Ready to "Go Pro"? Leaving the 9-to-5 Routine
Ready to "Go Pro"? Leaving the 9-to-5 Routine
Home Business Articles | December 7, 2001
Although the title may lead you to believe that this article only
discusses issues involved with leaving your "other job" to become a
free-lance Web builder, don't be mistaken - A Web builder's job is
hardly ever finished, and the normal work-hours of "9-to-5" will soon
become a thing of that past, if you're ready to take that big step. Web
builders can frequently be found in their offices at odd hours of the
morning, and often on weekends, so don't be too surprised if, once
you're full-time in this profession, you get a call at 2:00 a.m.,
asking you where you put such-and-such a file, or what the password for
some odd FTP site is.
Computer professionals in general are well-known for their rather free
working styles and hours, as well as often times not seeing the light
of day, for weeks on end. This becomes especially true, when you have
clients in foreign countries, who operate on time zones different than
your own.
Many of you out
there are not yet employed full-time in a Web professional capacity,
but are more likely starting out, either as hobbyists, freelancers, or part-timers for organizations that have
limited Web development needs. But, as time goes on, the urge to
develop bigger, better, and more sophisticated sites will take its
toll, and you may be called upon to make a decision as to whether to
try your hand at Web building full-time or not. In most cases, builders
want to give it a go, and make a full-time career out of the Web
industry. One thing in particular that will be a challenge, is
convincing prospective employers that you have enough experience, and
skill to fill the position being sought.
So, how should you prepare for this, and when is the correct time to
make your move into the Web industry, as a permanent career switch? To
say, "Seven months, two days, and 14 minutes after you build your first
site is the correct timing" would be an impossible thing to do.
Bringing it down to specifics is not a science, but more like an art,
and you'll have to rely a lot on your own instinct, as well as the
self-confidence you have in your own abilities. Look at the position
you're applying for, in regard to the skills you possess. If you find
yourself consistently not possessing the skill-set sought, then you
need to spend more time honing your knowledge in these subjects. At
some point, you'll see that certain advertisement and say "Hey! I fit
all of those requirements!". Bingo! You've just realized that the time
has arrived.
While you're waiting though, there are several key things that need to
be prepared. First and foremost, get yourself together a good resume,
in HTML format PLUS a text-only format. No Web development company is
going to take a potential job candidate
seriously, when they haven't even taken the time to prepare their
resume in an online accessible format. Likewise, Web companies have a
tendency to request resumes be submitted via e-mail, and that means
having a resume ready in text-only form. When creating that HTML resume
page, make sure that it is one of the cleanest pieces of code you're
created in your entire development history. Make sure that every
browser can access it, without error messages, that layers don't show
up in 3.0 browsers placed on top of each other at every turn, and that
it downloads quickly and efficiently. Creating dynamically generated,
dHTML pages, with hi-resolution graphics that take 10 minutes to
download is a sure way to NOT impress a prospective employer, and a bad
reflection on your design style and judgement.
But your work is not finished there. Aesthetics aren't everything and
your content will need to back up, what your page design infers. Pick
up a copy of a book, such as "The Damn Good Resume Guide" (Yana Parker
/ 1996) and Harvey Mackay's all-time great "Swim With The Sharks:
Without Being Eaten Alive" (Harvey Mackay / 1996). Read them, study
them, memorize them. Learn what sells you and your job skills. When the
time comes to present yourself, you'll be glad you did.
Onward with the preparation... Every developer who possesses a personal
portfolio, will have a much better chance of getting the job position
they seek. If you've built any type of site, be it a personal site, or
something built on a freelance basis, make sure that it is available
for viewing by potential employers. If the site was built as a
temporary or time-limited site, make sure that you retain a copy of it,
and it is available somewhere, online. A note though, if you do include
personal sites in your portfolio, make sure that they represent an
image of yourself that is both professional and desirable to
prospective employers. In these cases, it may be better to suppress
references to your hobby of collecting sharp weapons, or your on-going
campaign to convince authorities you WERE actually abducted by an alien.
In closing - The final thing to take into consideration, is to be sure
that you are getting your real worth, when being offered a position of
employment as a Web developer. Do your homework, research the job
market, pay scales, and comparable items that are specific to your
geographical location. Don't just accept any position offered, without
first considering what your OWN requirements of the employer are. The
industry is highly competitive and the right skill-set can mean a huge
difference in the compensation and benefits packages offered.
"Wait!", you're saying, "I don't want to be a full-time employee. I
want to be a freelancer!". Well, in this case, we have one important
piece of advice for those of you wanting to become full time
freelancers... Stock up on instant noodles. You may need them in the
early days. But, that's another articleComputer Technology Articles,
and another
month!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steve Cartwright
Website Designs (UK) Ltd
www.website-designs.com
Cyber Aspect - Publishing
www.cyber-aspect.com
