Hi, just need some advice from some fellow developers. I am currently finding hard to find work. I feel my strengths lye in front-end development than back-end development. I don't really have a portfolio except on two sites I have worked on during an internship. I have intermediate knowledge in HTML, CSS and beginner/intermediate with JavaScript/jQuery.

 

Anyone can give some advice on any steps I can take to advance in this field? I have tried looking for various places for Junior Front-End Development roles but in this current economic situation there are a lot of people applying for work in these fields.

The first place anyone will look when assessing you as a candidate is your own site. That's the first impression they'll get before they even get as far as the portfolio page to look at your work - if you don't have much client work to show it's not your fault, but if your own site isn't up to snuff it definitely is, because that's wholly within your control. You haven't linked to a site from your profile or signature so I can't give you any specific tips on that - how does it look?

The first place anyone will look when assessing you as a candidate is your own site. That's the first impression they'll get before they even get as far as the portfolio page to look at your work - if you don't have much client work to show it's not your fault, but if your own site isn't up to snuff it definitely is, because that's wholly within your control. You haven't linked to a site from your profile or signature so I can't give you any specific tips on that - how does it look?

 

Here -> My Website.

Bebas is better suited as a display font for headings - it's quite hard to read in continuous body text. I like what you've done with the background colours changing on mouseover of the menu, but the white text on the green and especially the yellow lacks contrast; you may want to tone down the backgrounds a bit.

 

Try adding a portfolio page with the stuff you've worked on (if the firm you did your internship with will allow), explaining what you contributed to the process. You could also approach local charities with no web presence or out of date websites and offer a bit of free work with an eye to bulking out your portfolio. Before that you could make a virtue of a necessity by mocking up the layout of a fuller portfolio with "Your Website Could Be Here" placeholders.

 

Finally, don't get disheartened. It's a long slog and sometimes even experienced designers don't get enough work in - I'm going through a lean patch myself. Good luck!

Here -> My Website.

 

High-quality work is essential and an understanding of design principles is also usually required to secure work.

 

Looking at your portfolio, there are a few thing I have picked up on that an agency would certainly look at.

 

Don't forget, design & code are one thing. Accessibility, usability and content are just as crucial.

 

 

• Homepage text is all an image, no real content or structure.
  
• Background colours on hover are too bright and in some cases prevent you from reading the text.
  
• Images of the animals are blurry and serve no real purpose accept filling space.
  
• Form can be submitted by disabling JavaScript.
  

 

Just to name a few. Being 'that guy' who goes the extra mile on his site can go a long way.

 

All that said, everyone is having trouble finding work at the moment, keep trying and hopefully you will get there soon enough.

 

EDIT: Renaissance beat me to it!

Edited February 24, 201214 yr by J.P

Bebas is better suited as a display font for headings - it's quite hard to read in continuous body text. I like what you've done with the background colours changing on mouseover of the menu, but the white text on the green and especially the yellow lacks contrast; you may want to tone down the backgrounds a bit.

 

Try adding a portfolio page with the stuff you've worked on (if the firm you did your internship with will allow), explaining what you contributed to the process. You could also approach local charities with no web presence or out of date websites and offer a bit of free work with an eye to bulking out your portfolio. Before that you could make a virtue of a necessity by mocking up the layout of a fuller portfolio with "Your Website Could Be Here" placeholders.

 

Finally, don't get disheartened. It's a long slog and sometimes even experienced designers don't get enough work in - I'm going through a lean patch myself. Good luck!

 

Cheers for the tips, yer I really and just looking for anything to get experience, pretty tough.

As much as it might hurt to do so, perhaps offer your services to agencies for a nominal fee to gain experience and exposure?

 

I know we've had a few freelancers offer to work for us for virtually nothing in hope they'd get return work and of course to pad out their portfolio.

 

We were offered a complete re-design of our website, for free!

 

Obviously you need to be tread carefully when interacting at this level, you need to work with people who aren't going to take your for a ride i.e. do they actually have a clientbase and work on the books ready and waiting?

 

Just a suggestion.

EDIT: Renaissance beat me to it!

 

Makes a change, it's normally Mike or Spitfire pipping me to the post.

Your website gave me a headache, all those flashing colours are gonna make 99% of people click right off.

 

If you're not great at design, keep it simple, or use a template (so long as you say you are).