An IT guy is more towards computer science and hardware which is a lot of money as well. =)
My uncle is an system analysis and he makes a pretty penny. 
haha egā¦ you could join meā¦ Iām starting my own company right now with two other people. Iāve been working on the company site, but I just realized that it sucks and that I need to do a much better one.
Anyways, hereās my two cents. I do work at the Department of Labor as a web developer. I actually work for a contractor for DOLā¦ I just found out that my boss got canned, and I was pretty much staying at my job because I liked my boss. So now thereās nothing holding me back from finding a better paying job.
I didnāt find my job through monster.com or the newspaper. Many of these companies hire people that are referenced to them. In my case, my boss graduated from MIT, and so I met her through the alumni website, and she got the company to hire me. So I think the best thing you can do to find a web developer job is to get connections. Thatās what Iām planning to do to find my next job.
Now Iām also trying to start a web development company. And again, I donāt think you need to have a portfolio to get started on this. I still have to get my small business licence, and I havenāt even finished the companyās website or advertised, but I have a couple of potential clients already. How? Connections. The two other people with whom Iām doing this with already knew people who needed websites. So after Iām done with the companyās site, I have 3 jobs lined up.
So Iād say that the best thing you can do right now is not sit on your butt wondering what to do. Of course, seek help in forums like this, but take a chance, even if you donāt have a portfolio or anything. Donāt just wait for the opportunity to come to you.
sounds good, thanks everyone 
The thing is, over here (to my knowledge anyway) there are more full time positions for web designers/developers than contract and freelance work. :!:
If you look on English web sites like www.totaljobs.co.uk youāll find lots of them. As EG has already said, most big companies in England donāt hire contractors. As an example, Churchill (who I work for) has an E-Commerce department who look after all the groups websites. So not only is there www.churchill.com but also www.nig-uk.com, www.csgclaims.com, www.edevitt.co.uk thereās loads. We have several project managers who deal with the admin side, IT people who sort out make lives, and one designer and developer (me) who designs new things and builds them. Weāve got a development centre out in India too for building pages.
Basically my job is to keep an eye on current pages, make changes when they need them, design and build new sites, redesign old ones and research new technologies.
I like it. Itās more secure than freelancing, and thereās the advantage of a regular income. Plus after a few years you can start asking for shedloads of money.
shedloads ā¦ love your terminologyā¦ =) :!:
Just my 2c worth re: 2advanced:::
ā¦very few are going to a)be able to justify ātheirā prices b)care to be represented by the technoSpace-age style that is typical to themā¦
Far too many businesses I think find the styles at 2advanced way too far out for their tastesā¦they appeal more to designers than your average Joe-bussinessMan
there is a whole world of keep it for the normal people thinking to keep a developer/designer plenty busy styling in a newAge but not too far out manner
Simplicity is still popular
Itās a great phrase, that. I love it. āShedloadsā.
Iāve just gone through that 2Advanced list to see what I could doā¦
Skillset Required:
We are seeking an individual with exception programming skills in <b>Macromedia Flash MX (ActionScripting)</b>, Microsoft Visual Studio (<b>C#</b>, <b>C++</b> and <b>Visual Basic</b>), <b>PHP</b>, <b>Java</b>, <b>Javascript</b>, <b>Macromedia ColdFusion</b>, Perl, and MivaScript. Experience with the following advanced web technologies is critical; JSP, EJB, JDBC, SOAP, WAP, SGML, <b>XML</b>, XSL/XSLT, <b>CSS</b>, DHTML and WML. Database design and normalization for the web with <b>Microsoft SQL Server</b>, Oracle 9i, <b>MySQL</b>, PostgreSQL and Borland InterBase is a must. Position also requires a <b>minimum of a BS or BA in a related field or equivalent industry work experience</b>. <b>HTML</b>, with <b>Macromedia Dreamweaver</b>, <b>Adobe PhotoShop</b>, Erain Swift3D, <b>Macromedia Flash MX</b>, <b>Adobe Illustrator</b> and <b>Macromedia Freehand</b> is a must. Candidate must meet ALL of the above criteria for consideration. Salary commensurate depending upon experience. Please submit your resume by e-mail ONLY to . NO CALLS PLEASE.
Long way to go, I think.
I used to work with some of the bigger names in the Scottish design scene full timeā¦
Unfortunately, it is now more viable for studios to employ a freelancer to come in and take a brief and go and complete a particular job rather than pay someone full time to sit at a deskā¦
i.e. cheaper option
Another bad thing is that sometimes when you go to interviews you can meet ppl who have their feet firmly under the table and donāt like the idea of someone new snapping at their heels in their bid to climb the ladder
I know some seriously talented designers who bcoz of this situation are walking about trying to get workā¦and ultimately when the projects arrive they are all competing against each otherā¦
Through working with certain people I have managed to aquire some clients, one of them for me is a big oneā¦which is niceā¦
The best thing to do is have a portfolio of your work that reflects not only your skillset, but the range of work that you can offer through your designsā¦
I have to agree with Kit when she says that working fulltime is a more secure optionā¦getting paid on a monthly basis would be a dreamā¦
What you actually find is that if you are doing the freelance/small company route you have to be an individual of many talentsā¦
You have to be not only creative and technical, but you have to do the face to face meetings with clients, admin, accounts, continual marketing and getting your name out thereā¦
A good start is always to get everything in writing whenever you undertake a project that way you are covering your a**
Get a terms and conditions doc drawn up, make sure that your payment details are perfectly clearā¦clients do NOT always pay you when they are meant toā¦barstewards!!!
Freelancing has its good points too though but the main thing to remember if you are going down this route is that it is all down to youā¦
Talent is nothing without effortā¦
Effort takes time and dedicationā¦
Hopefully through your dedication your talent will shine throughā¦
Good luck with whatever route you chooseā¦
And good luck to you EG with 2Aā¦Iām sure you will be just as successful with whatever u doā¦
Manā¦ Everyone forgets the lil guyā¦ aka playamarzā¦ Do I have to create some vivid 3d game to gte you guys **** attention or something? lmao
We are seeking an individual with exception programming skills in Macromedia Flash MX (ActionScripting), Microsoft Visual Studio (C#, C++ and Visual Basic), PHP, Java, Javascript, Macromedia ColdFusion, Perl, and MivaScript. Experience with the following advanced web technologies is critical; JSP, EJB, JDBC, SOAP, WAP, SGML, XML, XSL/XSLT, CSS, DHTML and WML. Database design and normalization for the web with Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle 9i, MySQL, PostgreSQL and Borland InterBase is a must. Position also requires a minimum of a BS or BA in a related field or equivalent industry work experience. HTML, with Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe PhotoShop, Erain Swift3D, Macromedia Flash MX, Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand is a must. Candidate must meet ALL of the above criteria for consideration. Salary commensurate depending upon experience. Please submit your resume by e-mail ONLY to . NO CALLS PLEASE.
I wouldnāt even be allowed to step my presence in thereā¦ Kind-a sad tooā¦ Cause I think I could come up with something ā2advancedā for themā¦
Just because you know a language doesnāt mean you āknowā a languageā¦ Out of the above listedā¦ Iāve probably only mastered a coupleā¦ Iāve dabbled in design with alot of them but only mastered a few of them.
To have mastered all of the aboveā¦ You would have to be something more than humanā¦
playamarz ~ :player:
a 2advancedoid?
Who me? Yeah rightā¦ Iām a dud 
playamarz :player:
Well, Iām pretty fluent in Pascal, COBOL, C, HTML, Java and JavaScript. Obviously Flash, and Iāve used the design programs tooā¦ But the rest Iāve only touched on.
I donāt think a person exists who could ever have everything on that list.
Iām good with Windowās Programming, DirectX programming and a couple of other things.
I specialize in key Video game Devlopement Areasā¦ Optimization of codeā¦ Artificial Intelligence and stuff like thatā¦ Pick a game and I could find a way to code it for youā¦ Just gimme some art lolā¦
sighā¦ I wish god would have made me a designer as well as a coder 
playamarz :player:
Iām trying to be both and itās difficult. The pure coders think you canāt code, and the designers think you canāt design. Plus Iām a woman so all of them think Iām some kind of muppet. :sure:
I guess the easiest thing is to team up with someone who has the opposite skills.
Yeah pretty muchā¦ Too bad Iām the only one of my kind around hereā¦ All the designers are about as good as I amā¦ And thatās sad for designersā¦ lmaoā¦
As for codingā¦ Iāve talked to other coders around here and they are likeā¦ I know,ā¦ MySQL and PHP fluentlyā¦ And I start listing mine off and they are likeā¦ Ummā¦ Rightā¦ FREAKā¦
:*( People are so cruelā¦
playamarz ~ :player:
Theyāre just jealous. 
Just be thankful no-oneās ever turned up to a meeting with you and gone āOh sorry, I was expecting a man.ā 
Blahā¦ I need to move to DC or Baltimore ot Pittsburgh.> there we goā¦ No-one on hree is close to Pittsburgh lmao
playamarz
Ouchā¦ that would suckā¦ But were you ever turned down from a job because the other person was charging $1 per site? The worst part about that isā¦ This person was my best friend and he did it to screw me overā¦ Was my best friend.
totally agree with you kitā¦
āI guess the easiest thing is to team up with someone who has the opposite skillsā
i do all of the design and actionscripting for our sites but the developer who works with me is fluent in the languages that are listed on the website
i have learned so much from him recently and we regularly upd8 various sites that are not on our portfolio sectionā¦in languages that are klingon 2 meā¦ha ha
it is good to feed off of someone else, and at the same time give something backā¦
all that kirupa.com stands for reallyā¦
it is very hard to walk both paths but if you can walk the middle it is good 4 uā¦
that way when you have to give time estim8s etc. at least you know what is reasonable and feasibleā¦
and the plus side is your skillset can only develop 2
But were you ever turned down from a job because the other person was charging $1 per site?
Now thatās just plain nasty. Iād be really rather hacked off with that.
Good points, both of you. Itās a difficult job sometimes. Thereās so much out there, people expect a lot from you. :sure:
Ok departments looking for webdesigners, content management experts, etc etc whatever you want to call itā¦ are:
IT departments
Marketing Departments
You can find those in any corporate. Also look at places like Colleges, Charities etc. They wont pay fantastically well, but they have good training programmes to compensate.
Yepā¦ Our E-Commerce Department comes under āMarketingā.