Are You Ready for a Career in Web Design?
If you are one of the many aiming for a career in web design, the good news is that there are plenty of options. Some website designers are self-trained, others earn college diplomas in computer science, and still, others head to graduate school for a master’s degree in the subject area. After a year or more of on-the-job experience, it’s possible to add high-level industry certifications to your résumé, build up your portfolio, and even start your own firm. Job opportunities are plentiful, pay is better than average, and web design professionals routinely report very high levels of job satisfaction. So, are you ready for a career in this exciting, rewarding, challenging field? If so, check out the options and choices you’ll face right from the beginning.
Earn a College Degree
The most common way people get into the profession is by earning an undergraduate diploma in either a two-year associate or four-year program of study. One of the advantages of beginning this way is that you open up many doors for post-graduate jobs, internships, freelance assignments, volunteer positions, and entry to master’s programs. A computer science degree is perhaps the single best calling card you can have when you start.
Continuing Higher Education
Right after college, or after adding a couple of years of post-college work, many ambitious tech experts attend grad school. Paying for a master’s degree usually involves applying for a student loan from a private lender. The same is true for undergraduate degrees. The main benefit of getting your college or grad school funding from a private lender is that you can shop for a low-interest rate and essentially get the loan with terms, rate, and repayment periods that fits your budget and personal situation. This is true whether you’re the borrower or the cosigner for a student.
Gain Experience Any Way You Can
While in college or graduate school, it’s a good idea to grab as much real-world job experience as you can. Yes, coursework is demanding, but there are summer breaks, classes that incorporate internship projects, and part-time jobs you can get on your own for five or ten hours per week. All non-classroom work can be added to your résumé and will catch the eye of prospective employers when you eventually go for interviews after graduation. The other reason to get job experience is that it teaches you things you can’t learn in class, helps you get connected with other people in the field and exposes you to what on-the-ground working conditions are like in web design companies like the Bay Area web design firm.
Choose Your Employer or Start an Independent Firm
With a solid education and some job experience behind you, and with diploma in hand, the time will come to select an employer. You can search for companies yourself or work with an agent. Either way, there is no shortage of opportunities in the web development field. After a year or so of working for a corporation or small firm, you’ll be able to venture out on your own, open your own company, or sell your services as a freelance consultant.
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