applying for first flash job, looking for some advice...

[AgentOgden]

Hello everyone, I am looking for some advice.

I am feeling pretty comfortable about actionscript 2.0, and I am trying for my first real job in flash actionscript development.

I was told by the lady at the hiring agency that her clients would like to see a sample of my "source," which I assumed to mean a few snippets of actionscript (not my actual .fla files.) I asked her to clarify, but she did not know exactly what they wanted, and told me to "use my judgment."

Well, here's the thing, my most recent (and most overall impressive) project involves 2 separate .swfs embedded in a third, and the script behind it is located in several different places in the movies. Of course, as I have been told is just good practice, I have done everything possible to keep all the actionscript in one place, but because of the complex nature of the project, I was forced to make some exceptions.

How do you think I should present my work? Should I arrange my scripts with a short description of how they are connected, or should I submit my whole .FLA, with notes?

This is the final product, just to give you an idea...
http://www.neithercorp.us/psych.swf
You can see the boxes on either side of the thing, those are not visible when the movie is embedded in my page (as they are outside its borders) but they should give you an indication of how my movie is working.

Thanks for reading!

[AgentOgden]

Hello everyone, I am looking for some advice.

I am feeling pretty comfortable about AS2.0, and I am trying for my first real job as a flash/AS developer.

I was told by the lady at the hiring agency that her clients would like to see a sample of my "source," which I assumed to mean a few snippets of script (not my actual .fla files.) I asked her to clarify, but she did not know exactly what they wanted, and told me to "use my judgment."

Well, here's the thing, my most recent (and most overall impressive) project involves 2 separate .swfs embedded in a third, and the script behind it is located in several different places in the movies. Of course, (as I have been told is just good practice) I have done everything possible to keep all the actionscript in one place, but because of the complex nature of the project, I was forced to make some exceptions.

How do you think I should present my work? Should I arrange my scripts with a short description of how they are connected, or should I submit my whole .FLA, with notes?

Should I just choose a different example of my work, one with all the AS in one place?

Thanks for reading!

[gerbick]

Hate to disturb your request for advice; however how is this thread different from this thread?

Multiple posts aren't allowed here at FK, unfortunately.

Now, as far as your question goes... when some (not all) people request "source" files, they want to see your competency in regards to *.as or just AS2 and how you've structured your app in regards to standard OOP or now (as of late) MVC.

They might want to see if you could create code that could possibly be reused across multiple instances. Thus externalizing your AS into a class that extends a movieClip or something as such might be advantageous to your situation.

Just a thought. There are a lot of different ways to solve this, but to have a break down of the functions, as they occur and how you structured it with a concept of workflow and/or ability to take a project and use logic to complete it - and not look like you're just tacking on function upon function and can't even describe half of what you did/why you did that way is usually a sign of something some companies might not want.

And this is from a prior technical recruiter and current creative director. The "lay of the land" varies all over, but since they're not asking for the *.fla - which would be a red flag to me personally, I can usually gleam what you intended to do by looking at most of the code - I'd almost suggest I might be close to what they intended.

Break down the functions, explain what you had in mind (be able to at least) and if possible, be humble enough to know where you could have went a different way. Learn MVC (model-view-controller) and see how your project might have/might not fit into that structured mindset - personally, I hate MVC, but J2EE and lately AS3 makes it easy to reuse code in multiple instances.

I'd not place up my *.fla until required.

Just my two cents.

[Stoke Laurie]

I look for someone who tells me that they don't know it all, they tell me that they enjoy it when are doing something that they have not done before, and that they admit that they have learned by looking at what others have done, and most important, they know what WE do, they have looked at our work.
Good luck, oh and comb you hair!

[AgentOgden]

thanks, that sounds like good advice, and also pretty much describes how I feel. I learn pretty well on my own, but if I was working in a demanding environment, directly with others, I could be learning a whole lot more.

I am confident that I can express this point, IF I am lucky enough to get an interview...

[AgentOgden]

Thanks Mr. Gerbick, that actually answers my question perfectly. Sorry for the cross-post, but I thought I may have put the first one on the wrong board.

[gerbick]

I've moved this to the more business oriented Boardroom. There are some really savvy guys that post here that might have more insight to your inquiry.

Your other thread, I'll close it. Rules are rules; unfortunately.

Regardless, good luck on your endeavors.

[lesli_felix]

I've been asked the same question by agents. They'll probably want to see a class structure, or an fla sample that use some custom classes that you've written. Basically something that shows you have a handle on AS2 and OOP.

Knowledge of design patterns shows that you've moved beyond basic OOP, generally you won't be required to know them unless specifically stated by the employer. Personally I hate them and don't think they're anywhere near as useful as people preach them to be. They only tend to come in handy if you have a lot of developers working together and you all need to be working to an agreed structure.

[lesli_felix]

Interestingly, I'm sitting at an agency now and the tech director is next to me looking through CV's and code samples.

He's complaining that code samples are coming through without fla's, he doesn't have time to read through hundreds of lines of code, just wants to see something running with the source.