High School

Solid computer skills will give you the edge over other candidates. Prepare yourself by enrolling in every computer science class your school has to offer, from programming to Web site design. Familiarize yourself with different software programs such as Adobe Photoshop or DreamWeaver and different markup languages such as HTML. Learn as much as you can about social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter. Explore popular video- and photo-sharing sites such as YouTube and Flickr. Round out your education with classes such as business, math, and English. Since many online producers have a journalism background, you'll need strong reporting, writing, and editing skills to keep up with the competition. Any classes that require written reports as regular assignments are wise choices.

Postsecondary Training

While there are many routes of study in preparation for this career, many online producers enter the field after earning a bachelor's degree in journalism, interactive publishing, or digital or new media. In fact, many schools now offer Web-based media classes as an elective to their traditional journalism studies. Additionally, students usually complete at least one internship as part of their training. Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, for example, includes core courses such as Multimedia Storytelling in its core curriculum, as well as electives such as Media Design and Journalism in a Networked World. Besides the demands of good reporting and writing, students are taught various computer languages (such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript), publishing software, and interactive tools needed to present news and other content online, as well as how to address the challenges of instant, space unlimited publishing. Check out Medill's Web site, https://www.medill.northwestern.edu/journalism/undergraduate-journalism/curriculum/index.html#Journalism-in-Practice, for more information.

Other Education or Training

The Online News Association and the Association of American Publishers offer educational events and seminars on electronic publishing and other topics. Contact these organizations for more information.

Certification or Licensing

There are no certification or licensing requirements for online producers.

Any experience one can gain preparing content for publication on the Internet and via other new media outlets will be useful. Many companies hiring online producers require at least three years experience in Web journalism or digital media.

Web producers may come from many fields, including traditional print journalism, digital media, film or TV, broadcast or publishing. All Web producers must show strength in creativity, the ability to think in both visual and verbal terms, and skill in working as part of a team. Technically, a Web producer must be familiar with content management functions. Many positions require working knowledge of computer languages such as HTML or CSS. Management skills are also necessary if the Web producer supervises other workers. Personality traits found in most online producers include ability to work well under pressure, flexibility in switching from project to project, and ability to think independently yet work well in groups.