So, I have three choices ahead of me, and this is going to decide pretty much where I head, career wise for the next few years. My three choices are as follows:

1) Web designer - I have experiance in web design and programming, mostly HTML and a little PHP with very small graphical work and no flash work at all. I live in a small town (roughly 5,000 people) and we have a ton of small businesses here, all of which don't have a website and I'm sure I could convince them to allow me to make them one, thusly starting my own business.

2) Film Director/Editor - Ever since I was 9 years old I wanted to be a movie director, when I turned around 15 that changed into web programming and whatnot since I spent most my time on the computer. The editor job comes into play since I can do that on the computer and I am good at it (I make movies for my CS team). My uncle and uncle in law both work as grips for Universal, so I have some "in" into the industry if I decide to go this way.

3) Game developer - I have been studying game development, C++, SDL, OpenGL and Direct3D for game programming. If I decide to do this, I could get good at it and apply for jobs at activision, ubisoft, EA, etc since I live within 20 minutes of all those places.

No matter what career I choose, I want to make a lot of money doing so, as I intend on owning my own large house and being able to live comfortably. I will have to go to college no matter what career I choose so that's not a matter either.

Pretty much my question to you is: What would you advise me to do (not "test them all" cause I can do that, but I dont want to waste time.) but which direction you think I should go based on my location, and current skills (I live near LAX Airport by the way.)

Also, here are more questions for you who are already working in this industry:

1 - How much money do you make roughly? Is it fixed income ot pay per job?
2 - How many hours a week do you work and do you have a set schedule or do you just work as much as possible?
3 - What did you major in in college?
4 - How hard is it to get into the web design industry and where do you see it headed?
5 - Do you see the web developer market flooded to the point where you have to be amazing to get anywhere?

Any advice is welcome.

If you don't love what you do, you'll spend 1/3 - 1/2 of your life doing something you can only describe as being work. Don't do that to yourself, no matter how much money it will bring you. Make sure you choose what you really want to do in your heart. That being said:

1 - How much money do you make roughly? Is it fixed income ot pay per job?Roughly $80k/yr. in Northeast Ohio, which equates to about $150-175k/yr. where you live.

2 - How many hours a week do you work and do you have a set schedule or do you just work as much as possible?40 hours set, 20-30 hours variable, and I choose.

3 - What did you major in in college?I majored in electronic media production as an undergraduate (radio/tv production - my specialty was audio engineering). I carried minors in computer information systems and sociology. My graduate degree was in media management. It was around the time I entered into my masters program that I chose to pursue studies in online media, which is not too far removed from traditional media at all. It was an easy leap to make, and the School of Journalism at Kent State (where I went) was responsible for the online media programs at the university when I attended.

4 - How hard is it to get into the web design industry and where do you see it headed?Not hard at all. I see the Web industry diversifying greatly over the next 10-20 years. "Web" is used by most to describe that thing you log onto in order to see Web sites or check your email. In the future, it will be a much more universal technology, responsible for how machines function, how different types of technology communicate. It will be an engineering medium as much as it is an informational vehicle now. This isn't new rhetoric, and it isn't anything we aren't seeing already. You can use the Web to program the lights in your house so they'll turn on a few minutes before you come home from work. You can use the Web to turn on your oven a few hours before dinner to cook your roast. You can use the Web to locate your lost pet. The same technology will be used to coordinate robotics functions, especially in labs and factories (if this isn't taking place already). Our concept of what the Web is capable of doing for us right now is incredibly narrow. See my next answer...

5 - Do you see the web developer market flooded to the point where you have to be amazing to get anywhere?You should strive to be amazing at whatever you do if you want recognition and a stable career. But is the field flooded? Not by a longshot. The field is still in its infancy - the Web is still in its diapers as far as the growth cycle for media goes.

the_pm


What would you suggest to us who are wanting to get into this job market? What should we take or learn in order to do this?

I have always wondered if I were to apply what people look for, as in qualifications.

Thanks

First, I'd say you have to have well-rounded technical skills. You simply have to know the technology you want to use and theory behind why it is used the way it is. If you're looking at university programs, consider the variety of courses offered that handle (X)HTML/CSS, ASP, .net, PHP, database administration and software languages (tip: .net will get you a LOT farther professionally than PHP - I prefer PHP myself, but the reality of the job market is that .asp is a vastly more powerful application for enterprise needs, and this is where the best jobs are found). Make sure you have a healthy understanding of the role the W3C plays in the industry and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

As part of your education, take some graphic design courses. At my school, these were offered in both the Journalism program and visual arts. You'll probably have little trouble finding some good courses on the subject.

Round out your technical knowledge with whatever else you have the capacity to grab. You'll never be any worse off for it.

All of that stuff is important, but you and a few million other people are learning the same things. If you really want to make yourself valuable in the marketplace, you need to know the marketplace and how to communicate effectively within it. Take a healthy number of general business classes, and make sure you have a few classes on systems analysis, because Web work will almost always fit into a greater business system (i.e. Intranet integrations into Oracle or SAP).

Learn English, or the native language in your region, to the point where you can write it and speak it flawlessly. If you can't communicate like a professional, your chances of being regarded as one are slim. I'm not just talking about basic grammar and spelling, either. It should be a given that you never, ever misspell something within a communication in the business place (especially a mass communication). This isn't to say it won't happen, but it is to say that perfection should always be your goal and should be attained most of the time (emails included). I'm also talking about learning how to choose the right words to convey most accurately the ideas and emotions you want others to grasp. There are at least a dozen different ways to make the same statement, and every one has a different meaning. This is a skill best learned in the classroom - again, I recommend a journalism program for this. When I was in media writing classes, misspelling a single word in an article, script, press release, etc., meant automatic failure on that assignment. The same consequence came for ending sentences with a preposition, mixing up some of the regular problem areas (then/than | there/their/they're | your/you're | over/more than | under/less than, etc.) and basically any error you can imagine. My use of language isn't perfect, but it is a whole lot better than it ever would have been if I didn't put myself through writing hell years ago.

Just as important as all of this is to spend time actively observing people. This doesn't mean you follow people around and take notes. It means you do everything you normally do, when someone is talking or gesturing or making a facial expression, you actively acknowledge it mentally and see what causes it and what the result of it is. Why? Because you'll learn over time how to read people, even to the point where you can predict their futures (I have stories I can tell about this, but I'll save 'em for another day). Even more important, they will regard you as someone who is genuinely interested in them (because you are, you're actively paying attention to them) and they will be more inclusive and trusting of you. This goes for the business place, for customers/clients, for relationships, for your pets, for whatever. Active observation will teach you a lot about people, and that's an education everyone should have!

That's a pretty good start :)

First off, let me say that the most lucrative of the three professions is certainly web design. With the many skills involved in this, you can easily create any business you dream of in any industry and compete. Going to work for a web design firm is certainly a stable job, however if you are a creative person with entrepreneurial spirit, you will have many great ideas that you will want to put to work for you in a start-up.

1 - How much money do you make roughly? Is it fixed income ot pay per job?
I started my own LLC and make money doing a wide-range of services I contract out (web design is the least of them... as I only do web-design mostly for my own business). My services are advertising, online video, I am a writer, etc. I make a pretty healthy income and am the envy of my friends... if that means anything...haha.

2 - How many hours a week do you work and do you have a set schedule or do you just work as much as possible?
I work out of my home and set my own hours. I have no set schedule, but I work a lot, sometimes 12-14 hrs a day. But because it is my own business doing what I love and charging what I want, it ain't difficult. Owning your own businesses brings new challenges everyday, and you don't have that "grinding out" feeling you get when working with an employer.

3 - What did you major in in college?
I dropped out of college to devote 100% to my business.

4 - How hard is it to get into the web design industry and where do you see it headed?

It is not hard at all and since new technology emerges in this space each and every day, there will never be a shortage of demand. There is plenty of room. Being successful in the web design industry is more about marketing the skills you already have. Most people don't want to deal with the nerds who have no social skills. So if you are a "normal" guy, you already have bonus points. TRUST ME. And if you're a nerd... oh well :( haha

5 - Do you see the web developer market flooded to the point where you have to be amazing to get anywhere?
Never. Use your web design skills to design YOUR business, not someone elses. Maybe you can do something with movies and the internet. Maybe games and internet. There is nothing you can't do on the internet if you have the passion for it. And if your passion is web design, then by all means, own your own firm.

If I can make a few suggestions to you that have shaped my life and career:
Choose a profession that you have a passion for. Choose a career that will provide you everything you want in life... be it financially, socially, etc. If you haven't already, I strongly suggest people to purchase 'Personal Power' by Tony Robbins and do the 30-day program without fail. Other books/programs are psycho-cybernetics, Get the Edge, and Joel Osteen (if you are down with that sort of thing). You will learn that your success won't be a direct relation with what web design knowledge you have, but rather a direct relation to the passion you have to succeed and the massive action you take to make things happen.

I hated school but I love to learn more than anyone I know. Study anything in life and you will become good at it. Study success and without a doubt, you will become just that. I wish you the best of luck in journey to shape your destiny! Get excited as this is the best time of your life!

"It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped."

"How am I going to live today in order to create the tomorrow I'm committed too?"

"There is no such thing as failure. There are only results."
-- Anthony Robbins

NLP practicioner the_pm??? You sound like my kinda guy. I am big into hypnosis as well...