Web Developer

[syco__]

Hey guys,

I have recently got my portfolio up and its located at http://www.kylehunter.com.au I would really like you guys to check it out and let me know what you think i have been unable to get a job whilst putting in a hell of a lot of work but i have been told my site lacks in the portfolio section so if anyone is looking for a freelancer to do some work i am your man i will work for a cheaper price then most.

Thanks, look forward to hearing from you all.

[EpicWebDesign]

Your portfolio is a bit small, but I'm sure you'll be able to add to that with a few freelance projects. However, as a business owner, I have to point out that there are a number of "red flags" that stick out on your online resume. Please take these as constructive criticism only... I'm not trying to be mean.

1. What is up with your pictures???? The first image I encountered upon visiting your site was you in a blue t-shirt with a towel over your shoulder while preparing to drink from a sports bottle. This eventually slid into a nice photo of you in suit and tie. Then, the rest of your site pages feature picture of you wearing a white t-shirt (in what appears to be a bar). NONE of this projects a professional image. I'd use the static image of you in the tie as your main pic and move the slideshow from the home page to the About Me page. This is where it would be much more appropriate to show a few more casual images of yourself, especially if you add just a bit of personal information that shows you are outgoing and active, not lazy. (i.e., My hobbies outside of work include...).

2. Check your spelling & grammar! (i.e, "roll" should be "role" and “upkeep” is one word, not two).

3. Be consistent throughout. (In some places you capitalize Drupal and in others you don't).

Basically, go back and look at your website from a hiring standpoint. Would you look at that site and say, "Wow! This guy seems like a real professional that could work well with our current design staff."??? I don't. I see a kid who took a few classes, built a few websites, and now wants me to take a chance on him.

Don't get me wrong -- I certainly don't expect my employees to wear a suit/tie when they come to work. The office is casual and dog-friendly. However, I do expect that a new applicant show me the respect of dressing appropriately for an interview and having a clean resume. (Spelling and grammar errors make me think I'm going to have to double-check all your work before it's sent off to the client).

So, you're 25, talented, athletic and eager. Now go edit your site to bring all that together in a more professional package that sells you better to potential employers!

Good luck! If I need a freelancer, I'll be sure to let you know.

[SB65]

I'd second EpicWebDesign's comments on the photo. I'd actually go a smidgen further and say get a new decent photo of yourself - the existing photo of you in a suit and tie looks like part of a wedding group...

I'm guessing at this stage of your experience you're likely to be looking to attract small businesses, in which case you might want to think about the use of language in the portfolio page - CMS/Drupal/Joomla etc etc mean nothing to the majority of potential customers.

By all means list your technical skills as well (as you have on the left - these will be meaningful to an IT firm looking to hire) but you might want to think about using a little less technical language in the portfolioand if you've got it, some non-technical benefits that have been delivered by the work you've done. Something like "I built the AAA Nannies site giving a much improved user experience over the old site, resulting in a 20% increase in bookings" - that sort of thing. That you've built it in Drupal means nothing to the owner of a similar business. Similarly "CMS" translates into "Fully updateable and manageable by client".

Hope that's helpful. Good luck.

[EpicWebDesign]

Originally Posted by SB65

I'm guessing at this stage of your experience you're likely to be looking to attract small businesses, in which case you might want to think about the use of language in the portfolio page - CMS/Drupal/Joomla etc etc mean nothing to the majority of potential customers.

Ah... very good advice as well. I had not thought of the resume from an entrepreneurial aspect. If the goal is to gain more clients as a freelancer, then by all means "dumb it down" for the clients and add in things such as, "Increased business by 25% in first month" etc. (Just be sure you don't embellish! Have the data to back up your statements.)

Testimonials from your existing/previous clients would always be helpful too. Potential clients want to know how easy you are to work with, do you finish on-time and within-budget, are you able to do a professional job (technically speaking) while also being creative from a design standpoint, can you answer their questions in non-technical terms that they can understand, etc.

SB65 and myself aren't telling you to completely remove all "technical jargon" from your site, but place it under a heading of "Skill Sets" instead.

[syco__]

Thanks guys after reading your feedback for the 5th time ill admit it hurt, but I feel like this is going to be a really good learning curve, you have really turned my focus and i am now working on getting some new photos and re-wording my current information. This portfolio is purely aimed at getting a junior like position in a design company and in no way to get paid free-lance work as i am not at that stage in my career.

Thanks again for all the constructive criticism as these reason may be why i am yet to get some real feedback from the 30+ companies i have approached.

[EpicWebDesign]

I'm sorry if any of our comments/suggestions hurt, but as I said in my original post... you asked for honest feedback and so, as the owner of a web design/development company, I gave you what I intended to be constructive criticism, without any intent of being mean/nasty.

I'm glad you've taken what we've suggested as a means to move forward and recognize that there were some flaws in your original presentation. I think it's great that you are willing to take some of our advice and adjust/edit/change your resume in order to meet your end-goal.

None of us is perfect, nor will we ever be. If you can own a mistake, correct it and then move forward, you will be much better prepared for whatever challenges come your way. And trust me when I say this... in the web design industry you will encounter MANY challenges! Most of which come from clients who think they know "the internet" and can't grasp the concept that certain functionality or design requires hours, not minutes, to create. My favorites *insert sarcasm here* are the ones that "know what they are doing" and take it upon themselves to edit scripts themselves and end up crashing their entire site! Ahhh the fun

On a serious note though, again, I truly apologize if any of my comments were taken too personally. They were simply meant as a means to guide you in the right direction in areas I felt you had taken a slightly wrong approach. You seem driven, capable, and willing to learn/expand new skills so I think you will do well once someone gives you the chance. I truly hope our suggestions will help to achieve that for you.

Best of luck! I look forward to hearing that you've found a job!!!