AnthonyJ Posted August 15, 2011 Report Share Posted August 15, 2011 Good afternoon all, Today I saw a job opening for a front end web developer and I know I am not skilled enough yet to apply. That said do you think it possible to create spec assignments to complete that would be practical exercises and help our portfolio? Something that required HTML, css, javascript,php, maybe a little photoshop, and whatever else in your minds eye would say this is a viable candidate for entry level web design? Or whatever criteria you can count on your fingers, you need to be able to do this, this, this. And if you can do this, it proves you know enough to seek employment. Thoughts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falkencreative Posted August 15, 2011 Report Share Posted August 15, 2011 I would think you should be able to build a basic site: -- 6-8 page website, built using HTML/CSS and designed in Photoshop -- The home page and subpages will use different layouts -- The home page will include some sort of slideshow (probably jquery powered, but up to you) -- One page will include a gallery of images. Clicking on a thumbnail image will bring up the full sized image in a lightbox -- The contact page will include a working contact form. The contact form will be validated with both Javascript and PHP, and if the form submits successfully, it will email a specified email address with the contents of the form. -- PHP includes will be used for header/footer areas of the website, so one change can apply to the entire website. -- The site should look consistent in as many browsers as possible, focusing specifically on Firefox, IE8/9 and Chrome. Does this "prove" you are ready for employment? Maybe, maybe not -- depends on the employer really. But if you are looking for work, being able to build a basic website with some javascript effects like a slideshow and a lightbox script is something I'd hope you'd be able to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyJ Posted August 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 (edited) Perfect, this is exactly the challenge I am looking for(although built in photoshop?Not sure I can comply) ! Lay down, what you would expect from a clients point of view,(exactly what you said above)although I doubt they would say so, so clearly, and a reasonable freelance / client job bid. I will use the byyourdesign.com domain as a platform and you(and moderators ) as the client. And all of the above must be met(reasonably) to fulfill the task. Deal? And you will be there to help right? Edited August 16, 2011 by AnthonyJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falkencreative Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 "although built in Photoshop? Not sure I can comply" I'm not saying build it in Photoshop, but I would suggest starting with a basic Photoshop mockup to get you started (or use GIMP or a different image editing program if you don't have Photoshop.) If you want to do something like this, I would suggest creating a fictitious client (or client based on an existing company.) Come up with a short document that discusses who the client is, their goals, what they are looking for in a website, etc. This way, if you present this project to a potential employer, you can explain the reasoning behind your design/coding choices, not just "because someone on an online forum liked/didn't like this particular functionality." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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