If you're thinking of a career in web design, then it's critical to study Adobe Dreamweaver. For applications done commercially you'll need a full understanding of the complete Adobe Web Creative Suite. This means also (but is by no means restricted to) Flash and Action Script. Should you desire to become an Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) or an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) you'll find these skills are vital.

The design environments employed by web-site designers are their most valuable tools. Adobe Creative Suite 4 is the most commercially popular in the industry these days (as of 2010). The software program which builds web-sites is Adobe Dreamweaver, & Adobe Flash gives access to graphical content that can be animated & interactive. You could actually state that 'Dreamweaver' is the Word Processor of the Adobe CS range. Graphics and text can be placed (according to known limits) and then a basic inter-activity can be created by means of page linking. As with other web design environments, Dreamweaver produces the program-code 'HTML' behind the scenes (HTML is short for Hyper Text Markup Language).

Basically, this language of web browsers' is actually a 'script' that draws and controls the web page being viewed. Matched with HTML are the lay-out tag 'languages' like XML & CSS. As they are standardised, these will work on multiple platforms to enable more stream-lined 'HTML' code and more effective lay-out techniques. The idea being that the page will look exactly the same on any internet browser, be it Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera or whichever. So even though you place the graphic blocks & put in the text, Dreamweaver is turning this in to code behind the scenes. It's very important to achieve a thorough understanding of these types of languages if you would like be a website designer at the commercial standard.

Constructing a website is merely a fraction of what you'll need - to drive traffic to the site, maintain its content, and work on dynamic sites that are database driven, you'll need to bolt on additional programming skills, such as PHP, HTML, and MySQL. A good web designer will additionally gain a practical knowledge of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and E-Commerce.

A study programme must provide a fully recognised major qualification at the end - definitely not some 'in-house' diploma - fit only for filing away and forgetting. All the major commercial players such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe have widely renowned skills programs. These big-hitters can make sure you stand out at interview.

Looking at the myriad of choice out there, there's no surprise that most potential students don't really understand the best career path they will follow. Because without any previous experience in IT, how could any of us be expected to know what a particular job actually consists of? Often, the key to unlocking this problem in the best manner comes from a deep talk over several different topics:

* Your individual personality and interests - what work-oriented areas you enjoy or dislike.

* Why you're looking at stepping into Information Technology - is it to triumph over a life-long goal such as firing your boss and working for yourself for instance.

* Any personal or home needs that guide you?

* Considering all that computing covers, it's obvious you'll need to be able to take in how they differ.

* Our advice is to think deeply about what kind of effort and commitment you're going to invest in your training.

To cut through the confusing industry jargon, and find the best path to success, have a good talk with an experienced professional; someone that will cover the commercial realities and truth whilst covering each qualification.