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Becoming a webmaster/webdesigner?

by highrider21
6 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
    • |
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.
#webmaster or webdesigner
  • Profile picture of the author Mark Brian
    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.
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  • Profile picture of the author CaffeinatedWorld
    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).
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  • Profile picture of the author wayfarer
    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.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tyrus Antas
    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
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    • Profile picture of the author Karen Blundell
      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!
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  • Profile picture of the author Cerebral Studios
    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.
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