Ready for Employment?
The job I have chosen to compare my employability against is one from a website named creative pool.
It can be found here it can also be found at the bottom of this post.
The first reason I chose this job is due to the location being in Yorkshire/Humberside. Although this is a large area, I need to be aware my first position may not lie on my doorstep.
Looking at the pay rate and lack of any specific requirement for a number of years experience this would also suggest the role is suitable for a graduate to apply for.
Looking at the key responsibilities the role requires the one which jumps off the page at me that I may be lacking in is my knowledge of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and how this relates to web content.
My basic understanding of web accessibility may not suffice in terms of looking at where the DDA pulls into a corporate environment.
My previous experience of working in an office environment for seven years and having just recently obtained a role in a design firm should also provide me with an advantage over someone without this experience.
I also feel the professional side of my skill set, relating to things such as time management, organisational skills and communication skills is strong as a result of this experience.
Comparing my technological skills against the essential skills for this role. I can hnad code both (X)HTML and CSS. I can implement other people’s Javascript and sometimes even customise these.
An example of this can be seen on my a8 learning area where I have implemented a vertical accordion script provided by Brian Crescimanno and styled this to meet my requirements.
With regards to the experience with Adobe programs the employer is looking for I feel I have a full working knowledge of both Photoshop and Illustrator to succeed within the role. I also have a working knowledge of Dreamweaver.
The one area I would need to improve in the essential skills would be my Flash knowledge, I have only a basic knowledge of flash having built some simple projects. My ability in this area of the advert would also depend on what exactly the employer was looking for from Flash.
I also have a working knowledge of Fireworks and Microsoft Office which this employer deems as being desirable skills. The only desirable skill I lack is experience with Quark.
The penultimate section of the advert describes things the potential employee should have an understanding of. As all of the topics have been, or will be touched upon by the end of the course I will have relevant knowledge in these areas also.
In summary, if the course ended tomorrow I feel I would be equipped to apply for this role however may not be the strongest applicant. I can therefore use the time to the end of the course to work on the areas I have identified to improve upon.
The Job Advert
Web Designer (inhouse)
Job ref: LDS334
Company: Profiles Creative
Location:Yorkshire & Humberside
Salary/rate: £17000 – 19000
Contract: perm
Job posted on: 09 October 2009
Job start date: ASAP
Closing date: 16 October 2009
In-house design department is looking for a web designer to deliver high quality online marketing solutions across the Group.
Key responsibilities
* To maintain and update current group websites
* Identify and resolve issues relating to group online marketing
* Plan, design and develop new online projects for group, working alongside colleagues from other departments and participating in meetings and presentations as and when required
* Interpret and develop design briefs received from Marketing department
* Communicate effectively any time scales, issues or considerations to stake holders when undertaking work
* Ensure best practices regarding web design are followed, paying particular attention to the Disability Discrimination Act and accessibility issues.
* Liaise with colleagues in other departments. Maintain clear lines of communication between design department and other areas of group.
* Act as advisor to management and colleagues regarding all aspects of online marketing.
* To be involved with print work on occasions as and when department workload requires
* Autonomously keep abreast of current and emerging web technologies and practices, and look for ways they could benefit the group’s online projects
* Explain technical issues to non-technical colleagues
Essential skills
CSS & (X)HTML (preferably hand-coded), JavaScript, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Excellent communication and organisation
Desirable skills
Fireworks, Quark, Microsoft Office
Understanding of
Accessibility issues, Cross browser compatibility, User experience/information architecture, Disability Discrimination Act in relation to web design, Web standards, Client and server-side scripting (eg PHP), Organic S.E.O, Graceful degradation/progressive enhancement
The applicant must have a good all round knowledge of a Mac, as they will mainly work on a Mac, but must also have a basic understanding of using a PC, as testing of web work will need to be carried out on both in various browsers.