career change -- concrete to computers 2

[art59ist]

hi...i am looking for feedback from people who are in similar situations such as myself...i am 44 years old and i worked in concrete construction all my life....i went back to college as an adult and graduated in dec/2000....since then i have worked as a social worker....not so great....i have gotten good with computers so at the suggestion of a friend i decided that i could do some type of grphics and web design....i am a fine artist already...i feel i am bringing some of that schooling with me....if anyone has constructive feedback....get in touch with me here, by email, or by my contact page on my web site....

http://www.homecookingweb.com

thanks....james jenkins

 

[CajunCenturion]

art59ist - Welcome to Tek-Tips. Since you're a new member, you may not be aware that the purpose of these fora is to have online discussions in which everyone can participate, not to be used as a solicitation for private contact. I hope this thread turns into a productive discussion for you.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[chiph]

You'll need to build up a portfolio to show prospective clients.

It couldn't hurt to attend some classes at a design school, such as the School of Communication Arts (

http://www.sca3d.com/).

Just make sure whatever school you choose is accredited.

Chip H.


____________________________________________________________________
If you want to get the best response to a question, please read FAQ222-2244 first

 

[willir]

James

You may have to bone up on computer skills. But you do have an advantage many of us do not. You know the construction and cement industry. Sometimes, a successful combination is merging your knowledge and expertize with a past life with the new life. For example, combining the skills of an accountant and computer skills.

In your case, you probably have a pretty good idea how computers, especially in web design, can aid contractors, builders and such. Hmmmm - web pages for contractors, developers, suppliers, trades for promotion. Or a system for helping contractors find trades who are available - like a dating service but catering to matching trades or supplies with the builders.

It probably wont be easy, but change is almost always hard at first.

Good luck.

 

[LFI]

James,

People seem to swear by Photoshop for graphic work. I am sure there are lots of other programs that work well. My own experience with a scaled down version (Photoshop Elements 2.0) is that Photoshop is awesome!

I got a good start in HTML from (believe it or not) HTML for Dummies. You're going to want to get a lot more advanced than this book will get, but if you haven't done any HTML before...

Also, the HTML and JavaScript forums here at TekTips are great. For more JavaScript, I recommend

http://www.javascript.com

and (publisher) O'Reilly's book, JavaScript: the Definitive Guide by David Flanagan.

Also, if you see something on someone's site that you like, view its source and see how it's done. This is a common learning technique. Try to give credit in your HTML if you're "borrowing" code that someone seems to think they originated. This becomes a grey area, but you'll begin to realize quickly when code is common and when it is innovative.

All of this is just-to-get-you-started information. You will get a lot more feedback from this site and also from sites like

http://www.w3schools.com.

You will probably be bombarded with a lot of pathways to go down initially, but (as I found) you will likely settle into an area you feel comfortable or that you find most helpful, and you will progress much further from there.

Good luck!

--Dave

 

[LFI]

Oops... sorry about the double-post! I blame technology!

--Dave

 

[cappmgr]

You don't tell concrete what to do, concrete tells you what to do.

Welcome art59ist, been there myself, this trade takes more patience and hours, if I can do it you can do it. Learn from the best and give credit as stated above. You can be a boot and give it a broom finish or you can do it right and give it a nice tight mag float finish.

Marty

 

[buddafish]

art59ist,
i too came from the construction trade. after 14 years building houses, i was wearing thin walking top plates in the winter and rolling with the ebb and flo of the construction market. when i bought my first pc to run quick-books i also got office 97 and access. before i knew it, i was up all night teaching myself how to program in vba then visual basic proper. i decided that i was going to get a job as a programmer and write software. i applied every available minute to digesting anything about programming and computers. the web was an amazing resource. (and still is...) a little over a year later, i convinced my first IT employer that i could do the work and thus began my IT career at 34. 5 years later, i am a certified network engineer / administrator and a reasonable programmer too, working now 4.5 years for the same company. willir's posting has some good ideas about targeting the construction industry. do some work for your friends and construction companies. maybe cheap at first, but it will give you something to put on a resume. i wrote lots of software for free just to be writing code and getting some experience. just make sure it's known that you will not be updating and supporting "free" work... starting at the bottom of the totem pole again is only in the ego. (well, maybe the wallet too..) but now i really enjoy carpentry and make money doing select small jobs as you could well do during the transition.
best of luck !
scottie