Best advice you'd give to ...
Out of context: Reply #67
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- nocomply2
I haven't read any posts in this thread except for the very first one in which the question was posed, but I want to provide some helpful advice.
I graduated from college in 2004 and I had unreal illusions of making good money in the web design/development industry right away. I thought I was talented and I thought I knew more than most people. Looking back, I might have actually been a bit of a cocky, naive, douche. Well... probably not cocky and douchey, but most definitely ignorant and naive in how the professional world works.
My first job was humbling. I got $12.50/hr doing updates and support for pre-existing websites at a company of over 100 people. I had to wear slacks and a button down, and I had to be at my desk by 8am every day. The work was boring and tedious, but I learned a lot. I also spent a lot of time on a website that was then-called Newstoday, but I did so stealthily by building a custom webpage that pulled in the comments in a small iframe so it looked like I was actually working.
I've moved up and on from there, and I know browse QBN in its fully glory spanning across my 24" monitor. But it's been a process that has played out over 10+ years.
I've gotten to where I am through hard work, persistence, and having a passion for what I do. Big breaks don't just come out of nowhere. You need to make your own luck. Be patient and understand that everyone needs to put in their time. It's called "experience" and it really does matter and make you better at what you do.
Pick a discipline/technology that interests you and become awesome at it. Always be learning and improving your process, or else you will become left in the dust.
If you're not happy, move on to something else. You can most definitely make a solid living in this field, but I think there are only a small handful of people who actually become "rich" in the process. If dollars are what you're after, there are likely better ways to obtain them.
Create a network of people in your field that you trust and come to them when you need advice. This is one that I've neglected for too long, and it's to my own detriment. Don't try to make it through the journey entirely solo. You don't know everything and you never will.
Those are a few sage tidbits for now. Good luck!
- Good stuff. I used to talk to people online around 99-01 who were not out of high school yet, expecting to make $$$ because they knew how to domg33
- crazy stuff in Flash that had no legitimate business purpose whatsoever. People who thought they could skip college and get rich off Josh Davis' inspiration.mg33
- Literal arguments with strangers who had big heads and big egos. Big ambition is great, but it has to be rooted in reality.mg33
- Ha! You would have been talking to me mg. Graduated HS in 2000. Height of the 1st .com boom. Wanted to skip college and get rich making websites.nocomply