Ready,amp,#34,Pro,#63,Leaving, DIY Ready to "Go Pro"? Leaving the 9-to-

When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in

Although the title may lead you to believe that this article onlydiscusses issues involved with leaving your "other job" to becomea free-lance Web builder, don't be mistaken - A Web builder's jobis 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 takethat big step. Web builders can frequently be found in theiroffices at odd hours of the morning, and often on weekends, sodon't be too surprised if, once you're full-time in thisprofession, you get a call at 2:00 a.m., asking you where you putsuch-and-such a file, or what the password for some odd FTP siteis. Computer professionals in general are well-known for theirrather free working styles and hours, as well as often times notseeing the light of day, for weeks on end. This becomesespecially true, when you have clients in foreign countries, whooperate on time zones different than your own.Many of you out there are not yet employed full-time in a Webprofessional capacity, but are more likely starting out, eitheras hobbyists, freelancers, or part-timers for organizations thathave limited Web development needs. But, as time goes on, theurge to develop bigger, better, and more sophisticated sites willtake its toll, and you may be called upon to make a decision asto whether to try your hand at Web building full-time or not. Inmost cases, builders want to give it a go, and make a full-timecareer out of the Web industry. One thing in particular that willbe a challenge, is convincing prospective employers that you haveenough experience, and skill to fill the position being sought.So, how should you prepare for this, and when is the correct timeto make your move into the Web industry, as a permanent careerswitch? To say, "Seven months, two days, and 14 minutes after youbuild your first site is the correct timing" would be animpossible thing to do. Bringing it down to specifics is not ascience, but more like an art, and you'll have to rely a lot onyour own instinct, as well as the self-confidence you have inyour own abilities. Look at the position you're applying for, inregard to the skills you possess. If you find yourselfconsistently not possessing the skill-set sought, then you needto spend more time honing your knowledge in these subjects. Atsome point, you'll see that certain advertisement and say "Hey! Ifit all of those requirements!". Bingo! You've just realized thatthe time has arrived.While you're waiting though, there are several key things thatneed to be prepared. First and foremost, get yourself together agood resume, in HTML format PLUS a text-only format. No Webdevelopment company is going to take a potential job candidateseriously, when they haven't even taken the time to prepare theirresume in an online accessible format. Likewise, Web companieshave a tendency to request resumes be submitted via e-mail, andthat means having a resume ready in text-only form. When creatingthat HTML resume page, make sure that it is one of the cleanestpieces of code you're created in your entire development history.Make sure that every browser can access it, without errormessages, that layers don't show up in 3.0 browsers placed on topof each other at every turn, and that it downloads quickly andefficiently. Creating dynamically generated, dHTML pages, withhi-resolution graphics that take 10 minutes to download is a sureway to NOT impress a prospective employer, and a bad reflectionon your design style and judgement.But your work is not finished there. Aesthetics aren't everythingand your content will need to back up, what your page designinfers. Pick up a copy of a book, such as "The Damn Good ResumeGuide" (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 sellsyou 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 apersonal portfolio, will have a much better chance of getting thejob position they seek. If you've built any type of site, be it apersonal site, or something built on a freelance basis, make surethat it is available for viewing by potential employers. If thesite was built as a temporary or time-limited site, make surethat you retain a copy of it, and it is available somewhere,online. A note though, if you do include personal sites in yourportfolio, make sure that they represent an image of yourselfthat is both professional and desirable to prospective employers.In these cases, it may be better to suppress references to yourhobby of collecting sharp weapons, or your on-going campaign toconvince authorities you WERE actually abducted by an alien.In closing - The final thing to take into consideration, is to besure that you are getting your real worth, when being offered aposition of employment as a Web developer. Do your homework,research the job market, pay scales, and comparable items thatare specific to your geographical location. Don't just accept anyposition offered, without first considering what your OWNrequirements of the employer are. The industry is highlycompetitive and the right skill-set can mean a huge difference inthe 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 oneimportant piece of advice for those of you wanting to become fulltime freelancers... Stock up on instant noodles. You may needthem in the early days. But, that's another article, and anothermonth!.