Should you have aspirations for a career in web design, you will need to study Adobe Dreamweaver. It's also recommended that you become fully conversant with the complete Adobe Web Creative Suite, including Flash and Action Script, in order to utilise Dreamweaver as a commercial web-designer. This can result in you subsequently becoming either an Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) or an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE).

Creating a website is just the start of the skills necessary for professional web masters today. We would recommend that you find a course with additional features such as PHP, HTML and MySQL to allow you to understand the way to drive traffic, maintain content and operate on dynamic sites that are database driven.

Beware of putting too much emphasis, as many people do, on the accreditation program. You're not training for the sake of training; this is about gaining commercial employment. You need to remain focused on where you want to go. Students often train for a single year but end up doing a job for a lifetime. Don't make the error of opting for what may seem to be a program of interest to you and then spend decades in a job you hate!

It's a good idea to understand what industry will expect from you. What accreditations you'll need and how to gain experience. You should also spend a little time considering how far you think you'll want to go as often it can present a very specific set of accreditations. Your likely to need help from a professional who knows the commercial realities of the sector you think may suit you, and who can offer 'A typical day in the life of' synopsis of what you actually do on the job. This is essential because you obviously have to know if this change is right for you.

'Exam Guarantees' are often bundled with training offers - this always means exams have to be paid for upfront, before you've even made a start on the course. Before you get carried away with the chance of a guarantee, be aware of the facts:

These days, we're a little bit more aware of sales ploys - and most of us grasp that we're actually paying for it - they're not just being charitable and doling out freebies! We all want to pass first time. Entering examinations one at a time and funding them as you go has a marked effect on pass-rates - you take it seriously and think carefully about the costs.

Don't you think it's more sensible to hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the appropriate time, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to a training course provider, and also to sit exams more locally - instead of miles away at the college's beck and call? A great deal of money is secured by some training companies who incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. For various reasons, many students don't take their exams but no refunds are given. Believe it or not, there are training companies who depend on students not taking their exams - as that's where a lot of their profit comes from. Re-takes of any failed exams with training course providers who offer an 'Exam Guarantee' inevitably are heavily regulated. They'll insist that you take mock exams first to make sure they think you're going to pass.

Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on 'Exam Guarantees' is remiss - when hard work, commitment and the right preparation via exam simulations is what will really see you through.

A number of people assume that the state educational path is the right way even now. So why then are qualifications from the commercial sector slowly and steadily replacing it? Industry is now aware that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, official accreditation from such organisations as CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA often is more effective in the commercial field - saving time and money. They do this through concentrating on the skill-sets required (alongside an appropriate level of associated knowledge,) rather than trawling through all the background 'extras' that degree courses often do - to pad out the syllabus.

When an employer knows what they're looking for, then all they have to do is advertise for a person with the appropriate exam numbers. Commercial syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and do not vary between trainers (like academia frequently can and does).

One feature that many training companies provide is job placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you find your first job in the industry. At the end of the day it's not as hard as some people make out to secure the right work - as long as you're correctly trained and certified; because there's still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.

However, don't procrastinate and wait until you've finished your training before updating your CV. The day you start training, list what you're working on and place it on jobsites! Many junior support roles have been bagged by trainees who're still on their course and haven't even passed a single exam yet. This will at least get your CV into the 'possible' pile and not the 'no' pile. The most reliable organisations to help you land that job are generally specialised and independent recruitment consultants. As they're keen to place you to receive their commission, they'll work that much harder to get a result.

In a nutshell, as long as you put the same commitment into landing a position as into training, you won't find it too challenging. A number of men and women strangely conscientiously work through their course materials and just give up once certified and appear to be under the impression that jobs will come to them.

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