Advice about qualifications

[Andrea]

Hi,

If someone started learning web design from a book or a free tutorial and then later on wanted to gain a recognized certificate in various aspects of web design or web development. Is it possible to do this without having to enroll on a course?

Regards

[Webwork]

I'd say references trumps certificates any day.

By references I mean existing websites that you designed and that people would be willing to verify or substantiate your role.

Build your own website for your services and, with your client's permission (start small, local businesses, static sites, on the cheap) you can put up screenshots and links to your work with explanations about what you did.

The heck with overpriced certificate courses.

[Andrea]

Hi,

Thank you for the advice.

Regards

Andrea

[mjtaylor]

The heck with overpriced certificate courses.

I would have to agree. I used an online tutorial to teach myself HTML in 1995 when I first discovered the Internet and wanted to create a personal home page for fun. Soon, friends and acquaintances were asking me to make sites for them and in less than three years, I had a full time business, and more new business than I could handle alone.

To date, I have only had one potential client ask me about qualifications. And, no, I didn't get the business.

I did take an online course in SEO sometime in the late 90s and posted my cert on my web site, but I took that course to learn, not for the qualification.

My work speaks for itself. New business finds me because my sites place highly in the search engines. My work is "proven" by the positions in the SEs.

So, I say, take courses only for the information. If you need to know more about SEO, php, cgi, Photoshop or whatever, take the class for the knowledge and see the certification as a bonus.

MJ

[Andrea]

Hi,

Thank you for replying. I am trying to learn web design at the moment out of a book that I was recommended to me.

Regards

Andrea

[cabowabo]

If you have prospects asking if your are certified in web design, then I would get one, but if they aren't asking, what's the point? The key, as was already mentioned, you take a course to learn. I taught myself web design through a book, but took a leap when I took a course locally. Look around, test, play, have fun, and keep learning (which includes spending time here). :-)

Cheers,

CaboWabo