Career as a Web Designer: Creative Gateways

Companies prefer recruiting candidates who are able to keep themselves updated on the latest software - Mani Singh, founder, Access Technologies

The lowdown

Website designing has two aspects - creative and technical. The creative side involves visualisation and conceptualisation while the technical side involves converting layouts into HTML and giving effects with help of JavaScript and AJAX. Web designers can surf the internet for design ideas or can bank on their creativity to make a template. Once a client approves the template, the technical work begins.

Clock Work

10am: Start work - browse the net to check the websites of the client's competitors make a template and show it to the boss for approval

1.30 to 2.30pm: Lunch

2.30pm: If the client does not like the design, redo it. If the delivery deadline is on the same day, work late to complete project

Payoff

The average starting salary of web design graduates is about Rs 2.5 lakh a year. However, those without a degree make about Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 a month. At the middle level management, the pay is around Rs 5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh a year. At the senior level, the pay averages around Rs 12 lakh a year. A graphic head can get as much as Rs 24 lakh to Rs 26 lakh a year

Skills/Traits

• Lots of imagination, willingness to experiment and learn
• Ability come up with original, creative ideas for a brief and bring them alive on the web
• Ability to sit at the computer for long hours
• A fun-loving attitude

Getting There

After Class 12, you can join a web-designing course offered by various institutes. You need to learn about the web, HTML (HyperText Mark-up Language), PhotoShop, software like Dreamweaver and Flash, CSS (Cascading Style Sheet, for managing content formatting) and at least one programming language such as ASP, ASP.NET or PHP

Institutes

• Arena Multimedia: www.arena-multimedia.com
• Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan: www.bvbdelhi.org
• NIIT: www.niit.com
• South Delhi Polytechnic for Women: www.polytechnic-sdpw.com
• YMCA: www.newdelhiymca.org

Websites like Lynda.com and w3schools.com provide learning resources online and on DVD

Pros And Cons

• You get to learn the latest technology
• Most of your time is spent on the computer
• Interesting, creative job

Source: HT Horizons

Date: 25th March, 2011

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