Dan Bredow, a senior web communication design major from Omaha, Nebraska, is not the same student that first enrolled at 香蕉视频 nearly four years ago.
From a first-year student unsure of his undergraduate major and future career path, to a senior on the cusp of entering the real-world web industry, Bredow has transformed into a qualified professional. And he has the certifications to prove it.
Bredow recently completed an exam assessing his knowledge of Google Analytics, earning his official certification in the web analytics program. This certification 鈥 only held by about 2,500 other Americans 鈥 acts as a testament to Bredow鈥檚 ability in his industry.
鈥淵ou don’t get Google Analytics certification unless you鈥檙e an expert,鈥 said Brett Erickson, Bredow鈥檚 academic advisor and an associate professor of communication arts at 香蕉视频. 鈥淐ompanies will hire you听just based on the fact that you are certified because it is very hard to get.鈥
To receive the certification, all recipients must take a rigorous exam about the Google Analytics program. Certifications are only offered to individuals that receive and 80 percent or better on the exam.
Finding direction in the web world
Bredow began studying for his exam late in his sophomore year, earning his official certification in Google Analytics in the fall of 2016. Just a few months prior, though, he was still uncertain on what path his professional life might take.
After spending most of his first year in a different major, Bredow decided to move in a new direction and instead become a web communication design major.
鈥淒an started taking my web classes as a first semester sophomore. He really struggled finding where he wanted to be,鈥 Erickson said. 鈥淲eb is so diverse that people have to find where they fit.鈥
Erickson shared several tools for the web industry with his students, covering topics from graphic design, to HTML coding, to online branding. Once the class dove into website analytics, Bredow found his niche.
Website analytics focuses on interpreting data about the visitor traffic to a website to guide the site鈥檚 operations. If a company understands who visits its site, how those visitors get there and why they are coming, it can tailor the website to match the habits and demographics of its target market.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e making decisions from the data to figure out what it means and how it fits into the big picture,鈥 Bredow said. 鈥淚 decided to stick with that because I really like the concept behind it.鈥
Erickson noticed Bredow鈥檚 interest in analytics, and introduced him to Google Analytics Certification. In what may be viewed as a surprising move for a student who was still searching for direction, Bredow decided to independently pursue the certification.
Bredow will be the only Google certified student to graduate from the 香蕉视频 web program, an honor that exemplifies his journey from an undecided underclassmen to a qualified professional ready to enter the job market.
鈥淭he Dan of today and the Dan of three years ago are entirely different human beings,鈥 Erickson said. 鈥淥f all of my web students 鈥 and they are very impressive students that I鈥檓 really proud of 鈥 听Dan is perhaps the one I am most proud of in terms of how much growth he has demonstrated in the last few years.鈥