I received my second piece of “fan mail” this week. Again, it is pretty rewarding when people look to you for guidance in their life/career/education pursuits. This mail comes from Stuart in Virginia. He asks about some of the possibilities regarding Kaplan's Web Development programs and getting into that field of work. As someone who does that as a hobby, and as someone who knows professional developers, I have given the best advice I can.
Hi.
I have seen your blog on your experience at Kaplan University, and I think you might be the person to help me! (Please forgive the length)
They offer a BS that has focuses on Web Development and Multimedia as well, a degree I have been trying to find. My first research through the web turned up quite positive results, and they have some surveys placing them at a nice level of recommendation. However, as alumni of the college, I would like your opinion.
My current situation is, I have an A.S in information Systems Technology with 6 years of experience in field of Network Administration, I want to turn my focus to Web Development an area that has always interested me.
I was working full time for the local government as their Network admin, however I recently resigned and accepted a lower level computer repair position at a local store. I did this originally, because a college nearby said they were going to offer an online program in the degree I wanted, the other day they said they decided not to (after I was assured it was going to be a sure thing). I have been looking at online colleges and have been scared by some of the comments and complaints.
I have heard many negative things about Kaplan but also positives... I am hoping to get a degree in my desired field, complete it and be able to apply for a job in Web Development in Richmond (I live in Virginia).
I need help! :) I would truly appreciate your experiences and advice.
Thanks for your time.
Stuart,
I commend you on doing your homework before jumping into online education. I do have several thoughts on what you have said.
As someone who has been in the high tech field for 17 years, and as someone who does web development on the side (as a hobby), I can tell you that web development is a hard business to get into. Everyone is doing it (or can do it at some level), and if you were to really succeed at it, you'd need to get a corporate job with a big company. Not only that, but you'd be looking at a few years of practice to build a quality portfolio that could help you get the big jobs.
In order to get that kind of job, not only will you need to intimately know the tools like Photoshop, Dreamweaver and others, you will also need to know some programming (i.e. php and other languages). It is not an easy road if you don't already have a portfolio to share with potential employers or customers.
If you are looking for some guidance on which career you should go with, I would say that unless you are absolutely determined to get into development, I would stay in the networking/technology field. Not only have you done that before, but ultimately it provides for a lot more growth than a developer. With experience and a degree, the possibilities of moving into management are greater in a non-development career. You'd also be more adaptable to other industries, as opposed to a web developer who is mainly focused on one thing.
Don't get me wrong. A web developer is a great job. The good ones who are able to land good jobs can make a ton of money. If that's what you want to do, I would certainly encourage it. I think Kaplan's program would provide a good foundation for you to get the ball rolling on that. I don't think that you'd learn everything you need to know about the business by enrolling in Kaplan, but they will give you a good foundation. There is so much other stuff to know once you dive in. It's like using Photoshop, for instance. Anyone can install it and use it to modify a photo, but to really understand the power of that software, it could take years of practice. Web development is the same way.
I like to compare a really good developer with a doctor. Neither field is going to teach you everything you need to know in the classroom. You will need to get out into the world and practice it. It would take at least a few years of dedicated. hard work to hone the skills to succeed in the business. But if you are successful in that, you can make good money.
Since you have left your job with the government and moved to a lower-paying position, I think this is an optimal time for a career change if that's what you are looking for. And in order to facilitate that, you will need the education. Your hard work on the side coupled with Kaplan's good foundation for whatever you pick as a major should do very well for you.
If you are wanting to be a web developer, I would advise you to count not only on the classes/degree offered by Kaplan, but also plan on dedicating several hours per week (for many months) learning the other stuff you will need to succeed.
I am not sure what good things and bad things you have heard about Kaplan, but I can speak from experience when I say that my time there has been rewarding. I have earned a couple of degrees that provided me with a great foundation to build upon. If you get the degree in web development, it is quite possible that you will be qualified for an entry-level position in development. That's certainly something to build upon as well.
It basically comes down to what you want to do and how you want to get there. You have to look at the big picture and see if it's worth it. If it is, and a degree from Kaplan is what will help you get there, then you should jump in.
Stuart then replied:
Thanks for the reply, I agree completely with what you have said. I too, as a hobby, do web development. I would consider my self an intermediate to advance user in photoshop, and dreamweaver. A lot of the jobs I have been looking at, strangely enough, require a B.S in Computer Science and have no mention of web development degree's. I figure this is because they are relatively new. If I did proceed, would recommend a degree in Development or CS?
Thanks so much, :)
To which I replied:
Unless you are absolutely determined on getting a degree and a job as an advanced developer, I would go for computer science. People with those types of degrees are in high demand. You will also be more adaptable to a wider range of employment opportunities.
The bottom line is that you can do a "career change" by getting into development. It would be a long road, but if that's what you want to do, then I would encourage it. But you must understand that it will take a lot of time to get to a level where you will have a skill set that competes with the best developers out there.
The other option is to build upon a skill and a field where you already have several years of experience. That's what I did. It seems to be working to my benefit on many levels.