So where in IT are you likely to find a job? Faced with the current environment, web development might be a good bet. The US economy might be dragging ponderously along its upward course, but the worldwide growth of the internet and it's users continues to fly ever higher. The travel industry is tapping into more communities as sites like Hotels.com (owned by InterActiveCorp, NasdaqNM:IACI) reap the benefits, while the big names such as Amazon (NasdaqNM:AMZN), Yahoo! (NasdaqNM:YHOO), and Ebay (NasdaqNM:EBAY) continue their domination.
Check out the following stats taken from recent news stories:
- McDonald's "found that about 75 percent of mothers with children under 9 years old use the Internet as their primary source of information". Full Story
- "The Internet surpassed television as the most consumed media of choice for teen-agers and adults up to age 34". Full Story
- "The percentage of Latinos using the Internet at least once per month has risen 25 percent since 2000". African Americans follow closely with 22% growth since 2000. Full Story
- "China had 68 million Internet users as of the end of June, 8.9 million more than half a year ago, according to statistics released Monday by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC). " China's internet population is second only to the US. Full Story
- The Nielsen/NetRatings announced that online usage for the three fastest growing wired cities in 2003 outpaced overall population growth in those cities. The top three are Atlanta (19%), Los Angeles (14%) and Washington D.C. (14%). Put together, that's over 11 million new users since this time last year. Full Story
With all of this in mind, where to begin? There are several paths to a career in web development. First, search the job sites and newsgroups to see who is hiring and what skills they are looking for. Second, get a bit of experience. Do it at home, school, as help desk staff, as an intern, whatever. Just do it. No amount of book-learning will suffice for hands-on coding and design experience. Next, get certified. Most development certifications require one or two exams and function as proof of your skill and dedication.
Web Certifications
• Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 2 Platform (SCJP) - Intermediate certification, 1 exam, $150, 59 questions. There is also the Sun Certified Java Web component Developer (SCJWCD) certification - Intermediate certification, 1 exam, $150, 59 questions.
• Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) - Beginner to advanced certification. CIW offers multiple paths of certification. You begin at the Associate level with 1 exam. Additional levels require one to seven additional exams ranging in prices from $99 to $175.
• WOW Certifications - Beginner to Intermediate. The World Organization of Webmasters (WOW) offers several certifications at three levels. One exam is required for the apprentice or associate level ($125). A score of 50% or better on the exam awards an apprentice while 70% or better awards associate certification. A professional level exam can be taken independently ($175).
• Certified Coldfusion MX Developer - Intermediate certification, 1 exam, $150. Certifications are also available for Dreamweaver and Flash.
• IBM Certified Solution Developer - XML and Related Technologies - Advanced certification, 1 exam, $150. This exam applies to the IBM Certified for e-business - Solution Technologist certification.
• Brainbench Certified Internet Professional (BCIP) - Intermediate, 6 exams, $19.95 to $39.95 each (occasionally exams are free). Three tracks are offered: Designer, Developer, and Administrator.
• CompTIA e-Biz+ and i-Net+ - Intermediate certifications, 1 exam each, $199 each. 60 questions for e-Biz+ and 74 for i-Net+.