Should I become a website designer/developer?

Right now, I'm in a bind in choosing career paths. I've attempted at a Computer Science bachelor degree, but found I am too overwhelmed with the math. I do have an affinity for website design, developing and could work hours on end developing a website.





- I have an affinity for website design/development (a passion of mine)


- Have self-taught myself HTML, XHTML, CSS, PHP, SQL, XML, Javascript


- Have learned Java, Python, C, Assembly (from university)





So should I pursue becoming a website designer/developer (although that field is known to be overpopulated) or will my talents be wasted? Will becoming a website designer/developer guarantee me at least an average lifestyle?





Any input and criticism is welcome. Thanks!

Should I become a website designer/developer?
Nowadays, "website Designer" is an overcrowded profession: there are thousands if not millions of people that, after using dreamweaver for 10 minutes, call themselves "web designers".


They are not: they are just amateurs.


Web design requires THREE skills (and excellent experience in all three):


- Artistic and Design skills (Graphics)


- Marketing


- Coding.


Artist you can be: it is first a gift, second a practice. You can learn all the techniques to draw, that does not make you a Salvador Dali! However, this is what make your site "attractive". On average, 1 out 10,000 is well designed...


Marketing? You must be good at it to "sell" your website or your products. In the first 2 seconds a visitor sees your home page, HE must be caught by something FOR HIM, that interest HIM. Not you! He is lazy: no long texts. Straight to the point. Sell your idea. This eliminates 80% of sites. They are not interesting.


Finally, coding... The hard part.


Since 2003, AJAX has entered the market (interactivity), and everyone wants it. This means you MUST be expert in (X)HTML, javascript, PhP, (Perl), MySQL and AJAX to the LEAST.


You site MUST work smoothly and without bugs. This eliminates also a great number of sites, written with Web Editors that do not cope with the current requirements.





In the past (Web 1.0), you could write a static site in a few hours. More interactive with javascript would take you a week or two. AJAX can take you months to write a site.


... Clients now want Web 2.0... for the price of static pages...





Now money... Even if you are good, it is not (really) worth it!


The competition is extraordinary high (a cut-throat!) (especially from "emerging economies" like India, who can work for 2-3 us$/hr.)


To be successful, you not only need to be good, you need luck.


You have the cards.


Good luck!
Reply:Keep in mind that a career can always be changed. Many people end up trying many careers before they find one that fits. So if I had to answer, I would say go for it. It's not permanent, unless you want it to be.
Reply:Well, if you wish to be working a lot, and working all the time. Then yes you will make money, if you have the clients and the skills.
Reply:No, do not become a web designer/developer. Become a Web Application Designer. They are more sort after and the pay is 30 times more than a web designer. They the guys that develop software for the web. go to this site for an example. www.smartedge.co.za. Other examples would be any software or program that runs entirely on the web.
Reply:If you've attempted a computer science bachelor degree, you should try website development. You get to apply more of the concepts you learn, such as database concepts, design patterns, algorithms/data structures, etc.





You might want to list the databases you are familiar with (since you listed SQL). If you say you have experience using/administrating databases like MySQL, Oracle, DB2, and SQL Server it is very useful to list them, since companies sometimes search based on keywords and SQL is really generic.
Reply:I am 19 and I dig designing and developing and I feel that is a wide industry where they need lots of people like us. Google is one of them that picks all this computer people almost everyday. And to find a job in this line is not has difficult as others.