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How to Get a Web Design JobCareer Resources

Summary !

Our mission at Treehouse is to provide access to the tools and expertise that will help our students become job-ready. !In this presentation, we share advice from our teachers who have worked in the industry, their experience getting web design jobs, and how to apply for one.

With years of experience,our Treehouse design teachers

have plenty of tips to share.

The skills I needed to break into the web industry were, first, the technical skills, so I definitely needed to know HTML and CSS.

For me, it was really good to know a back-end language. I built my own website in PHP. It helped me get a job. I had something in my portfolio that I could use to actually demonstrate that I had those skills.

And the last thing was just having good oral communication skills. That ended up being pretty valuable in a job interview situation.

Nick Pettit @nickrp

First and foremost, you need to be a problem solver. You need to be able to recognize a problem and then offer a solution.

As far as technical skills go from a print standpoint: Photoshop and Illustrator, both raster and vector images. And on the web, HTML, CSS, and anything further than that will definitely help you improve in the industry.

Color theory, aesthetics, being able to recognize good design from bad design and appropriate design are huge—they are key to being a good designer.

Mat Helme @mathelme

The foundation to me is typography and everything else can be taught. To keep on moving up, you would need to learn some front-end languages like HTML and CSS.

It really just depends on what kind of route you want to take—whether it's a front-end developer route or a user interface designer.

But to me, typography is everything.

Allison Grayce @allisongrayce

So, if you're a web designer and are looking for work, you want to be

prepared when opportunities arise.

Provide context: include descriptions of the work you did

Host on your own site or another easily accessible platform

Share a link with a potential client or employer; don’t send files

Highlight relevant work, i.e. if you’re applying for a design job, show your best design work

Create a Portfolio

Job boards: authenticjobs.com, dribbble.com, behance.net

Social media: twitter.com, linkedin.com

Search for relevant social hashtags: #webdesign #job and more

Look for Opportunities

Regularly research job openings on their website

Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, more for announcements

Subscribe to email newsletters and updates

Attend local events and meet company representatives

Follow Companies You Love

Create an original, compelling cover letter for each job

Speak to the needs and requirements in the job description

Research the company: get a feel for their business and mission

Be on-time for your interview

Show an interest in the company by asking questions

Apply for a Job

With the advice and tips included here, you can achieve your goal of

finding a web design job and building a great career.

Good luck from Treehouse!

Learn how to build your own websites, code, and design apps at

http://trhou.se/slidesharefreemonth Use this link to get 1 Month Free at teamtreehouse.com

Business and career-related courses Portfolio and job search tips Résumé, cover letter, and interview guides Links to popular job boards… and more!

Looking for more career tips? Career Resources at Treehouse include: