I am in the midst of job-hunting; though I like my current job well enough, there simply isn't room in the budget for a salary that would allow me to meet the rising costs of ... well, just about everything. So I'm in the market for another job.
What I am seeing are a lot of openings for developers. I'm a graphic designer -- have been since high school. I have a B.A. in English (concentration in writing); I've also freelanced, for the last five-and-a-half-years, as a computer workshop instructor. Both of those experiences feed into my desire to create communication -- in person and through designs for print and Internet -- that is clear, accurate, effective, and engaging.
I have spent the last year learning Drupal in order to build and launch a new website for the newspaper where I work. I did nearly all of the work myself -- installing modules, choosing the settings within modules, tweaking the theme and layout, creating and designing training materials for the staff, holding group and one-on-one trainings with staff, and serving as the website administrator since the launch, continuing to tweak, refine, and expand the site and its features. The only assistance I have received was from one or two techs (located on the other side of the country) who handled any problems or modifications that required coding skills -- though I have learned enough about PHP and JavaScript to figure out, on occasion, how to make minor modifications on my own.
I would like to find another job that would allow me to remain in the Triad area (close enough to reach Greensboro, High Point, or Winston-Salem in 45 minutes or less). But as a designer who isn't fully fluent in JavaScript and PHP ... am I a dinosaur?
Comments
You sound like me...
From my experience, Drupal is still very 'programmer' slanted. I mean, it makes sense, Drupal is driven by php. but almost any Drupal job requires expert php knowledge. I find your comment "I have spent the last year learning Drupal" funny. I would say, you're half way there! I think it takes 2 years of Drupal immersion to really grasp everything you need to know.
Also, if you're leaning to the graphics side, most jobs will require that you have made a theme from scratch... not sub-themed. You need to know about hooks and all that.
Good luck with the hunt. I live in Raleigh by the way. Not much avail up here. Check Top Notch Themes in Asheville, they might have an opening.
A good graphics designer is
A good graphics designer is worth their weight in gold, especially if they understand user interfaces and page flow.
I've done a lot of work for large corporations, and it's not unusual for me to get a psd file from a graphics artist, which I break up and theme. I think the larger the company, the more specialized the functionality.
I always laugh at companies that advertise for someone that can both program and design, that's a rare gift and usually well into six figure salaries.
It helps if you understand css and javascript and can help implement a theme, but again, that would be in small to medium sized companies. You can also look at selling ready-to-go themes on templatemonster.com if you understand theming.
And I almost always use a zen sub-theme any more, there's no real reason to start from scratch. The philosophy is based on the www.csszengarden.com site
Thanks
I appreciate the thoughts and suggestions. I'm pretty good with CSS -- actually, I was delighted when I discovered it a few years ago. When I first started playing around with website design (in college), it drove me nuts that I could not fine-tune the design for websites as I could for print. CSS has taken care of a lot of that.
If I could define the kind of job I'd like to have, I think I'd really enjoy building sites in Drupal -- without having to be a developer or coder. There's so much that can be done with existing modules. For example, if someone said, "I want a site that will have an event calendar and an interactive map of upcoming events" ... I know how to do that in Drupal.
I could probably end up being half of a really great team, if I had a teammate who could do the coding/developing, while I worked on the design, layout, user interface, and training the client how to use the new site.
Well, if anyone hears of any openings in the Triad area that might be worth a look for me ... let me know. Thanks.
Katrina
Site builder, writer, trainer, graphic designer
Katrina, From my experience,
Katrina,
From my experience, Drupal shops are looking for someone who can be either a programmer or designer/front-end developer in any situation, but happens to have Drupal experience. I think being able to create custom node types and install modules, etc is a not a set of skill most shops are looking for, at least not for higher-paying positions, since those are skills that anyone can learn relatively easily. Most Drupal development projects with decent budgets (i.e. the work Drupal development shops are doing) involve either a lot of custom programming/module development and/or a very good design and solid UI/front-end development. You're more likely to find programmers and designers building custom content types in between other responsibilities than you are to find a dedicated staff person who does nothing but that.
That being said, you say you're a graphic designer, but you don't have a link to any of your work in your Drupal.org profile. If you have a portfolio site, get it out there! If you don't, get one, stat. Don't even think about looking for a designer or front-end developer job without it. Your portfolio site will be fine without 50 different amazing websites that you've single-handedly built and designed. Just show some past print work and the Drupal sites you have worked on, explain well your responsibilities in those projects, and basically just show that 1. you have a decent eye for design, 2. you know the basics of Drupal and front-end devel and 3. that you have taught yourself what you know and are able to learn more.
Need to beef up your portfolio? Contribute a theme. I can give you more advice on that angle if you are interested.
Once you get your portfolio site up, apply for every single job vaguely related to web design, even if the listing says it "requires" 10 years of ASP experience or something... if there's anything in the job description you're interested in (i.e. CSS), apply for it. Maybe sign up for an online PHP class so you can show prospective employers that you're working towards improving your skills.
Until you've sort of proven your chops with a robust portfolio and some experience in a web devel shop (and maybe some drupal geek cred with contributed themes/support/documentation), don't expect to be making more money than an entry-level secretary. Seriously, I had to take a pay cut to move from being a secretary to being a web designer (and I was a horrible secretary). You might want to check out the A List Apart annual survey of web professionals (http://aneventapart.com/alasurvey2009/#sal) to see their salary findings (and expectations for hours/week, benefits, etc) and/or the AIGA annual salary survey http://www.designsalaries.org/salarysurvey.shtml
Basically my advice boils down to this: the skills you want to nurture and showcase are your design and front-end devel (CSS) skills. Don't forget to mention your familiarity with Drupal modules and ability to build some crazy custom content types and views with all sorts of fun interactions, but those are your secondary skills. Good design and solid understanding of HTML/CSS persist across all platforms and CMSs and will get you the furthest.
I wish you the best of luck! I'm happy to help out if you have any questions about building a portfolio, contributing themes, etc.
Cheers,
Sheena
People-oriented
Thanks, Sheena.
Hearing from different people has gotten me to thinking a little more carefully about what kind of job I'd really like to have.
It's not about the technology for me. It's about people and communication. So perhaps those are the types of jobs I should be looking for, instead of focusing exclusively on design.
I do have an online portfolio: http://www.polestarstudios.com/portfolio/
I've done a lot more print design than website design over the course of my career; my portfolio reflects that. It's never been about flash-and-dash for me ... just trying to create clear, effective communication.
Katrina
Site builder, writer, trainer, graphic designer