Ready to "Go Pro"? Leaving the 9-to-5 RoutineWritten by Steve Cartwright
Although 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 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 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 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 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, 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 Web industry. One thing in particular that will be a challenge, is convincing prospective employers that you have enough experience, and skill to fill position being sought. So, how should you prepare for this, and when is correct time to make your move into Web industry, as a permanent career switch? To say, "Seven months, two days, and 14 minutes after you build your first site is 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 self-confidence you have in your own abilities. Look at position you're applying for, in regard to skills you possess. If you find yourself consistently not possessing 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 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 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 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.
| | Start Your Business The Right Way!Written by Jill Lewis
Have you ever thought about making money online, but didn't have a clue how to begin? You need to know about importance of getting started right way so that you don't waste your time and money. If you don't get off on right foot; you could flounder around on Internet for years before you make any money at all. There are so many programs and products out there; most of them aren't worth our time or money. If you are like most people, you just want to find a way to make money without investing too much up front. Finding program or product that is right fit for you may take some time so don't rush into first thing you see. The first thing you need to do is find a product or a program to promote that can earn you money. There are some great affiliate programs out there that offer tons of support along with expertise that would normally cost a fortune. Another option is to have your own product. There are numerous product ideas out there, or you can create your own. Just study your market, and make sure you know that people want and need. This website offers a lot of business and product information… www.bizpromo.com. You can read through articles and you can also get these books absolutely free just for subscribing to a free ezine. Some of these include: "How to Start Your Own Traffic Virus" "101 High Profit Businesses You Can Start Online For Little or NO Money" "The Best of Web Gold: Over 75 training articles teaching you step-by- step how to build an Internet business."
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