I've talked previously in this column about the growing need for programmers and explained how the growth of the Web is spurring demand for Java and other Web-savvy programmers. Well, I've come to the conclusion that the Web holds opportunities for a much wider variety of IT positions than you might think. I call these other opportunities the "Web-anything" jobs--and there are plenty of them.

I'm going to focus on two subcategories of the Web-anything job market: Web designers and Web content developers. These are the folks who work with Web programmers to give Web sites a human look and feel. Without them, the Web would be there, but chances are not many non-techie types would want to hang out there.

The term Web designer applies, unfortunately, to two different IT jobs. One job is writing the code that makes a Web site work--I call these people Web programmers. The other involves coming up with the plan for the overall look and feel of the site, much as an interior designer comes up with a design for the interior of a home. That's the kind of Web designer I will talk about in this column.

Web content developers are the people who create, or decide, what kind of content a Web site needs to have. They think and function in much the same way as a magazine publisher--except that they may create copy as well as commission it. Writers and editors can be content creators, but so can illustrators; writers and editors create copy, and illustrators create the images that go with the copy.

Golden opportunity

What's fascinating about the world's mad rush to the Web is how it has opened up entire new worlds of opportunity for designers and content creators. Most of the money in print publishing has traditionally gone to the company that undertook the task of publishing the printed matter--whether it was a magazine or a book. Designers, writers, and editors only had one medium through which to sell their services--and so they've often been forced to work for lower-than-average salaries. Beginning salaries for these types of jobs start at about $20,000 and top out (most of the time) around $65,000 to $75,000.

Well, that's not the case if you're talking about Web work: According to research done and published by the Industry Standard, designers and content developers can expect compensation for Web work that is much higher than print. For example, the average salary for a Web designer is $46,734. Techweek pegs the average for the same job at around $100,000.

Writers and editors for the Web make around $50,000, according to the Industry Standard. Internet strategists, one of the possible offshoots of the Web content creator career path, take in about $115,000 per year, according to Techweek.

Bottom line: If you have design or content-creation capabilities and experience in the print world, start shifting over to the Web. You'll make more money starting out--and down the line. There is no end in sight for demand for people who can do what you do--it will only continue to grow.

Getting there

If you have design or content-creation experience that you've gained working for a magazine or book publisher, it will be much easier to make the transition to Web work. Potential employers will be able to see your portfolio of designs or peruse your collection of clippings. You will be able to transfer your experience, and with a few mental adjustments, become productive quickly.

If you have formal training in print design, writing, or editing--but no experience--you're not in bad shape. You will need experience, though, to get one of the better-paying jobs. So, get your experience while you train or at night after you're done with your day job. Volunteer to create Web sites for nonprofit organizations; help your friends with their own companies by doing their Web sites for them.

If you have zero training and zero experience but are interested in design or writing, you must have some training and some experience before anyone will hire you for one of these positions. They are not learn-as-you-go situations. With the Web being so hot these days, companies will not hesitate to fire anyone who can't perform as promised. They don't have any time to waste.

Skills needed

Some Web designers argue that print and Web design are entirely different, and that you can be good at one and bad at another. As someone who has done graphic-design work for more than a few years and written several books on the subject, I speak from experience: Anyone who understands the fundamentals of good design can apply those principles to any design project. Thus, good designers can and do both.

To be a good Web designer, you must first get the training you need to understand how colors work together, what makes a successful user interface, and how people read text while online. Understanding how the elements of design come together in a book or magazine design will help, but you must apply your experience to the Web.

Web designers and illustrators who create images for the Web need to know how to make graphics look good onscreen without testing the patience of viewers. I have seen many good-looking, graphics-laden Web sites that take forever to load their images. That's bad Web design.

To acquire these skills, you're going to have to invest in some kind of training course. You can take a half-day seminar to get up to speed on Web-graphics editing. Or, you can take design classes with a heavy emphasis on Web-site requirements. There are certification programs for Web designers, but make sure the one you're considering is for the non-programming kind of Web design. Most important, though, is your electronic portfolio and list of projects.

Not many people argue that writers who write for print can't write for the Web. But I have found that there are some differences. One of the major ones is that people will happily read a 2,000-word article on paper, but will balk at reading more than a few hundred words onscreen. So, until we get to walk around with wireless computer pads that look like paper, Web writers must condense their work. A good writer can make the mental shifts necessary with a few assignments, given feedback from a seasoned Web editor.

The other key shift comes with the Web's ability to cross-reference texts. A well written Web article may contain only 500 words, but links to three or four good sources. With specialized coding, readers can read the article and its complementary references side by side in separate browser windows. So while you may need to condense the article for mainstream Web audiences, you can also serve bookish types in the same piece via hypertext. Don't overdo it, however; it's considered bad form to litter an article with links.

Beyond making the mental shifts necessary to accommodate the Web medium, you will need some of the same skills needed for print work--such as the ability to work with a team of people. Web work, like print work, is done by groups of people--many of whom are not located in the same area or employed by the same company.

You'll also have to get used to working under tremendous deadline pressure. Unless you've worked for a major daily newspaper, you have no idea how quickly work must be done for the Web. Because Web publishing can take place instantly, sites are now looking for daily (even hourly) updates of images and content.

To improve your writing skills, you can take a one- or two-day business communications/writing seminar. You'll pick up some pointers that way, but what will help most is practice and a good writing coach. Find a college professor who specializes in nonfiction writing and ask him or her to work with you on a one-on-one basis for a few weeks or months. Then make a deal with your local community newspaper to write some articles and keep building your set of clippings.

How to find these jobs

Look at the job description and not the job title when you're searching for these kinds of jobs. There are so many titles for these two sets of tasks that if you look only at the title, you may miss your dream job. Search the online job sites by using keywords that relate to the type of work you want to do.

You can also find these kinds of jobs by approaching print publishers. So many of them are in a frantic scramble to set up and maintain their own Web sites that they will welcome anyone with experience. Advertising agencies and major corporations are in similar positions.

Making the most of it

Web sites won't attract new visitors or keep old ones coming back if there isn't something on the site worth the trip. Companies need good Web designers and Web content creators to make their investments in the Web worthwhile. This means that there is a world of opportunity waiting online for anyone interested in design or content creation. Go forth and conquer.

Molly Joss also writes Ask Molly, a career-advice column every weekday on computeruser.com.