Does Web Design Certification Really Matter When Looking for a Web Design Job

Web designers are in high demand. As a result, there have been a lot of people that are looking for jobs in this very field. As employers want only the best and most qualified to work for them, this had led to the creation of web design certification.

What is web design certification? To put it simply, web design certification is an acknowledgment that the recipient is certified in all aspects of web design that they were trained in. Most often a web design certification is required for any job in web design. Building a portfolio and being successful without one is possible but very difficult. It is really best to pursue a web design certification from a qualified institution. The more certifications a web designer has the more likely they are to be hired.

There are lots of places that a certification can be acquired from, both on and offline. First, it is important to find the most respected web certification institutions. This means that they give out certifications from the AWP. AWP stands for Association of Web Professionals and is the organization in charge of giving out these qualifications.

The most basic of these certifications is the CIW, which is acquired through one test on the absolute basics of web design. Next is the CWD or ‘certified web designer’ degree from the AWP. This is another singular test that will require basic internet knowledge and design knowledge. A step up is the Certified Associate Webmaster or CAW web design certification. This is another test, costing 125 dollars that must be purchased from VUE. This will cover some essentials of scripting and some markup. There is also W3C certification and BCIP certification on the basic level.

From here things become more advanced, and we return to the AWP. Now to become an Associated Webmaster Professional, you must pass an exam on advanced HTML and XHTML content. Two more certifications include Dreamweaver MX Certification and Flash Certification. This entails having knowledge on each program and being able to effectively use them. MCTS or Microsoft Technology Specialist is another certification that can be acquired by a test that is required for the development of of.Net applications. Finally, a certification from ColdFusion is available after 1 year of working with them, called the ColdFusion MX Developer Certification. This too is acquired through testing.

A web design professional can choose to go even further in their pursuit of qualifications. First is CIW Master, which requires multiple exams on a variety of different subjects. This can be specialized in a number of different subject areas. Be sure to choose specializations that align with what you intend to be doing for the company or client that you want to work with.

Obviously, what certifications are needed are based on the employer. Researching what companies are looking for is most important in deciding which path to take. There are some certifications that are targeted at different fields. It is also a good idea to see what other people in your field have. Make sure to match them in relevant certifications. From here try to get the next certification up. An additional web design certification will attract employers to choose you over another candidate. This is important because web design is such a competitive field. Certifications can help to get newbie web designers jobs when their portfolio is lacking in anything of note, in terms of prestigious assignments anyway. A web design certification can also be a deciding factor between two promising candidates with similar portfolios, so this is one field where the number of qualifications and certifications you hold really can tip the scale in your favor.