Re: What do I have to do???

At 11:49 PM 5/4/00 -0700, you wrote:
>How in the world do you break into this field? 
>
If it's any help, here's my good luck story.

I was a chef for 25 years learning this stuff in my spare time ( which was
truly spare considering 70 hour work weeks). After my last chef position
went sour, I decided to take the plunge and start designing independently.
I got a few clients, one being a friend's new restaurant ( which I also
cooked at to make ends meet). I charged way too little, made every stupid
mistake possible, and worked myself into terrible debt. 
One night, a guy came into the restaurant while I was working with a client
of mine. I went to his table to say hello. The guy turned out to be a big
wig in an upcoming internet company, had seen my page for the restaurant
and within a month offered me a job. 

I now design full time, get a study paycheck, great benefits, and get up
every morning with a smile on my face. I feel like the luckiest guy in the
world.

The one thing I realized once I got a real job in this industry is that
there is a huge shortage of people who do web design. If you can land that
first job, you will be in demand from then on. 

I suggest you design as much as you can for any reason(one project that I
started was a community web sight which is turning into a non profit org
that might actually get grants!)and set up a site that links all the pages
you worked on. Volunteer for non profit projects if you can to build
credibility. Do a lot of small business web sites on the cheap. Try some of
those internet temp design services that farm out work over the net.

Keep plugging away! Sooner or later you'll land a job and once a year or
two is on your resume, the sky's the limit.

Good luck!
Mike Baker
Zin Technologies (formerly ADF)
e-CITe Division
(216) 977-0363
Michael.W.Baker(at)grc.nasa.gov

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