Internet Consultants

You can explore your interest in computers by getting involved with a computer users group or club in your community or school. If a computer trade show comes to your area, be sure to attend. You'll be able to see advances in technology and talk with others interested in this field. Search the Web for interesting Web sites, and look at their source code to see how they were developed. Increase your knowledge by experimenting and learning independently. Check out library books about computers and teach yourself some programming or Web site design skills. Mastering a Web page authoring program is a good introduction to Web design. Learn how to code so that you have a general understanding of programming. Visit Codeacademy (https://www.codecademy.com), edX (https://www.edx.org), Coursera (https://www.coursera.org), and Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org), where you can learn take free or low-cost basic coding classes.

Offer to help people you know set up their home computer systems or do upgrades for them. Gain experience by volunteering to help seniors or others learn how to use computers at a community center. Try to get a summer or part-time job at a computer store. Large retailers, such as Best Buy, also have computer departments where you might find work. The business experience will be beneficial, even if you are not working directly on the Internet.

By simply accessing the Internet frequently and observing different Web site designs and the increasing number of e-commerce sites, you can gain an insight into how rapidly the information technology industry is changing. Contact computer consultants, Web site designers, or programmers in your area and set up information interviews with them. During these interviews you can ask them questions about their educational background, what they like about the work, how they market their business, what important skills someone wanting to enter the field should have, and any other things you are interested in knowing about this work.