Query: Do You need a Web Degree to get a Job?

turgon

Over the past few years (since 2005) Ive thought myself how to make web pages. I hand code all of them, and I learned raw HTML and CSS at You Html Source, and now I can code valid XHTML and have stopped using table for layout.

Since late 2006 I have also learned a bit of PHP and MySQL, so I have made a (dodgy enough) CMS to run my site.

But do you need a degree to get a job, or could they accept me? I wouldn't be confident enough to start myself, or to start interacting with customers. :eek:

Just a general query, thanks in advance!

Webmonkey

Id imagine having good experience and a good portfolio is worth much more than a degree when getting a job. Don't think there are any actual degrees for web design, more certificates but I could be wrong - but if you mean a degree such as a Computer Science degree then well I really don't think that is worth much on getting a job in web development as most graduates (if I can say) barely understand HTML.

The Mighty Ken

The answer is no, to put it bluntly! Any employer worth their weight will look past academic qualifications and concentrate on the candidate's ability to actually do the job and how talented they are. This is certainly true for commercial Web design. Unfortunately there are some Web agencies that will consider a degree a requirement but, ironically, these are generally run quite badly by people who don't understand the inner workings of the production and/or creative process.

forbairt

I'd have to say no you don't need a degree ( but as was pointed out some places will require one ) I'm originally an electronic engineer and have people ask me to do graphics work all the time now. I've no degree in web related stuff but I have experience ... I'm not sure exactly how employable I am though and if anyone would hire me ( I'm currently working as a freelancer)

I think experience is key here and a portfolio of what you can do for someone.

Brushing up on your interview skills will help being confident when talking to customers / clients is something that happens over time. The more you do it the more used to it you get. ( I break into a nervous sweat if someone mentions interview though )

If you don't have much of a portfolio maybe try and develope a relationship with another freelancer asking them to pass on some smaller jobs.

BRENSH

Like I think it depends on your talent. If you are talented at design and have a good portfolio you could get a job. I assume larger companies have talents in different areas. Client side coding, server side and design etc.

turgon

Thanks for all the posts!! Im currently redesigning the website for my athletic club and ill post the URL when its finished. If only ever done two for "general consumption", the rest were for practice.

forbairt

turgon wrote: »

If only ever done two for "general consumption", the rest were for practice.

I doubt you'd get a job with a portfolio of 2 ... you'd need a portfolio of 6 - 10 sites that are pretty decent at least to be considered ... in my mind at least.

But at least its a start

(if you've got a few quid to spare ... set up a blog ... template it .. set up a forum or two ... get yourself some hosting ... and a few domains ... investigate SEO as well ... ) (hosting will cost about 40 - 50 quid for a few sites for a year)

If you don't have that to invest ... get it .. (when I first set up in 2000 ... skimping and saving a few dollars here and there really hurt what I was able to do)

leninbenjamin

i've a degree, a damn good degree too, and anywhere i've been interested in hasn't even looked at me twice. it seems web companies don't trust them, experience and portfolio what you want.

p

A degree helps, but it's not critical. Education and knowledge is the important thing. If you've done a degree in a related field then you'll have had lots of opportunities to get education during your years in college.

Do you have any degree at all? If so, doing a masters in a related field would be very useful to you. If not, doing a night course, or cert or diplome could be worth considering. Not for employers, but for yourself, to build up a portfolio and to learn a bit about doing projects to a specific brief.


If you want to be a web developer then a degree is more important. If it's design, then again a degree will help your skill immeasureably, but having a good portfolio is key, as that's what you'll be hired on.

As I mentioned in a previous thread, if you're looking to break into the web industry then there's lots of jobs for people who can just do XHTML & CSS well, and will take a designers work, chop it up into slices and code it up and then hand it over to a developer. That can be a good role to see how the industry works and decide if you want to go down the design route or developer route, or as is now startign to emerge, the front-end developer (someone who does XHTML/CSS and knows Javascipt and possibly Flash very well, but doesn't really do design or server-side programming)


To sum up, you don't need a degree, but if you can get one, it will be invaluable to you, but as much for the overall experience as the piece of paper.