| I started as a website designer several years ago. At | | | | on the web and my design skills. But a strong business |
| that time, website management was the #1 job in the | | | | isn't built with design skills alone, at least not for me. |
| country to have. So what did I do? I went to school to | | | | After a couple of years working my design business, I |
| learn about website management. It took me a couple | | | | got more confident and started to take on larger jobs. |
| of years to realize just how huge and unspecific the | | | | Then I got the call one day to develop a website that |
| term "website management" was. It wasn't a brief | | | | had a content management system that and a special |
| description like "PHP Programmer" or "Database | | | | feature that would create other websites and pull from |
| Programmer." It was broad, covering the whole | | | | the same database. My first notion was to RUN! But I |
| industry and if you think about it, it kind of implies that | | | | remember my favorite professor telling me that I |
| the person calling themselves a "website manager" | | | | should "never turn down a job that I thought I couldn't |
| can do everything. The same holds true for those | | | | do" and that "I should look at it as a learning |
| individuals that call themselves "Web Masters." | | | | opportunity." That was probably the best advice I've |
| I think working in the web/internet industry is sort of like | | | | ever gotten. I still use it today and every time I think I |
| being a doctor. You need to figure out what area | | | | can't do something, I just remember, every challenge is |
| you're going to specialize in and become very strong in | | | | a opportunity for growth. How did I do the project? I |
| that area. In my industry, it's best to figure out whether | | | | hired a group of programmers to do the job for me |
| you're a good manager and can manage big projects, | | | | and I did the design work. It's been a few years since |
| of if you really like design and graphics, or if you're | | | | that project and we're still working together today. |
| great at programming and think in numbers and code. | | | | I'm still facing some challenges today. I am in the |
| Whatever your desire, focus on it and become really | | | | process of opening a full service website development |
| good at it. | | | | company and there are several areas that are new to |
| I decided to specialize in design and I think I'm pretty | | | | me. I've been around them in some capacity for some |
| good at it, or so people tell me I am. I love it anyway | | | | time but they really are new territory because I'm |
| and I guess you have to love something to be good at | | | | taking them on. I'm looking at website development and |
| it, at least for an extended period of time. I've been | | | | hosting as well as templates and website marketing. |
| tempted over the years to diversify and add things to | | | | For a designer, this is all a challenge and I allow it to be |
| my set of skills. I've tried PHP and started a class, but | | | | and I face the challenge. I can't tell you how many |
| my design work got too busy and I had to remove | | | | times I've had to call support. And the one key feature |
| myself from the class. Then I tried graphic design and | | | | I look for when taking this stuff on it, 24/7 live |
| print work. Then I got screwed on a job and had to | | | | customer support. If the companies I chose didn't have |
| eat $500 because of an error on the print work that | | | | that, I would really be lost. |
| the client approved. So I took that as a sign to focus | | | | |