Job Responsibilities
To create web sites that communicate information to potential
clients. To represent the services and products of the website.
To manage the server side and client side interactions and
technologies in a functional and const effective manner. To
research appropriate approaches to presenting information over
the net, taking into account the security issues and the need to
get information to the right buyers.
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Job Requirements
classes in websripting of all kinds, cgi, asp, php, HTML, XHTML
to name a few, classes in web design applications such as
Dreamweaver, CorelDraw, Adobe products, Animation softwares,
file conversions and preparations, Microsoft Office, Macromedia
applications for the web, Cold Fusion, Oracle and other database
apps such as Access.
Not all class levels are offered equally. Intro to excel is
offered many times.... intermediate and upper level classes are
much harder to come by or schedule at appropriate times. Work
load is intensive having the creative aspect to design included.
It needs lots of time for refining the product. Most classes are
graded on a subjective system rather than an objective system
and not all classes are structured with clears goals set for the
classes.
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Uppers
A sense of accomplishment when a site works well. The appreciation of the
audience. The sale of the product or services reaching a wide audience. The pay
can be lovely sometimes. You get to work on your own occasionally. You can make
choices and offer reasonable options to solve problems which can be empowering.
You can work anywhere there is computer access.
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Downers
Insecure salary. Heavy training of clients before they
understand the intricacies of the website. Web browsers have no
standards so you are always reinventing the website, especially
when it comes to making sites that work on multiple platforms.
The hours of works can be extended by clients not knowing what
they want on their sites, or when they decide to change their
approaches. Not enough clients to support a full time job. No
one wants to pay for the amount of hours billed.
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Lifestyle
Work hours can run into 60 and 80 hours a week with deadlines coming and going.
Ocasionally one has to smooze with management and even worse one sometimes has to
educate oneself about unforseen technology changes impacting how services are
delivered over the internet. The cost of maintaining equipment and having enough
testing platforms and knowing enough about a variety of OS can be overwhelming so
you spend lots of spare time keeping up. Travel is not really heavy duty. Dress
code is usually moderate business dress or jeans and shirt.
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Compensation
If you get to run the show and have a huge client base with lots
of money the compensation can be thrilling. Most of us starve.
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Advice to Jobseekers
You have to love design. You have to be willing to learn
constantly. You have to be willing to spend time in the
trenches. You have to be able to take a licking and keep on
ticking. You have to be creative.
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