As you can imagine, it’s very crucial to ensure that you’ve thoroughly prepared for your actual certification exam prior to going for it. Practicing ‘mock’ tests logs the information in your brain and saves you time and money on wasted exam attempts.
(C) 2009 – S. Edwards. Go to WebDesignTraining4IT.co.uk or HERE.