Laura Shears from New York asks:
"How can I get a job as a designer in the web industry?"
Simon replies:
Laura asks a question that often surfaces, and if you're a new face on
the scene, then the answer is sadly, "with difficulty and
perseverance". There are a few tips we can give you that should help
though:
1) URL's. This is most important. Without examples of your work you
won't get through the door. Make sure they're clear, and document
exactly what you did on the site. Employers want to know what you
actually did, not just what projects you were involved with.
Make sure the sites you use as examples are in good working order.
Flash sniffers should work, there should be no broken images, browser
compatibility should be good, and so on.
If you can, tailor the URL's you provide to suit the firm you're
applying to. Firms advertising for a Flash developer won't care so
much about a selection of non-Flash sites, and correspondingly, a firm
specialising in B2B sites with a commerce bent won't be impressed if
your resume only shows your work for the local surf shop.
If you haven't been employed previously, you'll need to get some
design clients through family contacts, local businesses etc. If needs
be, you might need to work for free. Check your work against other
sites. Is it up to scratch?
2) Be realistic. If you're just starting out, apply for those jobs
where they're looking for a junior designer and be prepared to learn
fast! Sadly these jobs are less apparent these days since the tech
recession kicked in, and companies are looking for people to hit the
ground running.
3) Build your skill set. If you can design but not code, learn some
HTML fast, if only so you know what's going on behind the scenes. It
also looks good to have it on the resume. Knowing just the visual side
of Dreamweaver isn't always going to cut it.
You will definitely need to know: Photoshop inside out,
Illustrator/Freehand to a reasonable level, Flash to a basic level,
HTML, some JavaScript and these days a decent grasp of CSS is useful
too. You do get jobs where you just need the design skills, but even
then you really need to know what's possible with Web technologies.
Other useful skills are:
- An understanding of basic Internet technologies, including FTP,
domain names, etc
- An ability to talk to clients
- Ability to work in a team
4) This is really important - you need to demonstrate an understanding
of the business goals of the client. It's not all about your latest
font craze or what's cool at the hipper-than-thou web design sites,
it's about addressing the needs of the client to achieve their goals
for the site. If the two coincide, then so much the better!
5) Your paper resume. Don't try to be too clever with it. Keep it
simple, classy and something that'll work well having been through a
photocopier and a fax machine!
Simon
ELATED :)
"How can I get a job as a designer in the web industry?"
Simon replies:
Laura asks a question that often surfaces, and if you're a new face on
the scene, then the answer is sadly, "with difficulty and
perseverance". There are a few tips we can give you that should help
though:
1) URL's. This is most important. Without examples of your work you
won't get through the door. Make sure they're clear, and document
exactly what you did on the site. Employers want to know what you
actually did, not just what projects you were involved with.
Make sure the sites you use as examples are in good working order.
Flash sniffers should work, there should be no broken images, browser
compatibility should be good, and so on.
If you can, tailor the URL's you provide to suit the firm you're
applying to. Firms advertising for a Flash developer won't care so
much about a selection of non-Flash sites, and correspondingly, a firm
specialising in B2B sites with a commerce bent won't be impressed if
your resume only shows your work for the local surf shop.
If you haven't been employed previously, you'll need to get some
design clients through family contacts, local businesses etc. If needs
be, you might need to work for free. Check your work against other
sites. Is it up to scratch?
2) Be realistic. If you're just starting out, apply for those jobs
where they're looking for a junior designer and be prepared to learn
fast! Sadly these jobs are less apparent these days since the tech
recession kicked in, and companies are looking for people to hit the
ground running.
3) Build your skill set. If you can design but not code, learn some
HTML fast, if only so you know what's going on behind the scenes. It
also looks good to have it on the resume. Knowing just the visual side
of Dreamweaver isn't always going to cut it.
You will definitely need to know: Photoshop inside out,
Illustrator/Freehand to a reasonable level, Flash to a basic level,
HTML, some JavaScript and these days a decent grasp of CSS is useful
too. You do get jobs where you just need the design skills, but even
then you really need to know what's possible with Web technologies.
Other useful skills are:
- An understanding of basic Internet technologies, including FTP,
domain names, etc
- An ability to talk to clients
- Ability to work in a team
4) This is really important - you need to demonstrate an understanding
of the business goals of the client. It's not all about your latest
font craze or what's cool at the hipper-than-thou web design sites,
it's about addressing the needs of the client to achieve their goals
for the site. If the two coincide, then so much the better!
5) Your paper resume. Don't try to be too clever with it. Keep it
simple, classy and something that'll work well having been through a
photocopier and a fax machine!
Simon
ELATED :)
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