A Career in Web Site Development
It is not difficult to find work developing web sites, but if you want to earn good money and get plenty of work, you probably need to be able to do more than just create a web site that looks good.
The most successful web site developers are likely to be:
- Self employed
- Programming in languages that are at the cutting edge of the industry
- Very well networked (being aware of industry developments including new technologies, search engine policies, problems such as spyware and viruses etc).
- Skilled in illustration (eg. Design, photography, using programs such as photoshop)
- Skilled in marketing
Though there are many people who learn to program computers (and web sites), there are many unemployed programmers. Often this is because the programmer has learnt languages which are not in demand. This is an industry where being up to date is absolutely critical!
Typical jobs or career paths
Some people develop web sites as a small part time business, to supplement their “normal” job.
Students or others just starting into this industry may find part time employment either on a contract or casual basis, developing web sites.
The most successful web developers are often small business operators, either working alone or employing no more than a handful of specialists (eg. Programmers, graphic artists/designers).
Some larger operations (eg. Marketing/Advertising firms) will employ web developers to service their clients.
Increasingly, IT departments in large organisation (businesses, government departments etc) employ web developers in house to manage and develop their web sites.
Remuneration
Self employed web developers can command very high hourly fees if they are able to produce sites that get lots of traffic, and /or actually make money.
People who can program fast, without mistakes, and in desirable languages (eg. ASP.Net) are in demand and will get work easier, and should be able to earn as much if not more than other professions (eg. A medical doctor). You don’t walk into the ultimate job without experience though.Your first work is more likely to be irregular and paid at a relatively low rate; but in this field, the opportunity to advance to a highly paid position within a few years of starting out certainly exists for those who can demonstrate appropriate skills.
Risks & Stresses
- Meeting Deadlines (Don’t over commit, and remember things can go wrong; so give yourself some breathing space)
- Not updating programming skills
- Being unaware of industry developments
- Being unaware of policy changes with search engines
- IT or power failures
- For owner operators-all the same risks any business faces
Insurance
Consider Professional Indemnity Insurance, and discuss other needs pertinent to your situation with an insurance agent.
Recommended Courses
Web Site Development has become a huge industry; and there is high demand for developers who can bring results. Unfortunately, many of the courses offered by colleges and universities do not adapt to change very fast; hence the graduates are often being taught programming and marketing approaches which are neither the most up to date or most effective.
The IT Staff at ACS are world leaders in web site development. You only need to conduct web searches for topics like Horticultural Correspondence Courses to see how high we rate on search engines. The Certificate in Web Site Development(VIT002)has been designed to provide the skills that make a graduate employable and successful.
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