Another noob...

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Hi peeps.

About two weeks ago having been unemployed for a year (business went bust) and no job prospect on the horizon I'll do a web design course and suddenly be earning forty grand a year!

So I contacted Computeach and was totally sold :roll: I'm a mug. It must be said.

After listening to the salesman for two hours I was ready to sign. But I managed to slap the pen from my hand before I committed myself to owing loads of money. Again.

Which is why I find myself here. I need some feedback and info. I know nothing about web design. I don't work in IT and my only computer experience is personal.

Having said that, I love my computer. I love working at it, changing things, learning things, messing things up and panicking...
...and costing myself a fortune phoning helplines before finally figuring the problem out for myself.

In other words I have an aptitude which I would like to turn into a career. But where do I start?

I'm not technically minded. I don't like maths.
But I am logical and creative.

I don't feel that I could teach myself. I need backup. Which is why I contacted Computeach.
But it's an awful lot of money to shell out. Would I really be guaranteed a job at the end as I have been led to believe?

Is there a better way to do this?

Please advise me.

Thank you.

 

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Well you are wise to be on the cautious side and not commit yourself to owing loads of dosh.

Firstly have you thought about contacting your local college and seeing if there are any courses on web design, even if its only 1 evening a week it will give an idea if its for you and what is involved and it won't be too expensive.

I can't really guide in web design its not my area, but there will be a certain amount of programming involved unless you meant you wanted to be a graphic designer and just do the art work, in which case you will need to get saavy with packages like photoshop, illustrator and fireworks.

HTH

 

Welcome to CertForums Mr.novice

In a word, YES. But you've going to have to do your homework and find all the resources yourself. Mark makes a great suggestion about contacting your local college for information, you could also try one of your local private training providers. You should have a learn direct centre in your area and I know they do a basic web design course that you could get for FREE.

That should get the ball rolling, but don't go once a week. If you can go as much as possible and cram in as much as you can. You might even surprise yourself at how much you can learn in a short space or time.

I started out learning with Microsoft FrontPage, then moved to dream weaver and now use a mixture of pure HTML with the help of FrontPage when I cant remember the correct code

Your local library will be loaded with "How To Use ******" books so try there.

But I really must add, if you want to make a career out of web design you've got to good, the web design industry isn't like it used to be. In a previous job that I worked at we shared the building with 10 other companies 5 of them web design. In the last 4 years they all went under due to the evolution of the software mentioned above. Its all too easy for someone within the company to go on a 4 day course and come back as a WYSIWYG web designer.

You need to standout in the web design industry so learning the code is a must, something live java-script will take you further than learning Dreamweaver.

I think we have a member sirdragon that is currently on a webdesign course with a training company maybe he could help with some advice.

 

Hello noob, I know what you are now!!


Welcome to our wacky world!

 

Welcome to the funny farm. Do not...repeat, Do not shell out a ton of dough and put yourself in serious debt based on the promises of someone telling you that IT is a "get rich quick" profession. There are a ton of out of work web designers that you'll be competing with and an education with no experience and school debt on top of it is no way to get in.

I'm a complete idiot when it comes to web design. I'm more of a hardware and networking guy, myself...but they dynamics are the same. If you believe going to school for this stuff is better than self study, do your research and find a reputable school that's been around awhile. You could even schedule informational interviews at firms employing web designers and spend 30 minutes asking about what it really takes to do the job and where they got their education.

Also, there must be about a billion web design tutorials on the web and freeware html editors you can download and play with. Try it out first and see if it's what you really expect it to be.

Final word: never choose a career plan solely for the money. If it's not something you're talented at and something you love, you'll be wasting your time.

BTW, glad you made it to our little corner of cyberspace. Hope this place grows on you.

 

Hi Novice - welcome along to CertForums

I'm not even going to try to add to what the Guys have said - I just agree with them.

You should find loads of support in here at least. Good luck, Mate

 

I have just done a search for you on Learndirect website and found the following that may be of interest to you. The Web Publishing Using Microsoft Frontpage is a good place to start - the first level (called IT1 I believe) is a textbook that you receive (and keep), the other two levels and the other courses listed are all online so it means that you can access them by going into a centre or at home - or a combination of places.

The courses don't provide you with a qualification on their own but should give you a good starting point where you can get a 'feel' for the subject and a good insight to see if you wish to take things further in terms of qualifications etc.

Let me know if you would like me to look into any of the courses further for you as the centre where I work has Learndirect provision and I can preview the courses to see their content etc for you if that is of any use.

http://catalogue.learndirect.co.uk/...Standard+Search&intFirstResultDisplayed=0

Ignore any course costs that you see online as they are a guide - as Si says most centres will offer these courses free - especially to people who are unemployed - but this should give you an idea of what else is available outside the larger training companies.

HTH

 

Thanks to everyone for your advice.

Money isn't my main motivation. Job satisfaction is. I don't necessarily want to be a high flyer. I just want to pay the rent and enjoy how I'm paying it.

I spoke to a web designer (self taught) in my area today and he told me he's turning work away. Not that I'm thinking freelance but it's always an option.

I also called in at a Learn Direct centre who gave me a list of courses which I could do for very little money as I'm unemployed.

I don't know...but somehow I got the impression that it's a case of you get what you pay for. The Learn Direct 'Advisor' hadn't much of a clue what I was talking about.

I need to do this as quickly as possible and as comprehensively as possible. And I would like a qualification.

What do you all think of NITLC?

Thanks,

BTY it's MS Novice

 

my apologies, its an easy mistake in this virtual setting.

 

Excellent, more female company!

I am aware that several of the others in here are syudying with NITLC although not sure which courses they are doing so someone should be along to guide you shortly.

Oh and with regards to Learndirect advisors - they are just there to match you to a course (the choices are vast so they will have a little information on each one available) - if you chose to enrol you would then be linked with a course tutor who is a specialist in that subject so don't let the advisor put you off. It may be worth asking them who their tutor for the course is and have a discussion with them to see if the course is what you want or if they can advise other courses/materials and general advise on how to get started and fast-track to get the skills you want/need.

Sounds like there is a definate need in your area for these skills at the minute - good luck with it all!

 

Sorry about any gender confusion we may have encountered. "Novice" is a neutral name so it tends to mask your "true identity". Some people deliberately create "handles" for that purpose. Obviously Rosy isn't one of them. Welcome, "MS" Novice.

 

I thought you mean't your a Microsoft novice

"Ok flex, it's time for your smarties again"

Welcome

 

Woops - think it might have been me who put my foot in it there - sorry Novice

Hey, come on - you can call girls "Mate" too, you know :P

 

Nobody put any feet in anything. My handle isn't gender specific for a reason. It was just the first thing I thought of.

And my best mate calls me mate!

Ann.

 

Hi Novice, welcome to the forum. Come along to the chats on Thursdays.

 

I looked into Computeach, Skillstrain, Careerjobs Uk (amongst others). And just wasn't happy each time. Thank God for the 7 day cooling off period!

I'm with jobfinder365 now, and in all honesty, they're the only company who have been providing on going support. Now a month in, and still feeling comfortable. Having been one of the largest skeptics known to man kind, it's a nice surprise to know that they aren't all scam companies.

 

g0t Necr0?

 

SPAM

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