WANTED Web Designer. 1 year experience, skilled in HTML, Java and Photoshop. Apply to madmax@thunderdome.com

Not long ago, this ad would not have appeared anywhere. As the relationship between society and technology evolves, so too do the opportunities for employment. Initially the perfect medium for artists, musicians and other small businesses, the world wide web is seeing major organizations rushing to establish a "web presence." These "home pages" range from the on-line equivalent of brochures to real time multimedia presentations using full motion video and sound. As cyberspace and the demand for professional looking sites grows, a new career opportunity has developed. Building web sites is really publishing for the "paperless society."

A growing number of people from different backgrounds are entering this new medium. Your author came to the field from a library environment. I began by looking at the World Wide Web and thinking, "Cool, I can do that." From there I learned HTML, the basic tool of WWW design and offered to make home pages for some artist friends for free. Thus I obtained qualifications and experience in a brand new profession. Many people have entered the trade by doing it this way.

The future of the trade/craft/profession is likely to evolve into a increasingly specialized set of sub-trades including designers, programmers, marketers and graphic artists. My next step is to learn the programming language called Java. Java is that much publicized language that allows any computational function to be executed on-line on any platform. It seems poised to dominate the future of the world wide web.

I wholeheartedly recommend a career in Web Design for anyone interested in computers, publishing, marketing or advertising. The field will also be of particular interest to people with a creative streak. The future seems bright for those with enthusiasm and the ability to learn and adapt quickly.