Adobe Dreamweaver is the starting point of study for almost all web designers. It's reputed to be the most utilised web-development platform globally. In order to take advantage of Dreamweaver commercially as a web designer, a thorough comprehension of the complete Adobe Web Creative Suite (including Flash and Action Script) is without doubt a bonus. With these skills, you have the choice to become either an Adobe Certified Expert or Adobe Certified Professional (ACE or ACP).

In order to establish yourself as a full web professional however, there's a lot more to learn. You'll need to study various programming essentials like PHP, HTML, and MySQL. An excellent grasp of E-Commerce and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) will also give you a distinct advantage in the marketplace.

If you may be starting with a training company that is still using 'in-centre' days as a necessary part of their training, then take note of these difficulties experienced by almost all IT hopefuls:

* The amount of travel required - many trips and often hundreds of miles a time.

* Getting constant holidays or time off - many training companies will only provide availability during weekdays and typically group 2-3 days together. This is generally difficult for those of us who work for a living, even more so when you add the travel time on.

* If we've got 4 weeks off each year, sacrificing half of them for training classes means we'll be hard-pushed to get a holiday with our families.

* Taking into account the costs associated with delivering a workshop, many colleges have to put on larger classes - not really ideal (giving less time per student).

* There is often tension inside the classroom where students want to progress at their own pace.

* Many attendees report that the (not inconsiderable) costs of travelling back and forth to the facility while forking out for food and accommodation gets very expensive.

* Do you want to risk any chance of being side-stepped for advancement or salary hikes because you're getting trained in a different area.

* Asking questions in the presence of other class-mates can make any one of us feel self-conscious. Would you admit that you've occasionally avoided posing a question as you honestly thought you might seem thick?

* There are those of us who sometimes work or live away part of the time, imagine the increased difficulty in getting to the necessary classes, when time is at a premium.

The most impressive solution is based on viewing a pre-filmed lesson - enabling you to learn at any time of day. Whenever you experience difficulties, logon to the 24x7 support facility (that we hope you'll insist on with any technical courses.) You should remember, if your PC is a notebook PC, you can study just about anywhere. No matter how many times you feel you need to repeat something, filmed teachers can never get frustrated with you! And don't forget, in this situation, you'll never have to write notes again. Everything's laid out there for you. The bottom line: Reduced stress, saved money, and you've avoided all travel.

Traditional teaching in classrooms, with books and manuals, can be pretty hard going sometimes. If this describes you, check out study materials which feature interactive and multimedia modules. We see a huge improvement in memory retention when we use multiple senses - experts have been clear on this for as long as we can remember.

Start a study-program in which you'll get a host of DVD-ROM's - you'll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, and be able to use virtual lab's to practice your new skills. It's wise to view some of the typical study materials provided before you purchase a course. The minimum you should expect would be instructor demonstrations, video tutorials and interactive modules with audio-visual elements.

Plump for CD or DVD ROM based materials if possible. You're then protected from the variability of broadband quality and service.

CompTIA Technical Support CBT Computer Self-Paced Online Training Courses >>