Hi all

 

I have recently left a long(ish) career in recruitment/sales and now I really want to pursue a career in web design.

 

What's a little different about my circumstances is that back in January I built my very first website, and then redesigned it again in April to it's current state. I am also in the stages of building a new one now. Since building it (I use the term building loosely - I bought a theme and worked around that), I actually make my living from it and get around 15/16,000 hits a month already (it's an affiliate site) and it's growing every day. As I already make a good living from the site, with literally no previous knowledge of web design I really would like to look into getting into an organisation, even at a junior level, to enhance my skills and knowledge in all aspects of web design.

 

I'm just not really sure where to start, or even if I would be able to be considered for a Junior/Trainee role with no qualifications and at my age (32). Even now my knowledge is pretty basic, I know a little HTML5 and I use Pixelmator on the Mac - that's about as far as it goes! I'd like to think I'm an intelligent guy though and do pick things up very quickly, and I've held senior positions in the organisations that I have worked in. I think though that with more experience under my belt in web design, it will help me to grow my own business in the long run.

 

What do you guys recommend, should I consider going to college first and getting some qualifications or approach companies directly - if so, what sort of companies should I be looking at approaching and what roles? I'm not fussed about earning a good salary, it's more about the experience for me.

 

Any advice would be really appreciated.

 

Thanks!

Personally I'd avoid college and employers at the moment, unless you really need to earn a salary on top of what your site earns you.

 

Web design is a portfolio-driven career. Courses are generally out of date by the time they're taught because the industry moves so fast, and the net contains all the resources you will ever need to educate yourself to a professional standard.

 

The best thing you can do is knuckle down to learning a bare minimum of html/css. Once you've got it nailed (it's not that hard) then back it up with either a strong foundation in the principles of design and a graphics software package, or get into coding. Recommended languages are PHP/MySQL and Javascript.

 

Of course, you could do all of the above, so long as you have lots of time to spare! Have a browse through the forum - there are loads of great resources and links.

 

Good luck with your career move

Thanks for the reply, that does sound like a good - and sensible - idea. I work full time on my sites at the minute, just writing content etc, but I do easily have the time to teach myself the basics I guess.

 

What graphics software package would you recommend, I use Pixelmator at the moment but I understand that's probably not the best one to use!

 

Cheers

So long as the graphics package you choose is up to the job, then it doesn't matter - it's how you use it and what results you get that are important.

 

I mainly use GIMP (which is free) but occasionally I need to use another package to create a certain effect, particularly with text as GIMP is just rubbish at text.

 

Most folks here tend to use photoshop, which is a good bit of software so long as you don't mind paying the very high price for it.

Web Designing isn't a career path to be taken lightly, and you have to understand that it is the experience and portfolio of current leaders in the web design market that give them an advantage over other aggressive service providers that are out there.

With limited knowledge about the field, and an interest in making it a lifelong career, you're going to have to invest a larger than life time and energy into honing your technique. Get the basics down where you can do them in your sleep, from the beginning and the end of designer field that you will be focusing on.

Here, I could find it beneficial to take a reputable and recommended course, maybe a couple college courses to hone your skills, just adapt to the current market's tricks and strategies for success and think with an open mind.

Also, since you were in charge of sales, I can see you having quite a background with potential clients or at least have a knack for finding them. Apply that information, build up your portfolio and resume, and after that it's just up to you about how far you go.

Best of luck!

Nice sharing.

What do you guys recommend, should I consider going to college first and getting some qualifications or approach companies directly - if so, what sort of companies should I be looking at approaching and what roles? I'm not fussed about earning a good salary, it's more about the experience for me.

 

This is an extremely competitive industry and a lot of website designers don't really think about that before they go full tilt into it with their own services for hire. I would seriously consider just doing it on the side until you know what kind of market you are able to find for your own services.

 

I went into business for myself right out of college and while I learned a lot from that miserable year I do not recommend it to others. I have had a great amount of success in the marketing side of website design and I love what I am doing. But I'm not sure I could recommend that to anybody who isn't obsessed by Internet marketing like I am.

 

Why I Don't Recommend College For Website Design:

 

I don't generally recommend going to school for website design because a lot of the programs are disappointing. You'll probably find that you are far more advanced than your teachers are in a lot of the college level programs and it costs way too much in tuition to justify the cost.

 

I know my advice might be discouraging and not what a lot of people want to hear. But website design is one of those niche markets where everybody is doing it and the competition for clients is fierce.

 

If you're looking for a career in it then there are plenty of jobs if you're willing to relocate or if you already live in a fairly technology driven city. I find that where I live we have forty designers for every job.

 

It's like watching polar bears fight over meat scraps every time a new job is listed. I'm serious, you need to find some kind of competitive edge if you want to really stand out from the crowd where I am even for a normal job.

 

Now, Let's Talk About Freelance Website Design:

 

It's a much more sophisticated market to have a business in these days than most people realize. They don't understand that they are competiting with people who spend tens of thousands of dollars on marketing.

 

I know one guy with a freelance website design business who actually has software that scrapes all of Craigslist every time somebody posts an ad for a website designer and then he send a professionally written email to them that just about makes them cry minutes after they post...

 

No kidding, his prospecting email is so good it probably makes some people cry.

 

Then he follows up with phone calls.

 

I know, I've talked to him. That's the kind of guy you are competing against in the freelance world and most website designers are completely steamrolled by these professional marketers.

 

They have no idea who they are competing against.

 

In large part that's why I write my newsletter for website designers. I keep running into website designers who think that all it takes to make a living at this is putting up a website.

 

The truth is, they need to get smart about it or they're going to have a bad time.

 

I don't want anybody to go through the misery I went through.

 

My first business was 11 months of hell.

Edited January 7, 201313 yr by WebsiteWriter

Web Designing isn't a career path to be taken lightly, and you have to understand that it is the experience and portfolio of current leaders in the web design market that give them an advantage over other aggressive service providers that are out there.

 

It gets worse. It isn't even just their experience, there are some seriously professional marketers out there in the website design niche and they dominate this market like a shark in a swimming pool filled with goldfish.

 

I really wish more website designers were prepared for the reality of business.

i find this http://t.co/hY86IeUA to be or to find freelancers

This is an extremely competitive industry and a lot of website designers don't really think about that before they go full tilt into it with their own services for hire. I would seriously consider just doing it on the side until you know what kind of market you are able to find for your own services.

 

I went into business for myself right out of college and while I learned a lot from that miserable year I do not recommend it to others. I have had a great amount of success in the marketing side of website design and I love what I am doing. But I'm not sure I could recommend that to anybody who isn't obsessed by Internet marketing like I am.

 

Why I Don't Recommend College For Website Design:

 

I don't generally recommend going to school for website design because a lot of the programs are disappointing. You'll probably find that you are far more advanced than your teachers are in a lot of the college level programs and it costs way too much in tuition to justify the cost.

 

I know my advice might be discouraging and not what a lot of people want to hear. But website design is one of those niche markets where everybody is doing it and the competition for clients is fierce.

 

If you're looking for a career in it then there are plenty of jobs if you're willing to relocate or if you already live in a fairly technology driven city. I find that where I live we have forty designers for every job.

 

It's like watching polar bears fight over meat scraps every time a new job is listed. I'm serious, you need to find some kind of competitive edge if you want to really stand out from the crowd where I am even for a normal job.

 

Now, Let's Talk About Freelance Website Design:

 

It's a much more sophisticated market to have a business in these days than most people realize. They don't understand that they are competiting with people who spend tens of thousands of dollars on marketing.

 

I know one guy with a freelance website design business who actually has software that scrapes all of Craigslist every time somebody posts an ad for a website designer and then he send a professionally written email to them that just about makes them cry minutes after they post...

 

No kidding, his prospecting email is so good it probably makes some people cry.

 

Then he follows up with phone calls.

 

I know, I've talked to him. That's the kind of guy you are competing against in the freelance world and most website designers are completely steamrolled by these professional marketers.

 

They have no idea who they are competing against.

 

In large part that's why I write my newsletter for website designers. I keep running into website designers who think that all it takes to make a living at this is putting up a website.

 

The truth is, they need to get smart about it or they're going to have a bad time.

 

I don't want anybody to go through the misery I went through.

 

My first business was 11 months of hell.

 

You give some of the best advice on this forum, great post.

 

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