Becoming a webmaster/webdesigner?

highrider21 · 05-08-2009, 02:46 AM

Hello, there is a webmaster certificate program at my college that I am thinking of getting. The courses required for this certificate are HTML, CSS, Javascript, Dreamweaver and a few others. The only problem is I don't know what I would do with it. Could I get a job with just this certificate and no experience? Do you think this would be enough to become a freelance webdesigner?

My other question is how do I become a webdesigner or webmaster? It seems like everyone offering webdesigning servises has a bachelors degree and like 10 years experience. How much do I need to know to become a full time webdesigner, and where can I get some initial expeirence? All the projects posted on freelance sites are way too advanced for me. I only know basic XHTML and am taking a CSS class right now. Any advice?

Also what do "webmasters" do specifically?

Thanks.

Mark Brian · 05-08-2009, 03:26 AM

Certificates can add some value to your paper resume but it's your portfolio that will be the basis of those who will hire you.

CaffeinatedWorld · 05-08-2009, 05:13 AM

Hey there!

First of all I would say that if you want to become a webdesigner you have to know XHTML and CSS - yes, but you also need to know Photoshop and understand how you can transfer your design from Photoshop into proper and valid XHTML code.

To start up quick I would recommend to look at these websites:
Best of CSS Design 2008
The Best CSS Design of 2008 CSSBUILT

And check if you will be ever able to design a website like those from SCRATCH - because that's what design is really about.

Then when you will have your HTML and CSS skills you need to learn jQuery or Flash (you need to add some dynamic stuff to your websites).

End finally - customers want to change the content them selves so you need to get a hang of PHP or a CMS like Wordpress, Joomla or Drupal. If you want to an easy start but with commercial CMS I would recommend Expression Engine (I started with EE and then went to Wordpress after their training).

wayfarer · 05-08-2009, 06:54 AM

The term "webmaster" doesn't mean anything specifically any more, if it ever did. It is just a general term to describe anyone who is capable of handling or managing a website. Many site owners are their own webmasters.

Take it from someone with little college experience and no certifications whatsoever in being a "webmaster". It isn't the amount of paper you have, it is the drive to continually self-educate and progress in your skills that will make a difference in this type of career.

In my opinion, the best thing for you to do would be to teach yourself, and study something useful in college, like programming, or graphic design. Even business courses would probably be more useful than the crap you'll learn in college about the web. College courses about web design tend to be very outdated and not very helpful.

Tyrus Antas · 05-08-2009, 10:07 AM

The only thing that'll help you get a job are a portfolio and whether or not you're good connected. Just get hold of a few tutorials and start writing some code.

Tyrus

Karen Blundell · 05-08-2009, 01:56 PM

You don't need a degree to become a web designer/webmaster, you really don't.

Here's what you do:
Go to W3Schools Online Web Tutorials
take the tutorials there and take their exam.
Join web designer, open source, and webmaster forums.
Download free templates of designers whose work you admire. Learn from them. Play with them. Start experimenting.

Start creating and submitting your own free designs.

Build your own site and showcase your free designs. Keep active in your open source communities. Soon enough you will get a name for yourself, and you will have thousands of sites linking to you when they download and use your free templates. So you will get lots of organic traffic from the search engines.

Next sign up to places like elance.com, guru.com, places where you can bid for projects. Also post ads in Craiglist, in the local newspaper, etc.

Don't charge too little for your work. You need to be percieved as an expert, so act like one.

Good luck!

Cerebral Studios · 05-08-2009, 10:56 PM

If you want to also get into the design aspect of the sites it would also be good to start playign around with imaging softwares like photoshop, better if you can also take a course on it.

05-08-2009, 02:46 AM	#1
highrider21 Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 88 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Becoming a webmaster/webdesigner? Hello, there is a webmaster certificate program at my college that I am thinking of getting. The courses required for this certificate are HTML, CSS, Javascript, Dreamweaver and a few others. The only problem is I don't know what I would do with it. Could I get a job with just this certificate and no experience? Do you think this would be enough to become a freelance webdesigner? My other question is how do I become a webdesigner or webmaster? It seems like everyone offering webdesigning servises has a bachelors degree and like 10 years experience. How much do I need to know to become a full time webdesigner, and where can I get some initial expeirence? All the projects posted on freelance sites are way too advanced for me. I only know basic XHTML and am taking a CSS class right now. Any advice? Also what do "webmasters" do specifically? Thanks.

05-08-2009, 03:26 AM	#2
Mark Brian Spartan Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: PH Posts: 701 Thanks: 57 Thanked 63 Times in 37 Posts	Re: Becoming a webmaster/webdesigner? Certificates can add some value to your paper resume but it's your portfolio that will be the basis of those who will hire you.

05-08-2009, 05:13 AM	#3
CaffeinatedWorld Active Warrior Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 69 Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Becoming a webmaster/webdesigner? Hey there! First of all I would say that if you want to become a webdesigner you have to know XHTML and CSS - yes, but you also need to know Photoshop and understand how you can transfer your design from Photoshop into proper and valid XHTML code. To start up quick I would recommend to look at these websites: Best of CSS Design 2008 The Best CSS Design of 2008 CSSBUILT And check if you will be ever able to design a website like those from SCRATCH - because that's what design is really about. Then when you will have your HTML and CSS skills you need to learn jQuery or Flash (you need to add some dynamic stuff to your websites). End finally - customers want to change the content them selves so you need to get a hang of PHP or a CMS like Wordpress, Joomla or Drupal. If you want to an easy start but with commercial CMS I would recommend Expression Engine (I started with EE and then went to Wordpress after their training).
	The Last Autoblogging tool you will ever need - Caffeinated World http://www.caffeinatedworld.org/

05-08-2009, 06:54 AM	#4
wayfarer Web Developer Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Asheville, NC USA Posts: 178 Thanks: 6 Thanked 27 Times in 25 Posts Social Networking	Re: Becoming a webmaster/webdesigner? The term "webmaster" doesn't mean anything specifically any more, if it ever did. It is just a general term to describe anyone who is capable of handling or managing a website. Many site owners are their own webmasters. Take it from someone with little college experience and no certifications whatsoever in being a "webmaster". It isn't the amount of paper you have, it is the drive to continually self-educate and progress in your skills that will make a difference in this type of career. In my opinion, the best thing for you to do would be to teach yourself, and study something useful in college, like programming, or graphic design. Even business courses would probably be more useful than the crap you'll learn in college about the web. College courses about web design tend to be very outdated and not very helpful.
	Wayfarer \| jQuery Tooltip \| b-s.me ~ micro link sharing

05-08-2009, 10:07 AM	#5
Tyrus Antas King Tyrus Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Portugal, Europe Posts: 700 Thanks: 29 Thanked 73 Times in 65 Posts	Re: Becoming a webmaster/webdesigner? The only thing that'll help you get a job are a portfolio and whether or not you're good connected. Just get hold of a few tutorials and start writing some code. Tyrus

05-08-2009, 01:56 PM	#6
Karen Blundell Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Niagara Region, Canada Posts: 604 Thanks: 350 Thanked 154 Times in 128 Posts Social Networking	Re: Becoming a webmaster/webdesigner? You don't need a degree to become a web designer/webmaster, you really don't. Here's what you do: Go to W3Schools Online Web Tutorials take the tutorials there and take their exam. Join web designer, open source, and webmaster forums. Download free templates of designers whose work you admire. Learn from them. Play with them. Start experimenting. Start creating and submitting your own free designs. Build your own site and showcase your free designs. Keep active in your open source communities. Soon enough you will get a name for yourself, and you will have thousands of sites linking to you when they download and use your free templates. So you will get lots of organic traffic from the search engines. Next sign up to places like elance.com, guru.com, places where you can bid for projects. Also post ads in Craiglist, in the local newspaper, etc. Don't charge too little for your work. You need to be percieved as an expert, so act like one. Good luck!
	WordPress Blog Management Services My Playgrounds: ClassicRockLover.com RaisingtheShire.com because life is too short not to play...

05-08-2009, 10:56 PM	#7
Cerebral Studios Graphic Designer Join Date: May 2009 Location: Quezon City, PH Posts: 15 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Contact Info	Re: Becoming a webmaster/webdesigner? If you want to also get into the design aspect of the sites it would also be good to start playign around with imaging softwares like photoshop, better if you can also take a course on it.