I am looking to make a career change into entry level web design and development to start. Before taking the wrong path I would like to know what employers are looking for as far as education. I currently hold a BS in healthcare. Will a certificate or associate program suffice? Can I enter into a graduate program? I am on a limited budget as a far as money and time so I will need to take affordable online courses. Can anyone lead me in the right direction as far what I need to take and under what "heading" (ex, IT, CS, etc. and what online educational facilities are apporpriate. I am in the Boston area if that helps.
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a BS is good, just get maybe an AA in website design and some computer science courses from an accredited institution, but it depends on how high you want to go.
most employers want experience and talent in this area, creative graphic skills would be a plus.
before going on any interviews, have some live sites up that you've done for reference.
If you're wanting to pursue a career in web design it is probably best to get a 2-4 year degree as that is what most employers look at first. Next is skill level... and I suggest you work on that the most as it is most important. I own a web design diploma only to be told I couldn't get a job by the school's career advisor people. With that said I'm starting my own business...
Anyway, the more you know the better. Degree's don't really count for much but make sure your portfolio gives a great impression. I find it hard to find jobs with easy HTML stuff... programming jobs on the other hand are everywhere. I guess it depends on what you really want to do. Pick an area to specialize in and learn as much as possible and you will be fine.
As for the money, I recommend getting a loan. You don't have to pay it back till 6 months after you graduate (might depend on who you loan with).
Asfar as online classes, try Keene State College (in NH) I've never done anything with web design before in my life and I started with a basic class. I really like it and I can't believe how much I'm learning, and for $99 you can't beat the cost. Maybe try a few out and make sure it's something you really want to do before you get too committed. http://www.ed2go.com/cgi-bin/oic3/n....cgi?name=keene
There is a lot more education online than there is in any class room.
You will go further with a strong portfolio than you will with a college degree. I got my first real web design/marketing job with no "real education" (other people with a college degree applied, but had no real experience).
Spend your time on creating sites related to what you want to get hired for and use those in your resume.
Distance Learning is the best form of learning. You can do it at your own pace.
