Is an associate degree enough to be a web designer?

Can i get a job as a web designer with just a asscoiated degree?

• Im in a 2year college in NY. taking up Visual Communication: Graphic Art. and i want to become a web designer..but i dont want to continue to transfer to another school? how much ...show more

• Answer:

  A degree is typically the standard. It is sort of arbitrary, but when an employer is looking through resumes for the first time, making the first cut, those without degrees are the first to go. However, the IT industry needs to adjust to a new paradigm. So much of IT is learned outside the classroom through experience. Security professionals learn a bit in the classroom, but the bulk of their learning is done through experience and almost in an apprenticeship approach. Gamers are much the same way. If a person comes to college and wants to be a game developer, if they don't already have some 'chops' when they get to college, they're already behind. And, besides, it shows that their interest is not at the same level as those who are passionate about the discipline. So, in theory, if you're a good web designer and can demonstrate your skill with a portfolio, that should be enough and it should get you in the door. But without the degree, it is going to be much harder. The resume won't do it. You'll need to network and get to know folks. On a side note, if you're going to be developing for the web, you need to work on your language and communications skills. This is criticism, not a jab when I say that your question and how you wrote it makes you appear uneducated and almost illiterate. It is going to be difficult to convince someone of your abilities if you cannot at least write and communicate well. Besides, isn't that the whole purpose of a web site? UPDATE: I've come back to this question because I've been thinking about my last point and want to emphasize just how critically important communication skills are. You can be the world's best web designer, but if your communication skills are lacking or, worse, appear to be lacking, you're going to be handicapped from day one. Start now. Start now by looking at what you write, proof read it, really ask yourself whether it says what you want it to say. Does it convey your point well and clearly? Even to friends and family, when you write, stop using 'IM language' and start using complete, well constructed sentences with correctly spelled words. Make this a habit. If you don't, it will bite you in the butt and most times you won't even realize it. A potential employer will not tell you why he didn't hire you. They're too busy. They'll just toss your resume and you'll never know why. This is huge. Write well!! No matter what your profession! Start now!