If you’ve aspirations to be a professional web designer and have the most recognised qualification for today’s employment market, you should find training in Adobe Dreamweaver.
The full Adobe Web Creative Suite ought also to be studied in-depth. Doing this will familiarise you in Action Script and Flash, amongst others, and means you’ll be in a position to take your Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) or Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) accreditation.
In order to become a well-rounded web professional however, there is much more to consider. You’ll need to study various programming essentials like HTML, PHP and database engines like MySQL. An excellent grasp of E-Commerce and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) will help when talking to employers.
Adding in the cost of examinations as an inclusive element of the package price then including an exam guarantee is common for a good many training companies. Consider the facts:
Clearly it isn’t free – you’re still footing the bill for it – it’s just been included in your package price.
The fact is that if a student pays for their own exams, when they’re ready to take them and not before, they’ll be in a better position to pass first time – since they’ll think of their payment and so will prepare more thoroughly.
Sit the exam somewhere close to home and don’t pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you when you’re ready.
A great deal of money is made by many training colleges who take the exam money up-front. For various reasons, many students don’t take their exams and so the company is quids-in. Believe it or not, there are companies around that depend on students not taking their exams – as that’s how they make a lot of their profit.
It’s also worth noting that exam guarantees often have very little value. Most companies will not pay again for an exam until you can prove to them you’re ready to pass.
Splashing out often many hundreds of pounds extra on ‘Exam Guarantees’ is foolish – when a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools is what will really see you through.
A top of the range package of training will undoubtedly incorporate accredited exam preparation packages.
Avoid relying on non-accredited exam preparation systems. Their phraseology can be quite different – and this leads to huge confusion in the actual examination.
Ensure that you request some practice exams that will allow you to test your comprehension at all times. Simulated or practice exams add to your knowledge bank – so the actual exam is much easier.
Beware of putting too much emphasis, like so many people do, on the accreditation program. Your training isn’t about getting a plaque on your wall; this is about employment. Begin and continue with the end in mind.
Never let yourself become one of the unfortunate masses who select a program that sounds really ‘interesting’ and ‘fun’ – and end up with a certification for an unrewarding career path.
It’s well worth a long chat to see the expectations of your industry. Which exams they’ll want you to gain and how to gain experience. You should also spend a little time assessing how far you reckon you’re going to want to progress your career as it will affect your choice of exams.
Have a conversation with a skilled professional who has a background in the industry you’re considering, and is able to give you a detailed description of what to expect in that role. Getting to the bottom of all this long before starting out on a training path makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
If an advisor doesn’t ask you a lot of questions – it’s more than likely they’re really a salesperson. If someone pushes specific products before learning about your history and experience, then it’s very likely to be the case.
Often, the training start-point for someone with a little experience is massively dissimilar to the student with none.
Where this will be your initial crack at IT study then you may want to start out with some basic user skills first.
Copyright 2009 S. Edwards. Check out Search Engine Training or www.Careers-Advisor.co.uk/caradvl.html.
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