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CSS

Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points

First Steps to get a Job in Web Industry

HI,

I want to apply for a job in few weeks, or a month or such, and now I'm wondering what are the things that I MUST know, as a front-end web developer, since that's what I want to do.

I have a portfolio, which I will re-do it specifically to match the job market, not freelance, I did practice on these sites I have there, PURE CSS, apart from Sidki and Sidki, and my portfolio, since I used bootstrap and WordPress. Then the other i started to do Pure CSS, the lasest, the better CSS.

Now i copied a site, this here and mine is this which i need to make circles, but overall the site is done apart from circles. I did also airbnb site, but enver finished it.

Doing this i have learned a lot of new techniques, new stuff you could do with CSS and it's amazing how TreeHouse really gives you just the Basics :D but i lvoe it but anywas..

Now I hear about PSD, I should do PSD to code, without the code, should do it by just looking and figure out the hex, paddings margin and such.. which seems a bit challenging to figure out the glutters and such.

Apart from that, i focus on HTML/CSS pure code, i can Bootstrap and will learn foundation 6 now, i learn Sass, infact the karhoo is with Sass code, some, i can do simple stuff lik jQuery lightbox but i don't focus on JS.

I know basics of git, but i can't colaborate since i can't do it alone.

I don't know.

How does this look? Good bad? What should I do to be prepared for an interview in a month?

What challenges would you give me to do now? What tips woudl you give me?

I don't have treehouse right now, since i can't afford it, but any links to useful videos will be good too, i hope I can get access as soon as possible.

I'm in UK if that matters, but probably not.

Joel Bardsley
Joel Bardsley
31,249 Points

Here's a great video to must-know web development tech for various web developer roles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBzRwzY7G-k

I'm also in the UK (West Yorkshire) and recently started looking for new front-end developer roles. The kind of opportunities that IT recruiters on LinkedIn send across typically do include JavaScript - I think that is the area you would need to focus on most. I wouldn't worry about getting stuck into libraries like Angular and React, just get the basics of vanilla JS down. Without being on treehouse, you can run through the Codecademy course or there will be countless YouTube video series available if you prefer to learn that way.

If you've been working on WordPress sites, have you done any PHP coding or has it just been HTML/CSS?

Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points

Yeah, I watched that, but this is an overview of all, that I pretty much know. I watched this time ago.

If we talk about HTML and CSS, what specifically are we talking about? He didn't include the 'fundamentals' of a solid foundation, unless you are back-end, i suppose you can skip perfect HTML and CSS.

In these days it's more than HTML and CSS from my point of view. You absolutelly need to know Sass, every job will want LESS/Sass, every job will want some kind of framework, if that's Bootatrap or Foundation, most of the time both of these.

You need to write good code, need to know the basic stuff like SMACSS and such, i suppose, architecture, what abouti copying sites that designer gives you?

This is just HTML and CSS, and there is more to it. SO even though the talks about technologies, he don't really cover what exactly you need to know, but gives you an overview. It's like syaing learn Karate and then Kung Fu and then Judo and then Krav maga.. Kung Fu of 10k moves will take you 10years to learn them, then karate, another few years, then krav maga another few year. Bare in mind that Karate and Kung Fu share similarities, obeviously, but same with technology, I can name you 100different martial arts styles and why they are there etc.. but it's not that youwill know how to become a great fighter in general, or how to do few things good.

If you get me : p Something more specific and such .

I want to move to leeds, hopefully. JavaScript is a bonus from what i gathered. Theres not point going crazy with JS if HTML and CSS + Sass etc.. are shit. It's better to gave someone who knows that good, and who can improve it while working at the company, i suppose right. But anywas i can do jQuery a bit, and the basics and all stuff. I did go throw the basics of JS, btu that's not enough. To know JS i would need to write JS, but I can't because first my HTMl and CSS needs to be good. That's what I mean : p braking steps as well, front-end is a robust role, so i broke it to just HTML , then CSS, then HTML and CSS, then added Sass to it and so on.. as you coudl probably tell from my other threats on treehouse from a month : p

but thanks

2 Answers

Kevin Korte
Kevin Korte
28,149 Points

Depending on your need for money for bills, rent, transportation, etc, you might look at working for free for a short period of time at some places you'd seriously like to work at. First off, connections are huge. Dig around, and see if you can't find your mom's workout friend's, niece has a son that works at XYZ where you think you might want to work. Connections can be very vague like I just described, but tremendously beneficial. It at least gets your resume bubbled to the top.

Second, if you can get ahold of someone there, offer to work for free for 2-4 weeks. I'd say no more than 30 days, cause a mans gotta eat. Putting a definitive limit on it keeps you from being taken advantage of. So you say something like "I'm willing to work here for free for 30 days to show you how valuable I can make myself to your team. I'll be so valuable as a young developer, you'll have to hire me." And than you have to bring it - be humble, be hardworking, be ready.

No matter, at the end if they haven't hired you, you leave like you said you were going to. Resumes are great and all, but most people can learn skills they don't have. What really matters is how a new candidate assimilates into the current team and culture. That can't be taught.

Like I said, not everyone can afford to do something like that, so your results may vary. Also make sure to use your real name on your resume. Not many will, okay none, will take you seriously or find your user name on here funny. And I would change it before you link them to anything that might point back to your treehouse profile.

Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points

Well, I might consider to move to Poland, maybe, if I won't make it in November, but I have 500pounds which is like 4weeks of living, only if I get the job, otherwise Id buy some cheap pc.

I had a similar idea, kinda. There was, or there is a agency very close to me and I was just wondering if I go there and tell them that I wan't to be a front-end web dev, and if they could help me, and adding what you just wrote, If i could contribute, or try to contribute to project they are working. Thats what you mean?

You want me to say "I'm willing to work here for free for 30 days to show you how valuable I can make myself to your team. I'll be so valuable as a young developer, you'll have to hire me." , and the last sentence? 'you'll have to hire me' ? lol does apperance matter? I look like a zombie, my eyes are red and they are transparent, like if water was sitting on them and I'm going to cry if i get to a warm or cold place, so as soon as i get out my room. Can i be not healy to be hired? Or even do something? from the Quora responses i got yes on my situation.. but uhhhh?

Well, yeah, I know that :D here on TTH not a choice, so id decided to give it Mr Bond, would tell you but not here..

What in terms of skill? What I have been noticing more is that people care less about that but rather how the person is and what you just wrote above.

I was thinking to possibly go to a restaurant and such, and ask them if they want a website too.

But again, the way I look, is anyone even going to take me serious? I look worse than a man from bin.

Kevin Korte
Kevin Korte
28,149 Points

Yes, personal appearance means a lot. You should have good hygiene and look rested when you go look for work.

Kevin Korte
Kevin Korte
28,149 Points

Why do you have two accounts?

Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points

Oh because I look horribly bad. My eyes are red, I don't mean just inside, but they are red outside in terms of near the ears, if you get it, one of my shoulder is like 4cm below the neck.. my eyes will water any time.. acne.. well, what can I say, I have the worst hygiene from all people. Never seen anyone like this.. nor in films, not in google images eh

I'm not going to look any good.. because to be good I need money, and to have money I need job, if i go flip burgers, not saying it's bad, but the condition I'm now.. and the amount they pay.. id go in debt.. or be where I'm not and get even worse, because how can i stand 8hours with joints like that.. sure i can, i could go , but again.. i don't really know what's worse or not.. if stuff won't work, id probably consider go back to my country, and just ask for help my grandmother if i can be there for few months, then when I have REALLY solid foundation, id come. Yet, I hope it will work in a month or two.. Im going to die before i get the job eh. I'v been wondering too much.. I need to do something different..

Two accounts? I'm the real Bond, the other ones are trying to impersonate me!

Rikki Collier
Rikki Collier
2,708 Points

Not related to your question (I can't help there) but I just took a look at your portfolio and there's some great stuff there man.

The Galaxies page is amazing! Love the parallax background effects in place. Especially the 'Facts About Galaxies' column that has an opaque box - creates an awesome effect when you scroll up and down. Definitely gonna take some inspiration from that page - bookmarked :)

How long have you been coding for?

Regards,

Rik

Aurelian Spodarec
Aurelian Spodarec
10,801 Points

Thanks lol The Galaxy page is the worst written :D so if you want to take an example I wound't recommend looking at it really D: Didn't post a site from a long time, now Id do a lot better, probably, but I can tell you that it's all practice and understanding how things work.

How long have i been coding for? I started 3years ago, but i didn't learn until 3months ago.. It's a bit complex.

I can happily say that i started last month, but because of bad experience I had in the past, and since I memorized the CSS commands some techniques and such.. now i went throw treehouse vidoes again, all of them, didn't miss one, even if i though I knew it, I did it, you'd be suprized how much I didn't know, or I was at least.

So i went throw the whole track of front-end dev, with JS, although i shoudn't do JS.. but..

When i watched the front-track, and some outside the track, I go 100% better with my code and in a week or two I say I was doing it pretty much good, jsut more practice.

Id suggest to stick with HTML and CSS, make few page samples, don't bother with design too much, that's not the point of a coder, unless you want to be a designer, colors and such noto soo much important what color are they going to be.

Don't bother with JS, but you migh do just the jQuery basics id say, to get a git on why JS is useful, as well as PHP basics, since that can possibly speed up your workflow, maybe, depends how you use it, I don't use it now.

HTML and CSS is the key for solid start, you shoudl get a preprocessor like LESS or Sass, and id say go with Sass i suppose, since there are treehouse tutorials on this.

One important things is architecture, and naming convertion and such. I would suggest you to look on BEM , OOCSS, SMACSS, these are the key stuff, at least in my opinion. Before getting into that make sure you can write HTML and CSS though.

It shoudn't take you too logng to know it if you put in the time, although it's other to code it very good.

I think I'm going to elarn foundaiton6, since they use Sass, and i want to look at their architecture to advance my knoweldge in this.

Framework in general is good, you can try to use bootstrap after HTML and CSS, get a gst how they work, but then gett off them as soon as possbile, so you can do pure coding, but botstrap gives you a nice overlook on OOCSS, SMACSS adn some similar convertions like BEM . KINDA, note exatly but there are good things or similar.

HOpe that helps lol

If i exactly knew what i need to know I woudn't ask the question but then, theres probably more than what i just have mentioned above and well, no wonder they call web soo complex.

You need to put in time btw. I used to watch 80vidoes and doing project on the side. 1website in two days.

If you are totally enw to this, don't sprint throw it, and if you do, i sugggest to re-watch all at speed x2.