To become a proficient web designer with the right credentials for the current working environment, your must-have certification is Adobe Dreamweaver. We also advise that you become fully conversant with the entire Adobe Web Creative Suite, including Flash and Action Script, in order to facilitate Dreamweaver professionally as a web designer. This knowledge can take you on to becoming an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) or Adobe Certified Professional (ACP).

To establish yourself as a full web professional however, there is much more to consider. You'll need to study various programming essentials like HTML, PHP and database engines like MySQL. A good understanding of E-Commerce and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) will also improve your CV and employability.

A typical blunder that we encounter all too often is to concentrate on the course itself, rather than starting with the desired end-result. Schools are brimming over with unaware students who chose a course based on what sounded good - instead of the program that would surely get them an enjoyable career or job. It's a sad testimony to the sales skills of many companies, but thousands of new students begin programs that seem marvellous in the prospectus, but which provides a job that is of no interest. Speak to a selection of university students to see what we mean.

Take time to understand how you feel about career development, earning potential, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. It makes sense to understand what (if any) sacrifices you'll need to make for a particular role, what particular accreditations they want you to have and where you'll pick-up experience from. Prior to embarking on a particular training course, trainees are advised to talk through specific market needs with an experienced advisor, so as to be sure the training program covers all the bases.

Searching for your first position in IT can feel more straightforward if you're supported with a Job Placement Assistance service. At the end of the day it's not as hard as some people make out to find employment - as long as you've got the necessary skills and qualifications; the growing UK skills shortage sees to that.

Having said that, it's important to have help with your CV and interview techniques though; also we would encourage any student to work on polishing up their CV as soon as they start a course - don't procrastinate and leave it for when you're ready to start work. It's possible that you won't have even got to the exam time when you will be offered your first junior support role; but this can't and won't happen if interviewers don't get sight of your CV. Generally, you'll receive better results from a specialised and independent local recruitment service than any training company's national service, because they will understand the local industry and employment needs.

Just make sure you don't invest a great deal of time on your training course, and then do nothing more and leave it in the hands of the gods to sort out your employment. Stop procrastinating and get out there. Invest as much time and energy into securing your new role as you did to gain the skills.

Ensure all your certifications are what employers want - don't bother with courses which provide certificates that are worthless because they're 'in-house'. If the accreditation doesn't feature a company like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA, then chances are it could have been a waste of time and effort - as no-one will have heard of it.

When did you last consider your job security? Typically, this issue only becomes a talking point when we get some bad news. However, The cold truth is that true job security is a thing of the past, for most of us. When we come across increasing skills shortages coupled with increasing demand of course, we generally locate a fresh type of market-security; driven forward by the conditions of constant growth, organisations are struggling to hire enough staff.

The IT skills-gap across Great Britain falls in at just over twenty six percent, as reported by the 2006 e-Skills investigation. Showing that for every four jobs that are available throughout computing, we've only got three properly trained pro's to perform that task. This fundamental reality reveals the urgent need for more properly trained computing professionals throughout the country. As the Information Technology market is developing at such a quick pace, there really isn't any other area of industry worth taking into account for your new career.

Sometimes people assume that the tech college or university track is still the best way into IT. So why then are commercial certificates slowly and steadily replacing it? The IT sector is now aware that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, the right accreditation from companies such as Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA most often has much more specialised relevance - at a far reduced cost both money and time wise. They do this by concentrating on the skill-sets required (together with a relevant amount of background knowledge,) instead of going into the heightened depths of background 'padding' that degree courses often do (because the syllabus is so wide).

Put yourself in the employer's position - and you required somebody who had very specific skills. Which is the most straightforward: Go through loads of academic qualifications from various applicants, asking for course details and which trade skills have been attained, or choose particular accreditations that perfectly fit your needs, and draw up from that who you want to speak to. You can then focus on how someone will fit into the team at interview - rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.