Do you have what it takes to be a professional Web designer?
Friday June 8, 2007
When I started in this business, I worked for a year or two as a Web Writer. My job was to be a technical writer for a tech support Web site.
It didn't take me too long to realize that learning HTML would be a good idea if I wanted to stay current in the field I was moving into. Of course, at that time, images had just been added to the most popular Web browser, so there wasn't a lot to learn. I think that now it's become a lot harder to become a successful professional Web designer. There is just so much to learn and know.
Poll: Are you paid for your Web design work?
- What Kind of Web Developer Do You Want to Be?
- What is a Webmaster?
- What Does it Take to be a Web Developer?
- Getting a Job as a Web Developer
- Tips for Getting a Web Design Job
- How Much Programming Does a Web Developer Do?
- Advice on Freelance Web Development
- Freelance Web Designers - What Does Your Web Site Say About You?
- Is Web Design Limited to Local Markets?
- Writing and Using Contracts
- Copyright on the Web
- How to Set a Price for Web Design Work
- Start with a Business Plan
Comments
Hi Jennifer, I’m new to your website. I am a DoD software tester and our developer uses XML for our software. The current problem is that nobody in our branch speaks XML so I have been tasked to learn it just for communication purposes, and I am supposed to brief XML in about three weeks. I signed up for your online tutorial, but I fear I won’t learn it quickly enough going this route and was wondering if you could offer any guidance to afford me a somewhat rushed enlightenment. You can email me or just post a comment. I would appreciate any input. Thanks!!
More to learn and know are not bad things. Yes it is more difficult now but the rewards are plentiful. I love the feeling of designing something that is fun to use and is a responsive platform; actually being able to write applications on a webpage. I most definitely welcome the advances in modern browsers and I welcome the future of these innovations. Learn as much as you can, it’s well worth it.
I think a lot of people just starting out make the mistake of thinking that they can develop some web sites for friends, family & church, then hang out their shingle.
Then they find out that they need more tools, more skills, more time, and oh yeah… BUSINESS skills (invoicing, sales, marketing, bookkeeping, collections, taxes, time management, etc.). The juggling act can tire a person out fast.
Gone are the days when a newbie with basic skills could go work at a corporation or for a webdev firm.
If you want to be a contract developer, you’ll need the same business and interpersonal skills as any business owner.
Technical requirements vary from employer to employer. Some companies like Front Page, some require XML, etc. There’s no one skill set that will get you into any given job.
If you have the aptitude to be a programmer, you’ll pick up other languages easily. That makes you more attractive to a potential employer, and gives you flexibility whether you’re a corporate employee or a contractor.