a question

Discussion in 'CIW Certifications' started by Andrea_69, Apr 23, 2014.

  1. Andrea_69

    Andrea_69 New Member

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    Hi everybody
    I have an important question that its answer can help me a lot in order to gain a right way for my job future.
    I graduated bachelor degree in IT and have a little experience in web development and design, being interested in working, but as all of you know for getting a good job (as a web developer) I require lots of specific skills in this field.
    So, at the moment I have two options and I do not know which one will help me more effectively to gain a good job.
    The first option is going to university of Nottingham(I live in Nottingham) to pursue master degree in IT , and the second option is to attend some relevant web design classes and get a CIW certification online(distance learning).
    I really do not know if I go to the university how much experience I will get, which are related to my job ,and also after spending lot of money on university will I be able to get my favorite job as a web developer??!
    Or this is better to that I can spend money for the second option instead of university and after getting a certification , will I be able to obtain my favorite job??
    I will appreciate you if give me advice that which way is the best to do.
    Manay thanks,
    Andrea
     
  2. shadowwebs

    shadowwebs Megabyte Poster

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    instead of spending thousands of pounds on a further degree, if you want to go in to the area of web developing then you're best bet is to self-study in my opinion and build up a portfolio of work that you can show off at interview and get on your cv. look at different technologies / code languages that you could learn and go from there. maybe a couple of sites you could look at are: udemy.com and codeacademy.com
     
    Certifications: compTIA A+, Apple Certified Technical Coordinator 10.10 (OS X Yosemite, Server and Support)
    Andrea_69 likes this.
  3. dmarsh
    Honorary Member 500 Likes Award

    dmarsh Petabyte Poster

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    Andrea, there is no need to get a degree (undergrad or postgrad) to become a web developer, learning resources are abundant and low cost.

    Computer Based Training (CBT) / Online Courses :-

    lynda.com
    pluralsight.com
    codeschool.com
    codecademy.com
    tutsplus.com
    coursera.org

    etc

    Whats wrong with reading ? Try a book, maybe check out packtpub.com.

    If you don't think 3 years at university has given you the correct knowledge and skills ? What difference will one more year make ?

    CIW might seem like the answer, but I think you will find it isn't.
    The CIW foundation is a very minimal introduction to the theory of web architecture and web development. Think of the theory exam you do for your driving test. What you need is to be a racing driver, how do you get there ? by practicing driving...

    If you want someone good at playing guitar, you get the guy that can play well right ? They have skills, they might not have a certificate, but they sound cool on guitar. How did they get like that ? They practiced...

    What you need is practice and experience, why not offer to develop a web site for your local school, charity, sports club, etc. Failing that just make up a project that interests you, maybe a html5 based game or a cooking website, whatever floats your boat.

    Finally, you've been doing an IT degree, so use your google foo ! There will be many opinions around the web.
    http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-online-web-development-courses
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2014
    Andrea_69 likes this.
  4. zxspectrum

    zxspectrum Terabyte Poster Forum Leader Gold Member

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    I totally agree with what Dmarsh has said there. Experience is what you need, a good way would be to create your own site perhaps, telling people about yourself, imagine going to an interview and its was on your cv that you had created your own website about you, that would speak a thousand words in itself.

    I did the university route, and to be honest i wish id of gone down the experience route and not really bothered with a degree. Also id suggest trying to get some voluntary work with anybody, that will look good as well.

    E
     
    Certifications: BSc computing and information systems
    WIP: 70-680
    Andrea_69 likes this.
  5. Andrea_69

    Andrea_69 New Member

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    I appreciate all of you that spent your time on answering my question.
    I also (I live in Nottingham) look for some volunteer jobs in Nottingham, but I have not found anything yet.
    I was wondering if you could give me some help regarding that. do you know any company that I can refer to??
    many thanks
     
  6. shadowwebs

    shadowwebs Megabyte Poster

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    Many companies will not advertise for volunteers, however, if you think back to when you was at school and the opportunity of work experience came up and you would contact companies to see if you could go with them for a week or two, same applies now as an adult... best thing to do is look for companies that you would be interested to work for, give them a ring or an email and see how they would feel about you doing maybe 2-3 months of voluntary work experience without pay, I am sure many will be happy to
     
    Certifications: compTIA A+, Apple Certified Technical Coordinator 10.10 (OS X Yosemite, Server and Support)
    Andrea_69 likes this.

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