[Ben Owen]

Basically in a nutshell ive had it with my day job and i want to follow a career in web design.

I know a bit of photoshop and html but i wouldnt say im anywhere near a pro.

What is the best path to take?

Should i take the plunge and a pay cut and find a job as a trainee somewhere or is there a better way of achieving the job role i really want?

Is there an industry standard qualification that i could do while working in my current job?

Any help would be great, so i can think about setting the wheels in motion.

[terydinho]

The main thing you should have to get a good job is a brilliant portfolio. Qualifications are nothing compared to a portfolio that oozes quality and has a wow factor. That doesn't mean you should have worked for Coca Cola or Apple, but the work you have done (even if it is for John's Printers) should looks outstanding. Accept nothing less than brilliant in your own portfolio and you will stand a good chance of landing a job.

There is obviously a big difference between getting a great portfolio up and doing it in the 'real world' with clients and account managers breathing down your neck. So expect to be taking a pay cut initially and work your way up. Real life experience is much more valuable than qualifications.

If I were you, I would hang around here a lot, look at as many online tutorials as possible. Get loads of little freebies to work on (charities etc.. are a great place to start) as a freelancer in your own time and build up an impressive portfolio. Then you can approach web design studios (and also look at PR/Advertising agencies as these usually have a small digital offering or are looking to incorporate one) with your portfolio.

Good luck and god speed... ok maybe not god speed... but you get the idea

[Ben Owen]

Thanks for the info.

Just need to find some projects to get my teeth into now. Better go hunting

[ReaperWD]

Ben Owen, on Apr 14 2009, 13:45, said:

Thanks for the info.

Just need to find some projects to get my teeth into now. Better go hunting

If your after projects without a huge pay (if any) then send me a message. i know plenty of people taht are after very basic sites, but dont want to pay a big price.

Reaper

[Acuity]

http://www.webdesign...showtopic=19181

[bpmills2001]

ReaperWD, on Apr 14 2009, 16:45, said:

If your after projects without a huge pay (if any) then send me a message. i know plenty of people taht are after very basic sites, but dont want to pay a big price.

Reaper

I completely agree that the best way to get started is not by pursuing a qualification. A lot of the courses/qualifications out there for web design contain nothing that you can't learn from articles on the internet or from reading books. The best way to win new clients is definitely through a portfolio. I got a degree in IT and can say 100% that I learned much more from doing it in the real world.

I started out building freebies for friends and family. If you have real world projects in your portfolio, chances are that you have a number of happy customers, and happy customers tell their friends, they then tell their friends.

However, in answer to your question, regardless of whether I agree with it or not. An industry recognised qualification:
Certified Internet Webmaster programmes

[rosiesp]

Re: CIW, see this thread. There's also a pdf 'map' of the foundations syllabus here.

[oneeyedpauly]

After several unsuccessful job interviews I quickly realised all any employer was interested in was my portfolio. Web design qualifications don't mean jack!

A point I fell down on was not being able to speak the "lingo"... I never attended graphic design school and when my interviewer asked me to explain why I had designed what I had designed I couldn't say much more than "well because it looks good!". What I'm trying to say is, web design links in closely with graphic design so learning about line spacing and how to lay out a page is just as important as creating clean code.