1. WEB DESIGN AND PROGRAMMING Get a job

2. WEB DESIGN AND PROGRAMMING What do employers look for? In your resume – Clean layout, use clear headers and subheads – Show them you can lead their eye – Skills and software up front – A short, well written introduction – Indroduce yourself – Highlight anything that may be unique about you – Maybe your attitudes and influences – Keep it to a few short paragraphs – When it comes to skills, keep them relevant – Same with software, and don't put every variation of every software you have ever picked up

3. WEB DESIGN AND PROGRAMMING What do employers look for? In your portfolio – Clarity and focus – Put your best work to the front – Keep your language clear and simple (look up Ernest Hemingway's top 5 tips)‏ – Limit how much you say – And how many works you want to get seen – Promote a few services or specialities well, rather than 18 badly – Just put foreward your best pieces – Think about the employer as the user, they look at 200 portfolios

4. WEB DESIGN AND PROGRAMMING What do employers look for? In your portfolio – If you are going to get creative, don't do it in the nav – People have a very specific expectation of the navigation of a website that they visit – Navigation problems account for 32% of issues encountered in a look at 200 portfolios – Content should be complemented by the design – White space gives a professional feel to your portfolio Portfolio Tips – Think about your goals, Hire Me, Sales, Reputation Building and Networking – Some of these can be on Networking sites etc

5. WEB DESIGN AND PROGRAMMING What do employers look for? Portfolio Tips – Tailor your design to your audience – Or keep your actual portfolio simple, highlighting work – Usability is a priority, lots of portfolios get shot down because they can't understand whats going on – Choose the appropriate technology – Flash will not be right for everyone, but if that is your specialty, then it makes sense to show off – Consider using a blog, but there is a challenge in personalising it WELL – Plan it out as if you are the client – DO NOT FORGET OBVIOUS CONTACT DETAILS

6. WEB DESIGN AND PROGRAMMING What do employers look for? In your interview – Confidence, or should I say CONFIDENCE! – Dress as you normally would to impress a first date – Know their company, look at their website, look at their clients and form your own opinion about them – They love it when you can discuss their work as well – Make sure you know all your work, and the reasons for every design decision – Try to stay up to date with latest trends through design, technology and advertising blogs etc – If you don't know about something, keep positive “I havent actually used RSS before, but am very interested in learning about it.”

7. WEB DESIGN AND PROGRAMMING What do employers look for? In your interview – Don't forget to ask them questions, even tough ones – Remember, the interview is for you too – Asking questions about career progression and the growth of their company indicates great confidence – Don't make one word responses, give details in your answers. “Yes, actually I...” or “No, however I have” – If you are missing a required skill, don't lie, but highlight similar, or supplemental skill – Ultimately be honest “I am not the best drawer, but I

8. WEB DESIGN AND PROGRAMMING In your first 3 months Don't be afraid to ask questions – Every place has a different filing structure – Every client has a different style guide Just continue to be open and honest about your skills, timings and what you need to do the job Get a sense of the environment, organisation and the kind of work getting done – The review period is for you as well If you decide to stay, do at least a year – The market is liqued enough to jump around, but after a while it doesnt look good on your resume

9. WEB DESIGN AND PROGRAMMING In your first 3 months Learn as much as you can, there is nothing like industry experience It can be helpful to take notes from your senior designers / art directors – Their advice will usually be helpful to future jobs, and it will show you are paying attention Make sure employers know where you want to go, I had to redirect my career path toward concepting and away from programming In the end, it's web design, not brain surgery, so don't let it stress you too much

10. WEB DESIGN AND PROGRAMMING So HOT right now Finally, the industry is really hot right now The internet bubble burst, and from the ashes has arisen a stable, accountable industry It is an industry that is still growing, and demand for the skilled and experience is high But to get that experience, you may have to tough it out on junior wages for a year or two It is a worthwhile sacrifice, as the rewards increase a lot quicker with knowledge http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/03/04/creating -a-successful-online-portfolio/