Almost exclusively, Adobe Dreamweaver is the first base for all web designers. It is probably the favourite environment for web development on the pla...
Almost exclusively,
Adobe Dreamweaver is the first base for all web designers. It is probably the favourite environment for web development on the planet. We'd also suggest that you gain an in-depth and thorough understanding of the complete Adobe Web Creative Suite, which incorporates Flash and Action Script, in order to utilise Dreamweaver professionally as a web designer. This knowledge can mean later becoming either an Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) or an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE).
Learning how to design a website just gets you started. Creating traffic, content maintenance and programming database-driven sites are also required. Aim for courses with additional features that include these skills maybe PHP, HTML, and MySQL, along with E-Commerce and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
Many people question why qualifications from colleges and universities are being replaced by more commercial qualifications? Industry is now aware that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, certified accreditation from companies such as CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA most often has much more specialised relevance - for much less time and money. Typically, only required knowledge is taught. It's not quite as straightforward as that, but the principle objective is to cover the precise skills needed (with some necessary background) - without trying to cram in all sorts of other things (as degree courses are known to do).
As long as an employer knows what they're looking for, then they just need to look for a person with the appropriate exam numbers. Syllabuses are set to exacting standards and do not vary between trainers (like academia frequently can and does).
Any advisor who doesn't ask many questions - it's likely they're just a salesperson. If they're pushing towards a particular product before understanding your background and current experience level, then you know it's true. Occasionally, the training start-point for a trainee with some experience can be largely different to someone without. It's usual to start with user-skills and software training first. Beginning there can make the learning curve a much easier going.
Far too many companies are all about the certification, and forget why you're doing this - which is of course employment. Always start with the end goal - don't make the journey more important than where you want to get to. It's an awful thing, but a large percentage of students commence training that sounds magnificent in the sales literature, but which gets us a career that is of no interest at all. Just ask several university graduates for examples.
Make sure you investigate what your attitude is towards earning potential, career development, and if you're ambitious or not. You should understand what will be expected of you, which exams they want you to have and in what way you can develop commercial experience. Seek advice from an industry professional, irrespective of whether you have to pay - it's considerably cheaper and safer to find out at the beginning if your choices are appropriate, rather than find out after two full years that you aren't going to enjoy the job you've chosen and now need to go back to square one.
Students will sometimes miss checking on a painfully important area - how their company segments the courseware elements, and into how many bits. Students often think it makes sense (with a typical time scale of 1-3 years to pass all the required exams,) for your typical trainer to courier one section at a time, as you achieve each exam pass. However: What would happen if you didn't finish each and every module at the speed they required? Often the prescribed exam order doesn't work as well as another different route may.
To provide the maximum security and flexibility, many trainees now want to insist that all study materials are delivered immediately, and not in stages. It's then up to you how fast or slow and in what order you want to finish things.