Nearly all aspiring web designers start their careers with Adobe Dreamweaver training. It's most likely the favourite environment for web development on the planet. For commercial applications you will require a full understanding of the whole Adobe Web Creative Suite. This will include (but is by no means restricted to) Action Script and Flash. If you wish to become an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) or Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) then these skills are paramount.
In order to establish yourself as a full web professional however, there's a lot more to learn. You'll need to study various programming essentials like PHP, HTML, and MySQL. A firm grounding in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and E-Commerce will give your CV some extra credibility and make you more employable.
It's usual for students to get confused with a single training area usually not even thought about: The breakdown of the course materials before being packaged off through the post. Many companies enrol you into some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and send out each piece as you get to the end of each exam. This sounds reasonable until you consider the following: What if you don't finish all the sections or exams? Maybe the prescribed order won't suit you? Through no fault of your own, you might take a little longer and not receive all the modules you've paid for.
To avoid any potential future issues, it's not unusual for students to make sure that every element of their training is sent immediately, and not in a piecemeal fashion. That means it's down to you in what order and how fast or slow you want to finish things.
Make sure you don't get caught-up, like so many people do, on the training course itself. Training for training's sake is generally pointless; this is about gaining commercial employment. You need to remain focused on where you want to go. It's possible, for instance, to thoroughly enjoy one year of training and then spend 20 miserable years in a tiresome job role, as a consequence of not performing the correct level of soul-searching when it was needed - at the start.
Spend some time thinking about the income level you aspire to and the level of your ambition. Sometimes, this affects what particular exams will be required and what you can expect to give industry in return. Always seek guidance and advice from an experienced professional, irrespective of whether you have to pay - as it's a lot cheaper and safer to find out at the beginning whether your choices are appropriate, instead of discovering after 2 years that the job you've chosen is not for you and have to return to the start of another program.
A expert and specialised consultant (as opposed to a salesman) will want to thoroughly discuss your current experience level and abilities. This is useful for working out the starting point for your education. If you have a strong background, or perhaps a bit of live experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then it could be that the level you'll need to start at will be different from a trainee who has no experience. For those students beginning IT exams and training anew, it can be helpful to break yourself in gently, starting with some basic user skills first. This can be built into most types of training.
Each programme of learning has to build towards a fully recognised major exam as an end-result - and not a worthless 'in-house' diploma - fit only for filing away and forgetting. The top IT companies such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe all have internationally renowned skills programmes. Major-league companies like these will give some sparkle to your CV.
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