How can it be so hard to find a decent job? Are there any employers out there?

[gaz-at-subnet]

Hello everybody,

I live in the North West of England and have just found out that I am going to be made redundant. I am having great difficulty finding a job in online games development or server side programming. Will I have to relocate to find a decent job/wage or can anybody offer any advice to finding a decent employer?

Why am I finding it hard to find a job? I have skills in the following areas:-

Programming languages:-

Perl
ASP
XML
Vbscript
Javascript
Actionscript
HTML
PHP
SQL
WML/WAP
CGI
CSS

Software knowledge:-

Adobe Photoshop
Macromedia Flash
Adobe Illustrator
Macromedia Dreamweaver
Macromedia Ultradev
Microsoft Intradev
QuarkXpress
Microsoft Access
Mysql
Apache web server
Samba
Windows 95/98/NT/2000
Microsoft Office
FreeBSD
Redhat Linux
Microsoft Exchange
3D Studio Max
Microsoft IIS
Illuminatus
Sonic Firewall
Windows 2000 Server
Amapi 3D
Liberate Interactive TV
MAC OS 9

Development/configuration knowledge:-

Content management software creation
Digital rights software creation
E-mail configuration Unix/NT
Web server configuration Unix/NT
DNS configuration Unix/NT
WAP games development
WAP software creation
Flash games development
Windows network configuration
Intranet systems development/configuration
Video web management systems
User tracking systems
Dedicated server management
Virtual server management
On-site server configuration
Roaming profile and user profile configuration
Telnet/Remote access experience
Security awareness Unix/NT
Internet Explorer/Netscape compatibility
Backend integration with Flash
Cookies Server Side/Client Side
Server side session management
Technical support experience
PC Hardware installation/Configuration
Web Marketing/search engines

Graphic design/Animation:-

Flash interactive applications
Flash animation
Photoshop Interface design
Photoshop/Illustrator corporate identity creation
QuarkXpress layout knowledge
3D Max modelling
3D Flash production
PowerPoint design/presentation
Illuminatus CD-ROM authoring
WAP image creation/design

[Ray Beez]

I'd say two reasons: 1, your skills are all for web/net applications for which there's no demand anymore really. (You know, companies are downsizing, especially if net related).

2. Because maybe you're not marketing yourself as ONE type of skill. I see you listed all these programming languages, then later you also listed graphics skills. Most people (employers) look for a person to fit one mold. ie: Either you're a really good Developer and you are looking to pursue development, or you're a really good graphic artist looking to design the best visuals. Someone who markets themselves as both will be perceived as probably being mediocre at either skill (spread thin?). This seems unfair and presumptuous of course, since you might very well be 100% proficient at either "position".

Employers also look for team players. Someone who promotes themselves as being able to "do it all" will likely be viewed as being the type of person who will WANT to do it all (again unfairly they may even be perceived as an ego maniac--no one wants one of those on a "team").

So I'd say tailor your resume for the job you are applying for. If it's game design, then stress game design, for which knowledge of both fields are important, but keep in mind, agencies with a full time flash game designer on staff are very very rare.

(It's possible you need to get involved with a start-up where someone multi-disciplined is an essential asset, and would likely even be taken in as a partner in the company.)
[Edited by Ray Beez on 10-09-2001 at 03:57 PM]

[gaz-at-subnet]

Thanks for your reply,

You make a lot of sense with your comments, I am more talented at the development side so I think that's what I'll concentrate on.

Although I do like designing stuff, this is what I did for a web design company I used to work for:-
http://www.businessinfo.co.uk/houseofimages/

I have also wrote applications in a variety of programming languages, Content Management etc.

How can expanding my knowledge go against me? Surely a company would encourage this!

My fustration continues ...

[flashrules]

Nope believe it or not he's right...I'm still a student but I've gone to job fairs and portfolio reviews etc...I do music and graphics both extremely well...plus I'm a kick ass illustrator and know quite a bit of coding however...they only want a specialist cause then they can make a team better. As well you prolly would intimidate ur team and thus they'd get worried you steal ALL their jobs. You know? I mean if you are a Jack of all Trades...or Ace of all Trades..maybe you should just go into business yourself?!
As for design it seems EVERYONE and their mom is a designer or at least claiming to be one, I agree more with the latter...stick with programming it might not be as glamourous but at least you'll have work!
-B

[Ray Beez]

Yeah, I checked out that House of Images site and the graphics are pretty mediocre, with poor design. I would suggest you promote yourself as a developer, and if you are talented at games, then push to expand game design skills (by game design, I am not referring to visuals. I am referring to coming up with the ideas, how the game plays, etc...)

It doesn't hurt to say you know how to use the graphics software though. Just don't make it seem like you would expect or want to make graphics. Leave that for the pros.

[martin47]

I would also suggest you to promote yourself through your portfolio ratter than enumerating your knowledge. if someone is going to hire you it will because of your skills to achieve a final good product.

softs are tools, but without a creative-hardworking-openmind connected to the mouse, the results can be very poor, no matter how many softs you can use.

Keep your resumate very short and use space to show your work. Greetings.

[bothanspy]

hey you might want to chek this article:
http://www.webtechniques.com/archives/2001/11/desi/
employers ARE looking for one guy to replace what used to be a TEAM, however dude, you're way too much all over the board, I personally don't care about your super long list of crap that you may have read the first two paragraphs in a textbook about, employers want to see you demonstrate this knowledege convincingly, you may have a bunch of books that you've read the introduction for but that hardly makes you an expert, try putting together some urls and posting your portfolio instead of filling potential employer's mailboxes with a large download of acronyms and summary of available software on the market. Talk about what you'ce DONE with the technology, these are the days where you must PROVE yourself

[gaz-at-subnet]

Thanks for the help guys,

The House of Images site was a bad example, I did that quite a long time ago.

I had creative control over this web site :-
http://www.touchline.tv
Ignore the crappy intro, I didn't do that.

Whilst working with Subnet, I did a lot more technical stuff. I did backend work on the following web sites :-
http://www.wotsits.co.uk
http://www.brum.tv

You comments are welcome, I want to know where to go from here.

[martin47]

it seems to me that you are better at backend stuff, and tnot that good designing. I would advertise your self from that point of view. Your designing portfolio is not very atractive.