Getting into the industry.

[DimensionX]

Hi

I've just joined and I'm sorry to start off with what must be a question asked every couple of days but I couldn't see a sticky that answers my question.

I've recently completed an associates degree in software engineering which has given me an introduction into many languages both application and web development with the primary focus on designing. I have since then bridged onto a BSC in computing science which just consists of 2 years, one as an industrial placement and the final year in which a "final year project" is required.

My course was extremely broad and covered both application and web development languages as well as database development. I am unsure which route to follow, either application or web development although at the moment I'm leaning more on web development.

I am struggling to break into the industry as my current portfolio is more targeted at designing than developing, something I wish to change.

My questions are:

What are employers looking for in a web developers portfolio?
What are the favored languages in the Massachusetts area?
What are employers expecting as far as abilities are concerned?

I would very much appreciate links to websites that are of acceptable quality for a portfolio, since I am quite nervous as far as how high a quality of site is expected and am not sure if I am expected to produce small personal sites that demonstrate a foundation level knowledge thats clean and simple or try and make extremely complex sites like an DVD store intra-net example.

At the moment I keep hindering myself by thinking what I'm trying to build is not difficult enough, designing something else and starting again. I am targeting for either an Internship or entry-level position.

Thank-you in advance for any help/insight you can provide me.

[KDLA]

What are employers looking for in a web developers portfolio?
What are the favored languages in the Massachusetts area?
What are employers expecting as far as abilities are concerned?
1. They are looking for REAL, live websites that you've created for clients. Not websites you develop for fun on the weekends or school projects, unless one of your projects was maintaining part of the school's website.
Clients do not necessarily have to be paying clients, instead clients can include non-profit organizations. Also refrain attributing clients as friends or relatives; simply recognize them as clients.
Lastly, if you're fresh out of school with no experience, don't worry about a portfolio. Instead, come armed with a list of your abilities. It's much better to be honest about experience, than try to fudge importance.

2. There really are no "favored languages" in certain areas of the United States. (I'm assuming you mean coding languages.) Programming languages are dependent upon the hardware/server platforms owned by organizations. However, certain industries do tend to go towards one type of programming language, based upon an industry's common applications. Best thing to do is to decide what type of companies you would like to work for, then determine how they conduct business online by visiting their websites.

3. One ability that many of the tech.-minded forget about, which employers are looking for, is teamwork and/or team-building skills. Working as a tech., you'll be accountable to all types of people - a very broad spectrum. It's important for the tech. to be able to work with all of them; a tech. can't simply sit in the cubicle, never speaking to anyone.

Another ability is project management. Many times, the tech. is in charge of handling multi-dimensional projects, involving several areas of an organization. It is only with proper project management skills that the job can get done.

Good Luck -
KDLA

[bluestartech]

if you are looking to break into web development you could get your feet wet with PHP, if you know HTML and have basic knowledge of another structured or object orientated language (pascal, c++, etc) you will find your way quickly enough. start small, there are plenty online resources and the php.net site itself has exhaustive references. plus you can work with php in dreamweaver which is a bonus. or eclipse depending on preference.

Diarmuid Ryan
Blue Star Web Design Ireland, designers and developers of superior web solutions. Web development services based in Tipperary (http://www.bluestar.ie)