If you're at a complete loss when it comes to career choice, Clare Whitmell has some ideas about how you can gain a clearer idea of what you want to do
Psychometric tests and indicators
There are some free ones online. Perhaps the best known is the Myers-Briggs test which also suggests careers based on your test results. The questions are designed to make you think about how you work and about what drives your decisions and beliefs. However, as you progress through your career, you'll probably find that your answers (and results) also change.
Reflection
You'll need to do a certain amount of thinking to avoid falling into a role by accident. Pinpoint what you're good at, what you enjoy doing, and what you find interesting. Work out whether you have any particular values or needs that must be met.
If you have no idea where to start, a book like What Color is Your Parachute (Richard N Bolles) can help you understand your values, strengths and skills. It's primarily aimed at job-hunters and career-changers, but the self-assessments and exercises are helpful if you're seeking inspiration.
Talk to people who know you. Family, friends, tutors, and so on can often give illuminating feedback. Job ads and online resources
You can get a rough idea about various jobs through sites like Vault (US based) which has an A-Z of various job profiles and 'a day in the life' section.
Browsing the ads on Guardian Jobs can also give you information on the attributes that employers are looking for, plus the skills, experience or qualifications they require.
Your university careers service
Tap into the huge range of services and activities including one-to-one advice, psychometric testing, guest speakers and employer presentations. In Are you making the most of your university careers service?, Sara Whittam says: "We run alumni panels, where we invite graduates back to talk about their experience of working in the charity and development sector, teaching, journalism, environment, advertising, marketing and PR."
Make use of these facilities early and often, but you can also access your careers service beyond graduation. Sue Young says: "At Goldsmiths Careers Service we have a scheme for graduates which enables them to use their college careers service for a further two years post-graduation. The service they receive is exactly the same as when they were students."
Keep in mind
A range of jobs and experience will give you a clearer idea of what you like or don't like; or what you find interesting, meaningful or challenging. Work shadowing, temping and freelance opportunities are all useful ways to gain this awareness.
Don't base career choice on job titles alone. Roles change over time, and you may well have the chance to develop yours. For this reason, focus on finding companies where you feel you would develop professionally, rather than being led solely by job title.
Identify your levels of tolerance. No single job is always perfect - there'll always be a mix of what you love doing, and what you don't. But work out how far you can compromise. For example, how much micro-managing could you, the "independent, resourceful problem-solver" accept? Identifying your non-negotiables in terms of working environments or management styles (and the ideal scenarios where you're most likely to flourish) is a good step for finding a satisfying career. http://careers.guardian.co.uk/careers-blog/making-career-choices
Consider the woman who was declined a second interview after a casual search pulled up near-nude photos on MySpace. "I think it's nice to get an idea of what applicants are interested in outside the office," the would-be recruiter wrote on askamanager.org. "Sometimes I'll stumble upon a cooking blog or travel photos, but her page shows serious lack of judgement."
Of course, most business and MBA students are far too savvy not to have made a complete audit of dodgy images and rambling posts from the past – but the internet does have a long memory. But more than just a clean bill of online health, the job market requires a focused, crafted and up-to-date online presence, say recruiters. "The point in using social media is to create and promote yourself as a brand in a similar way as a marketer would a product," says Duff.
A month before graduating, Durham Business School alumnus Sergio Brodsky was offered a role as a strategist and consultant with The Brand Union. He's active on Facebook and regularly updates his professional profile on LinkedIn. "Even now, employed, I constantly find new things about myself and update when relevant. Just like in real life, being true to yourself is the best way to portray an authentic image."
But credibility doesn't come easily. Nadim Choudhury, careers adviser at London School of Business and Finance (LSBF), advises MBA students to spend two to three hours each week on nurturing their online presence. "See it as an extension of your normal networking," says Choudhury. No aimless blogging or pointless posts though, or any genuine insights will sink without trace. LinkedIn leads the field in professional networking and is the most popular shop window for many recruiters. Some employers even conduct informal interviews via LinkedIn before meeting candidates in person.
Business students who are active online early on during their course are instantly more credible than those who begin a flurry of activity a couple of months before graduation, says Choudhury: social media is often a long game. But what to post? A well-written blog about your experiences of the course can help – although this is hardly new. The key is to specialise and become a "knowledge expert" in a particular field, which often provides the gravitas to break into a company. "Blogs are great if somebody is establishing a niche topic such as renewable energy for example," says Chris Higgins, assistant director of careers at Insead.
British students might find it culturally uncomfortable to blow their own trumpet online. Here it pays to be generous with intelligent advice. Sharing know-how in targeted forums and being active in discussions are ideal ways to connect with senior business figures, who might post genuine questions. "Always give something before you expect to get something back," says Chris Dalton at Henley Business School.
As an undergraduate, it's harder to be taken seriously enough to share your wisdom, but well-targeted appeals for help and updates on what you have learnt will flesh out your presence. "Be honest about the fact you are looking for opportunities and link to interesting content," explains Duff. "You don't have to know everyone really well to stand a chance of being recommended for a position."
Choudhury offers an example of how to get noticed in a sector such as advertising. Follow a slice of targeted companies on Twitter, so you can get completely up-to-date. Then start a blog observing what's happening in North America compared to Europe, for example. Download a campaign and blog about it, comparing continental differences, give opinions on Twitter and hash tag that company. "It won't happen overnight, but if you are consistent, [a company] will notice you," says Choudhury. "Even if they don't, it gives you a way to prove your passion."
While many professionals are sceptical about the value of Twitter, it's a minefield of job information – often the first way to hear about a job, and an excellent research tool. Building your presence is relatively straightforward, says Duff. Get a reasonable, professional looking headshot and use it across all social media channels to ensure consistent branding. "The other key thing is to write a killer bio. Really work on this one; you won't need to update it too often. LinkedIn, BraveNewTalent and Twitter are good places to put a really sharp, concise round up of what you have to offer."
While recruiters and MBAs say they favour LinkedIn as the most comprehensive network, other sites are also valuable. Most of the top-tier business schools operate closed forums for students and alumni to network – although etiquette dictates no direct appeals for jobs.
Cohorts tend to continue activity on closed Facebook pages even after graduation. Edinburgh Business School's Watercooler forum is an independent place to share information among students at one of the largest providers of online MBAs. Viadeo.com targets individual countries and specific professional groups in their own languages. Some recruiters are even beginning to use Pinterest, one of the fastest growing social sites worldwide.
"Social media has given candidates licence to express themselves beyond the confines of the traditional CV," says Nathan Bowles, CEO of recruiters Smart Solutions. He echoes the enthusiasm of many recruiters for social media. But, he says, it still hasn't replaced a solid CV.
What recruiters say
'It's an integral part of head hunting'
"We use social media as an integral part of our graduate and experienced hire recruitment strategy in terms of head hunting, general attraction and engagement. LinkedIn is an excellent way of establishing yourself as an expert in your field." Sammie Stapleton, PricewaterhouseCoopers
"Although using social media to recruit and search for jobs is very much in vogue at the moment, I do not see CVs being replaced just yet." Iestyn Morris, Capital Law
"All good professional recruiters use online and social media to head hunt and recruit talent." Sarah Hopkins, ResourceBank Recruitment
"Social recruiting has the ability to go viral and find talent using the six degrees of separation approach." Thomas Volkert, SuccessFactors
"There's no point jumping on the latest bandwagon if it's not reaching the people you need. We've found the majority of graduates aren't yet using LinkedIn as widely as we would have thought." Ashley Hever, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
"Pinterest is still very new but the increase in users has been phenomenal so it seems right to experiment." Kate Lavender, TBG Digital
Be careful what you post on the internet, because one day a recruiter might decide to look you up
If you think social media is overhyped and blogging and tweeting are a waste of time, then Google yourself, warn recruiters – after all, it's the first thing they will do. "Forget the debate over whether or not personal reputation and brand really exist and see what shows up – it's what employers will see," says Charlie Duff, community manager at BraveNewTalent.com.
But those days are over. Career and graduate recruitment experts are now recommending that students build up a portfolio of relevant work experience as early as possible – before they arrive at university, if they get the opportunity.
Students shouldn't be dissuaded from undertaking part-time jobs or underestimate the valuable employability skills that they will undoubtedly gain from them, but should be warned that, when they graduate, that experience alone will probably not be enough to get a job. Many employers will require what they term "relevant work experience" gained either through a suitable placement or internships.
Prospective students therefore need to work out what industry sectors and job roles they might be interested in sooner, rather than later, and then focus on gaining work experience in these areas.
Many universities and business schools are offering programmes with built-in placements and internships. These are proving increasingly popular. Applications for four-year degree programmes at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS), which include an industrial placement, have been soaring and many more students are enquiring about the opportunities for internships.
The latest High Fliers Research into the Graduate Market 2012 reveals that a third of this year's entry-level positions will be filled by graduates who have already worked for the organisation during an internship or placement. This is borne out by evidence from companies such as Centrica whose 10-week summer internship scheme for predominantly penultimate year students has grown from 11 places in 2006 to 75 in 2010. Last year, Centrica filled 38 per cent of their graduate intake from this internship pool. The figure rockets in industries such as investment banking, where as many as 80 per cent of positions are filled by those who have undertaken an internship or placement with the company.
In his recent review into collaboration between business and universities, Sir Tim Wilson recommended internships and work placements as the way for students to improve their employability. His research revealed that students who either completed sandwich courses or had the experience of an internship were more employable after graduation. Wilson said: "I think we're beginning to see internships being used as part of an extended interview process. The evidence that a placement year improves employability opportunities is strong while a lack of work experience appears as a key barrier."
LUMS students go out into industry placements on their third year, but we work with them from year one to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to win a placement. There are no guarantees. They take a 15-hour development programme culminating in an assessment centre and mock interview before even starting to apply for a placement at the end of their first year.
The Office for National Statistics report in graduate recruitment shows the vast increase in the size of the graduate population, an increase of more than 430,000 graduates in the past 10 years from 1,063,000 in 2001 to 1,501,000 in 2011, which means a much more competitive jobs market for graduates than in the past.
Differentiation is therefore the key. It is vital that a student (or prospective student) does everything they can to make themselves stand out from the crowd. For higher education careers services, it also means finding a balance between supporting those on placements, and helping those without such valuable work experience, to secure a graduate position.
Previously, students looking for part-time work or summer jobs were advised to take any type of role because, at that time, all work experience was considered valuable, and it was viewed as an indication that the student had drive, enthusiasm and a willingness to get on and work.
The more you can do, the more you’ll get to do, so check out our 10 tips for broadening your creative skillset
1 Do it yourself
There’s nothing like a spot of self-improvement to sharpen your creative cutting edge. Whether it’s through YouTube videos, teaching aids, textbooks, apps or web courses, there is a wide range of means for you to do and learn. Pick something that you know nothing about but hold an interest in – for example: music production, film making, photography or even mobile app development – and make an inroad into it.
2 Invest in yourself
Training courses and qualifications aren’t just about putting letters after your name – and they are well worth any financial outlay. If you want to learn about screen printing techniques, you’ll find courses at local colleges. The same goes for web design and photography, and even coding and scripting skills. These courses can be expensive, but they certainly pay for themselves if you land a promotion or new job off the back of one.
3 Find a mentor
Whether you work in a large creative agency or a small nimble studio, finding someone who has skills that you lack and learning from them is free, simple and utterly invaluable. So you want to be a better manager or get your head around the basics of interaction design? Find the folks in your company who know this already and pick their brains.
4 Bring a hobby into work
What home-time interests could be of use in a professional capacity? Perhaps you’re a keen photographer or bedroom music producer – such skills normally require a freelancer and a budget. Your bosses will certainly think upon you in a new light if you can get a job done and save them money, so have a think about what extra-curricular skills you have and how they could aid your creative career.
5 Challenge yourself
We don’t mean climb Mount Everest or ride to Paris on a unicycle. Instead, set yourself a goal and break this down into achievable steps. For example, you might want to produce more 3D output, or design a complete typeface. Think about what tools you’ll need first, get to grips with them and then equip yourself with the necessary theory to tackle such a job. Start small and build up.
6 Make use of work resources
Try something completely unrelated to your day job while at your desk. You might have to do so in your own time, or on a lunch break, but while the rest of the office unwinds by the foosball table you can try your hand at 3D illustration or video-editing using the tools and resources your work environment has. Just make sure you get permission and don’t ruin a precious project in doing so.
7 Ask your friends
You have friends who aren’t in the creative industry right? Maybe one or two of them have skills that would make for a good crossover, and they could teach you the basics. For example, data analysis, presentation or marketing skills are often in short supply in creative studios, while your friends might take such skills for granted. Get them to give you the inside track and coach you in the basics.
8 Volunteer
One way to widen your skillset without paying for it is to volunteer for a community project. Directgov, for example, hosts many UK-based voluntary projects, from working with animals to helping the police and judiciary. Many of these schemes involve training that will broaden your skillset in ways that a creative career simply won’t ever touch.
9 Pitch for work
If you feel like the rest of your studio or agency is overlooking your skills, then why not volunteer for a particular project that you know is out of your comfort zone. Sure, you might get laughed out of the room, but not only will your enthusiasm and energy be noted, you might actually get a chance to prove your worth; whether it be through illustrating a new logo or art-directing a photoshoot. You don’t get if you don’t ask.
10 Follow the fun
There’s no point spending hours of your personal time cluing up on a particular skill if it doesn’t interest you. So if you are going to multitask, ensure you do so in subjects or skills that genuinely spark your curiosity – you’ll find them easier to learn, and more importantly you’ll take more pleasure from deploying them in a professional capacity.
Essential nuggets of advice for anyone wanting to start a design studio – from those who’ve made it
Yes, we know. Considering the state of the economy and the unemployment rate, surely it’d be madness right now to put your head above the parapet and start your own studio? And yes, if that’s your thinking then maybe you’d be better off in a safe little designer’s job where you get paid on time every month to implement someone else's ideas. On the other hand, if you’re up to the challenge then there’s never a bad time to strike out on your own. Fortune, as they say, favours the bold.
For those creatives who are less experienced in the business side of things, it can be a huge challenge. That’s why we’ve contacted a pro selection of designers who have made it – and are responsible for starting some of the most successful studios around – to bring you some expert tips on starting your own studio.
Want to know more? Check out our Design Studio Handbook, which covers everything you need to know to start and run a successful design business.
01 GOOD SKIP HUNTING
Bob Gray Design director Red&Grey Design “When you’re setting up a studio, designer furniture is not a priority,” says Red&Grey’s Bob Gray. “Our tables and chairs all came from a skip outside a major telephone company that was rebranding. If we were starting out now, we would look out for liquidation sales and office closures.”
02 TAKE THE PLUNGE
Nick Nettleton Director Loft Digital Essentials like renting out work space and hiring new people – they’re big financial commitments, and they’re always terrifying in advance. For Nick Nettleton, these are psychological barriers – you just have to take the plunge. “Once you’re on the other side, you wonder what all the fuss was about,” he says.
03 GET A BIG TABLE
Nat Hunter D&AD Executive Committee member D&AD Communal spaces offer many opportunities to pool your talents and bounce ideas around, so it makes sense to capitalise on this rather than just giving fate a free hand. Nat Hunter’s office must-have? “A big table for everyone to eat lunch together.”
04 THE RIGHT STUFF
Adam Jenns Founder and managing director Mainframe “Don’t bother starting a studio if you don’t have the intention of being the best.” Adam Jenns challenges you to succeed with any other attitude. “Few people ever get there,” he adds. “But if you don’t start out with that intention you’ll get lost in a sea of one-man bands with novel company names.”
05 THE BEST POLICY
Russell Townsend Managing director Clusta It’s very tempting to believe your own hype, and design is certainly a business that demands a little esprit de corps. But that’s not a sound footing, says Russell Townsend: “Firstly, don’t kid yourself, and secondly never kid the people that make your studio work – your clients, staff, suppliers, bank manager and the tax man. They make your world go round.”
06 CREATE A WEBSITE
Chris Brand Founder Christopher Brand According to Chris Brand, putting up a website was one of the best things that he ever did. “It’s the easiest way to show people your work,” he explains. Making sure you have the right domain name is a good idea too. Keep things as simple as possible to use, and choose a name that’s easy to remember.
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07 SPACE CONTROL
Josie Harold Managing director Dirty Design Think about how you would like your space to work for you long term, and what works best for the business. You might want to work in an open-plan space all together with music, laughter and fun. “However, you need to think how that will work when you’ve got phone calls to make or you’re trying to write a brief – or have clients in,” says Dirty Design’s Josie Harold.
08 WORK IS WORK, HOME IS HOME
Sean Freeman Founder There Is Working from his bedroom day-in day-out gave Sean Freeman a nasty bout of cabin fever that only wore off once he found a desk in a shared space. “Now, when I get home, it’s home,” he says. “Plus, it’s totally tax deductible, so in a roundabout way I kind of look at my desk space as paying tax.”
09 FIND SOME NATURAL LIGHT
Russell Townsend Managing director Clusta Everyone wants a fancy studio with a hot tub and pool table, but do you really need it? There are larger priorities, says Russell Townsend. “Make sure you have a suitable environment with good natural light and good security, and that it’s somewhere you are happy to spend a lot of time in – because you will.”
10 FUTURE-PROOF YOURSELF
Tom Skipp Founder Tom Skipp It’s true that you get what you pay for, and since a designer’s main tool is his or her computer, it pays to get the best you can afford. “As a freelancer, I’m always on my MacBook Pro, which I find sufficient – even for artworking,” says Tom Skipp. “And I have also recently subscribed to the iPhone generation, which means that I can respond to people immediately. It’s essential to appear available at all times for clients.”
11 TAKE SOME RISKS
Adam Jenns Founder and managing director Mainframe Logic and restraint are not always your best friends: they can lead to piecemeal decisions and compromise. “If you don’t take risks, you’ll stay a one-man band forever,” says Adam Jenns. “I rented a big studio very early on in Mainframe’s life, and it seemed to fill itself.”
12 SPACE IS THEORETICAL
Glenn Garriock Creative director at Atelier 1A Co-founder of FormFiftyFive Working alone isn’t ideal. “Simply the process of explaining an idea to someone else helps me figure out if it makes sense or not,” says Glenn Garriock. However, you don’t have to be isolated even if you are physically alone: “With a little help from modern technology you can share ideas and thoughts with colleagues and friends, regardless of where you are.”
13 LIVE THE DREAM
Josie Harold Managing director Dirty Design “Think carefully about what you want from your office space,” warns Josie Harold. “The quirky older building that feels really individual and is cheaper than more traditional office space might seem perfect, but trust me, with no double-glazing the heating bills won’t be. And if you buy flatpack desks from IKEA, plan in three days to build them.”
14 PRACTICAL MATTERS
Aurelia Lange Founder Aurelia Lange Talking about heating bills, illustrator and designer Aurelia Lange has some practical advice: “Setting up in the summer will give you a head start,” she laughs. Also, research all your expenses thoroughly – public liability, insurance, rates and such: “Business Link is a great resource for advice on this.”
15 SENSIBLE SOFTWARE
Russell Townsend Managing director Clusta These days the specs on mid-level machines are generally fine for all but the most demanding of design applications. “So try and make sure that you are very sensible about software and, in particular, hardware,” says managing director at Clusta, Russell Townsend. “Assess what you really need. Video and moving images are far more demanding than design for print.”
16 GOTTA HAVE A SYSTEM
Glenn Garriock Creative director at Atelier 1A Co-founder of FormFiftyFive Without a decent system to help you find older files – real as well as digital – you are simply increasing your workload. Glenn Garriock’s big on filing systems for exactly this reason: “Having a methodical filing system will spare you a lot of rummaging around,” he reasons. “You never know when one of your older files or documents could come in handy to sort out a misunderstanding, or help you with your final billing.”
17 LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Aurelia Lange Founder Aurelia Lange Location is king, ask any estate agent. So check out the area you’re thinking of setting up in thoroughly. “How accessible are the nearest supply shops? What about banks and nice pubs to meet clients? Is there parking?” asks Aurelia Lange. And finally, how accessible are your premises? Is it 24/7? If not, how will you manage all those late nights?
18 BACK UP!
Glenn Garriock Creative director at Atelier 1A Co-founder of FormFiftyFive “Back everything up,” advises Glenn Garriock. This doesn’t have to be expensive – you can pick up a one-terrabyte external hard drive for less then £100 these days, on which you can create a bootable carbon copy of your main hard drive. “Couple this with an online back-up service, such as Backblaze or CrashPlan, and you should be sorted.”
19 HOME FROM HOME
Aurelia Lange Founder Aurelia Lange You’ll be spending quite a bit of time in your studio, so make it your own. “You should create an environment that you want to spend time in,” says Aurelia Lange. “Invest in some good speakers, a comfortable chair, a kettle and some chocolate biscuits.”
20 UPDATE YOURSELF
Daniel Baer Founder Studio Baer Keep your website up to date. “Our site is updated each quarter with new projects,” says Daniel Baer. “We adapt the studio portfolio for every client meeting in order to focus on specific areas of interest.” If you’re small, you’re nimble. Make the most of that.
21 USE SOME SHOE LEATHER
Bob Gray Design director Red&Grey Design Searching the internet for studio space might have the advantage of speed, but you won’t be getting there via the internet superhighway. It’s best to get out and walk around until you find somewhere you like. “This is a much better way to get a feel for an area, and you can also find some hidden gems that don’t appear on larger estate agent websites,” says Bob Gray.]
Web developers can be a mine of useful information about servers, security and planning your site. In this article I pass on some of my top tips
For over 10 years I've worked as a web developer, for most of that time my company has worked as the subcontracted development team, working alongside web designers on websites and applications. In addition, we have developed our own small CMS product, Perch, which is used by many web designers to provide simple content management for their sites. In the course of supporting Perch I get to see how people work, and the concepts that they struggle with.
A designer who freelances or runs their own agency, may find that they need to confidently explain technical concepts to clients. The end client is often unaware of the various specialisms behind launching a new site and relies on their web designer to guide them through the process. Therefore even if you tend to outsource development work, having an understanding of development can pay dividends in allowing you to discuss the technical parts of the job with your clients. In addition, when working with developers your knowledge will help to speed up communication and prevent misunderstandings.
This article contains some small tips and links to further reading, on subjects that I've found myself explaining when working with web designers on projects and when supporting Perch.
1. Write user-centric functional specifications
Functional specifications or briefs for development work are part of agency life. They get a bit of a bad press as they can be used to beat the client over the head with, and to prevent changes being made that will improve the site for the better. However, if you need to quote time and costs, you need something to base that estimate on, and if you are subcontracting development work, you need to make sure the developers are clear as to what they need to build.
Development specifications should clearly describe your application focusing on what the user can do. Concentrate on the tasks that users – both visitors and administrators – need to achieve, and you will go a long way to creating a specification that can be quoted against reliably and that will help prevent feature creep.
2. Consider programming constructs when planning
When developers are thinking through a set of requirements, we tend to think in terms of programming constructs. An understanding of these constructs can really help when developing specs and designing interfaces.
Conditional logic – if … then … else ...
An example of conditional logic might be the following requirement. If a user is logged in, then show them a link to 'My Account', else show the links for login and account creation. It's easy to forget the else when designing a flow, always consider what happens if your condition is not met.
Loops
A lot of development consists of repeating chunks of information. Perhaps you have products stored in a database and want to display them as a list, repeating the same block of mark-up over and over until you reach the end.
What happens if you have too many items to display nicely on one page? You will need some kind of paging – previous and next – or another way to show only part of the data. Can people sort this data in any way? Are there any special cases that need displaying in a different way? These rules need to be explained in the specification as any filtering is likely to require additional information being stored against the product in the database. This article from dev.opera explains the basics of programming in simple terms for the non-programmer.
3. When designing – don't forget the error states
When thinking about developing a brief for development, or creating your initial designs, don’t forget the error states and validation for forms. If you leave these things up to your developers, you will end up with error messages designed by programmers. Protect your design from programmers! Especially if you are in the situation where you are handing designs over to a developer to build the site, and may not have much input after that point. Think through the various places where users need to complete forms or otherwise interact with the site. Protect your design by providing clear instructions to the developers as to how the messages will display and what the user experience should be.
4. Learn the basics of database design and how data is stored
Unless you have a completely static site – in which case your data is stored as HTML – you are storing data somehow. Having an understanding of how data is stored will make your life easier as a web designer. It will help you to understand the decisions a developer needs to make in order to store data well for use on the site and why seemingly small changes to the design can make a lot of work.
5. Learn to love Version Control
Source or version control may seem unnecessary to the lone designer in particular, but version control can help prevent data loss by providing a backup of your work. Using a remotely hosted version control system can also make it easier to work in different locations. I check my work into our system every evening and then if I need to work from home for some reason the next day, I can check out my progress and pick up exactly where I left off. There are a number of excellent hosted version control providers these days – for example, GitHub and Beanstalk. Beanstalk also have a brilliant guide to version control for those who are using it for the first time.
6. Create a professional development environment
Supporting Perch has given us a fantastic insight into the ways that people work. Some of the scary things we see people doing include the following:
Developing directly on the live site
I am always amazed at the number of people I see making changes directly to files on a live website. This is a terrible way to work and not just because you are likely to break something on the live site. If you are developing directly on files on a server, it is quite possible that this is the only copy of the up-to-date files available. If there is any problem with the server, you may find your entire site is lost.
Developing in a subfolder of the live site
The other thing we see people doing is developing on the live site but doing so in a subfolder. While this means you are not directly making changes to the live site, you still have the problem of your only copy of the site existing in a subfolder on the live server.
There is a second issue with developing in a subfolder – be that on the live site or on your local server – in that by doing so all your paths from root will be incorrect when you move the site up a level. Some scripts need to know the paths from root, so you may find that the change in environment causes you a problem when you go live. Drew McLellan explains why you should stop building sites in subfolders.
Developing locally without a web server
If you are not doing any serverside development, then you may just work locally, previewing files from the filesystem in the browser or using Dreamweaver or another editor to preview in the browser. Once again, by doing this you are not viewing your pages as part of the website, which can create problems with paths when you go live.
Developers know that you should always mirror your live environment as closely as possible, this prevents many of the problems you would otherwise have when moving a site live. I’d like to suggest that everyone run their own local web server. If your sites are generally just HTML and CSS or you use PHP, then MAMP on the Mac, EasyPHP or XAMPP on Windows will do just fine. Create virtual hosts for each site so that the files can live in the root of the site.
7. Re-use code and other assets
Developers like to reuse code where possible rather than write things from scratch, reuse saves time but can also save you making the same mistakes over and over again.
Reusing code doesn’t necessarily mean using a CSS framework or the same boilerplate for every site. You may just maintain a library of useful snippets.
Many code editors allow you to store code as snippets or clips, there are also standalone tools and web applications designed for this purpose. Reuse doesn’t only have to be about code, you can store common interface elements to drop into designs in Photoshop. One way I save myself time is to keep a folder of test upload files on my desktop. As a lot of what I do is develop and test content management systems I often have to test the upload of images and files. By keeping some test files I don’t end up uploading some important PDFs from the accounts into a client’s test server!
8. Know when shifting liability to a third party is a good idea
It's tempting to want to do it all and keep everything on your own site. However, sometimes the most responsible thing to suggest to your client is to use a third-party for some functionality. Good examples of this are when dealing with taking payment and sending out email.
Payment pages
If your site needs to take payments online, many payment service providers will offer the option of full API integration or taking the payment on a secure page on their site. Unless you are very confident in security and understand how the PCI DSS requirements will then affect you, it is often a better decision to leave the collecting of card details to the PSP, then you and your client have no requirement to worry about the security of card details.
Sending email
Sending email is a tricky business. Getting email to work well across mail clients and get past spam filters can be difficult. You also need to manage unsubscribe requests and see how many of your messages are actually getting through. Third party services such as Campaign Monitor and MailChimp for sending to lists, and Postmark for sending mail from your application can shift liability for email to a third party who is an expert in dealing with it.
9. Realise that cheap hosting is expensive
If you are paying less for your hosting each month than you pay for your coffee each morning, then something is wrong. Poor quality hosting will cost you far more in time than you will save in money.
Hosts provide cheap hosting by offering very little in terms of support and by loading huge numbers of sites onto each physical server. The more sites that exist on a shared server the fewer resources each individual site has – and your site is likely to run slowly and, in the case of database driven websites, you may see connection errors with the database server as it has too much traffic to cope with.
If you want your site to load quickly and your host to help you if you have any problems, paying a little bit more for your hosting will pay off. More about choosing web hosting.
10. Get clued up on security
With a few basic precautions you can minimise your risk of having a site hacked or defaced. Most attacks are nothing personal, but are instead aimed at commonly installed software. The Stop Badware site explains some of the common things you might find on a hacked site.
Upgrades to third party software must be part of the spec
Leaving a client with third-party software installed on their server with no way to upgrade it is irresponsible. If you deploy a site for someone that uses any third-party code – be that blog software, a CMS, a forum or anything else – you must either have an agreement with the client that you will update the software when required, or pass on the information so they can do it themselves.
Be very suspicious about plugins
Assuming you have the core software you are using – such as WordPress – up to date, a hacker is far more likely to get access to the server via a plugin that either has poor security or is even a host for malware itself. Do your research before adding any code to your site, and check that people are not reporting problems after using it.
If your site is compromised, check if other people on your host are having the same problem
It may not be anything you have installed that has caused a security breach. If your site is hacked, check and see if other people on the same host also have the problem. The issue may stem from poor security at the hosting company, or a compromise based on their control panel software. If they are not taking this very seriously indeed, it is time to change hosts!
Whether you are involved in the web as a designer, developer, copywriter, project manager or any other role, I feel that the more you understand about the whole stack the better. We work together more effectively when we appreciate and can learn from each other's roles – and there are often tips that can help us in our own work when we look at what other people are doing. You can add your own suggestions for tips in the comments.
Keith Butters, co-founder of The Barbarian Group, provides a simple three-step process that guides you to learning enough code to be dangerous
I read a lot about the web design and interaction design industry – follow the blogs, LinkedIn groups, all that stuff – and one question I notice that continually comes up in heated debate is: “Do designers need to be able to code?”
That exact question is from an IxDA group and has almost 400 responses. It’s relatively easy to rationalise either side of the equation. You’re a designer, you do design, you let the coders code. Or alternatively, the manifestation of your work is code, so you should know how it's done. Back. Forth. I believe the question is phrased the wrong way. The question shouldn’t be, “Do designers need to be able to code?” but rather, “How much code should you know?”
There was this guy in my town growing up called Joe, who could flawlessly play the guitar parts to almost every Led Zeppelin song in the catalogue. He could also play maybe half of Paganini’s 24 caprices, and a bunch of insane speed-metal stuff – flawlessly. I got together with Joe and some other musicians and we started playing blues in B-flat. Joe didn’t know what a B-flat was or where he might find it on the fretboard. With all his talent and agility, he couldn’t play along. Essentially, the group had no common language for communication, and so, even with what seemed like amazing tools in the toolbox, we failed.
When you’re making things for the internet, that common language is markup and code. If you’re an established badass designer at the top of your field, you probably have people around you to translate where necessary (and you hopefully practice some Socratic honest ignorance). But, if you’re up and coming, trying to find your speciality, or frustrated that you don’t always have “someone to prototype this thing”, it’s crazy to me that you wouldn’t give learning some code a shot.
And you’re in luck. Believe it or not, those eight-minute-abs style programming books and tutorials are actually not selling you a giant rubbish bag of disappointment. You really can learn HTML in 10 hours (probably less). You can learn CSS in practically no time. I’m not saying you’ll be ready go join the conference circuit as a speaker or walk in to a new career with your new skill set, but you most definitely will be able to go make a thing.
The following is a simple three-step process (Step 3 is optional) that guides you to learning “enough code to be dangerous”. Focus on these three things for a couple of hours a day, and you could potentially be programming in less than a month.
1. Learn some basic HTML and CSS
Most people I talk to these days don’t agree with me (and that’s fine), but if you want a job doing anything on the internet, you should be able to make a basic HTML+CSS web page. In fact, I wish that was one of the tokens required to enter the industry </rant>.
There are plenty of online resources to learn HTML and CSS. Personally, I like the w3schools site for both HTML and CSS. They have nice cheat sheets for CSS properties and selectors, which is the stuff I never remember since I am not writing markup every day.
So make a page. Maybe a couple. Make them look nice. And prepare for Step 2.
2. Get an introduction to programming
This isn’t about learning how to build a site or learning how to write an iOS app. What I recommend is just getting a feel for what programming languages look like, and some basic understanding of how they work. A really interesting project that teaches coding that I happen to be a fan of is Codecademy.
Give it a shot. Or, if you're feeling ambitious, go grab just about any of those Learn-JavaScript-in-10-minutes books or a beginning PHP book. There are plenty that are freely available.
The goal is simply to understand how to make the computer do something you asked it to in code.
3. Follow a true development tutorial (optional)
It never ceases to amaze me how many wonderful development tutorials there are out there. There are a couple of ways to go here. The first (and far easier) way is to go through a tutorial such as PHP101: PHP For the Absolute Beginner. If you can make it through to the end, you will have built a nice, basic RSS news aggregator, and will be able to actually understand how the whole thing works.
If you really want to go for it, I highly recommend Michael Hartl’s Ruby on Rails Tutorial. Don’t skip the introduction. This may be too deep a dive for you. But, once you’re done (if you try and succeed), you will have built a basic Twitter-like web application from scratch.
There are plenty of other amazing tutorials out there. Search around and find one that interests you.
Now that wasn’t so bad was it? Suppose you hated every minute of it (possible). Luckily, you’re a designer and you can go back to doing the stuff of design. But even if you never write another line of code in your life, two important things happened: first, you probably developed a newfound appreciation for the coders you know and work with. Second, you’ve discovered that you communicate more effectively when talking about implementation of your designs. Two really good things
Clare Whitmell explains how analysing market trends, digging out little-known options and being more experimental can help you make decisions about your career
If you don't have a clear career path mapped out in front of you, how do you go about choosing the right role or sector? Do you pursue your passion at all costs (regardless of the state of the industry), or do you fall into a career by accident?
Standard career advice is to identify your marketable strengths, along with your interests and values. Ideally, you can then match these to companies that need your skills and where you'd enjoy working.
But when so many traditional graduate roles seem to require the same sets of skills and attributes, identifying sectors, companies or roles becomes more difficult. Here are other ways to approach your career decision-making. Analyse market trends
Entire sectors are changing, jobs are disappearing, and skills are becoming obsolete. Stay ahead of recruitment patterns and get an overview of which sectors are healthy, and which are predicted to shrink through surveys like this. Find out where companies are expanding, and which skills are in demand. Resources such as the Future Work Skills report are also helpful in identifying wider employment trends.
For example, a shift towards specialist skills is currently underway. In "The end of a job as we know it" the author argues that the concept of a job is beginning to disappear, to be replaced by a need for expertise. Employers look for values, skills and fit, rather than experience. For job seekers, this means that your long-term value and employability will depend on how much need there is for your specialist skills. Staying relevant means assessing and adjusting these, either through deepening them, or by turning them in new directions. Without a particular area of expertise, you'll find it harder to get work.
Consider less obvious choices
Your degree doesn't necessarily lock you into one career. In an article for Guardian Careers Jane Artess, director of research at the Higher Education Careers Services Unit, points out that around six in 10 graduates are recruited to jobs where their degree subject "was not the deal-breaker".
Explore a range of sectors and companies. Ask for informational interviews or a chance to work shadow; and read resources such as 'A working life' or the Guardian Careersinsider guides to find out what jobs typically involve and what employers look for in their employees.
Don't discount smaller or mid-size companies, which can often expose you to a wider range of roles and responsibilities than larger companies. Experiment
'Job hopping' isn't always a disadvantage - especially at the early stages of your career when you're still working out what you like or dislike in a job. Instead, consider all roles as an opportunity to deepen your skillset and expertise.
Take a more long-term view of your career, and don't feel obliged to commit your entire working life to one company or sector. Remember: what you want or need from a job will evolve, and you should review your needs and ambitions regularly.
Experiment with different types of employment. Don't turn down temporary work or short-term assignments that could give you an 'in' to a company, or the chance to work on an interesting project.
Terrified of employers scouring their Facebook pages for signs of fecklessness, students have started deleting content and hiding their identity. Are they over-reacting?
Most students have indulged in an occasional spot of "Facebook stalking". It's hard to resist the temptation to have a peek at the virtual lives of others when a wealth of personal information can be accessed within seconds.
But when our social bubble expands to involve our careers, Facebook stalking doesn't seem like such an carefree form of procrastination. With companies increasingly using social networking sites to check out potential employees, students are becoming more aware of the image projected by their online activity.
With the prospect of being released into the working world fast approaching, some of my friends have resorted to changing their profile names in an effort to keep their personal lives hidden. They aren't the kind of people who post explicit photographs, express extreme views, or exchange dubious jokes. So why are they feeling pressurised to conceal their identity?
Well, because companies really do reject candidates based on what Google reveals. A survey conducted by CareerBuilder found that the top reason employers reject candidates is for posting inappropriate photographs. Next on the list? Hosting content about alcohol or drug use. Clearly boasting about how many pints you downed last night isn't the wisest idea, but it seems even the most conscientious Facebook user could find themselves misjudged by a page they "liked" years ago.
With so many graduates chasing so few jobs, it's understandable that companies need to find ways to filter applications. So is it time to get rid of those potentially self-defamatory photos from freshers' week? Well, perhaps not.
A recent US study claims that Facebook users with a lot of friends – and even some partying photos – possess the jobworthy traits of being extroverted and friendly. And its findings, it says, are born out by how well the Facebook funsters perform at work.
Don Kluemper, professor of management at North Illinois University and leader of the study, says: "In five or 10 minutes, our raters could look at the tone of a subject's wall post, note the number of friends they have, peruse their photos to see how social they were and assess their tastes in books and music. It's a very rich source of information."
But rich source of information or not, scanning Facebook profiles can't be the most effective way to decide how successfully a candidate will perform in the workplace. The student who once participated in a pub-crawl dressed as a cowboy may also read extensively, volunteer at weekends, and possess a multitude of desirable traits that can't be gleaned from his profile pictures.
Ultimately, social networking sites are just that – social. Employers approaching them need to be aware that taking jokes out of context or viewing photos with an over-critical eye can lead to judgments that aren't representative of the whole individual. So why not steer clear of Facebook and assess candidates the tried-and-tested way: on how they come across in a professional context.
