Hi, I have just left my job as an apprentice at an electrical firm. I couldn't compete with the website that a design firm was offering to build and I felt that the job on hand was too much for a newbie and for a boss who wanted to much to quickly.

I am now looking for any part time job to give me a little income, however I would like to start building a complete portfolio of work. I have a few personal projects I have done but I would like to have some more substantial work to add to my portfolio. I wouldn't mind doing the work for free, I just don't really know where to look. Any help would be great! (Sorry if messy writing, done on phone)

Hi, I have just left my job as an apprentice at an electrical firm. I couldn't compete with the website that a design firm was offering to build and I felt that the job on hand was too much for a newbie and for a boss who wanted to much to quickly.

I am now looking for any part time job to give me a little income, however I would like to start building a complete portfolio of work. I have a few personal projects I have done but I would like to have some more substantial work to add to my portfolio. I wouldn't mind doing the work for free, I just don't really know where to look. Any help would be great! (Sorry if messy writing, done on phone)

 

I'm surprised you managed to get a web design job if you are, as you claim, a 'newbie'.

 

I wouldn't post on here looking for a job, you won't get anywhere. Your best bet, speaking directly from experience, is to pick up some permanent menial work in a supermarket or something while you develop your skills. If you're not ready to take on the sort of projects dished out by professional companies, to the point where you actually left, then you're not ready for professional web design. Look at your current skills and see where you need improvement, whether it's hard-coding front-end languages, back-end stuff, working with content management systems and so forth.

 

Take a breather from professional work and don't try to expand your portfolio just yet. If your skills are lacking, you'd simply be creating a portfolio of amateur content; you want a portfolio that's impressive and not done with poor skills. Professional web design is getting tougher and more demanding every year, it's best to catch up before learn your stuff before diving in again.

 

(I posted this on the assumption that you're an average or amateur web designer judging by the feel of your topic.)

Edited October 31, 201312 yr by throzen

Thanks for your response, yes that is my plan. I will be working at a warehouse, just part time to support myself.

I basically got thrown into web design by my boss who didn't really have a clue on what was required to build a ecommerce site from scratch. Asking me to do it and of course I couldn't do it, although I did build one using wordpress.

I have however fell in love with designing for the web, I have 8 months experience now and although I am obviously not going to be a wizard, I want to keep on improving my skills and hopefully build a good portfolio. Or is it worth not trying to build a portfolio at the moment?

 

Or is it worth not trying to build a portfolio at the moment?

 

I say keep going with it. If you're passionate about the topic, just work on it until your experience increases.

 

People always ask me "can you teach me to be good at photoshop?", and the answer is never straight forward. Getting good at something isn't a linear road like leveling up in an RPG, its just a collection of small tricks you've learnt over time that accumulate to expertise. Just like playing guitar. Or website development and design.

 

Why not look at websites you find inspiring and then try to rebuild them in your own design. Thats a good way to learn new tricks that you wouldn't otherwise get to discover.

I would say that you need to build on your basic skills and try a few projects yourself.

 

Once you feel you have enough skill to offer for free or for a small price then I would go to small businesses and offer to do small work on website (knowing that your confident you can complete the work within a good time frame and also not break the current design)

 

This will help with a portfolio and then I would look at junior positions in the industry, always keep learning and developing your skills.

 

Good luck

then once you feel comfortable you could make a site for a club - either for free or for a small free - but make sure you make it clear your level and how much time you can devote to the project or they will be asking for the world