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Eye Candy for the Webmasters

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:33 am
by Todd_Z
I am planning to launch a personal site to help me get programming freelance jobs. I want to include eye candy for the webmasters such as awards and certificates. What would make a good impression? So far I have the Zend Certificate on my list.

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:44 am
by theda
Well, list off all the internet programming languages you know... fluently. :P

For me:
Html 4.0, XHTML 1/1.1, and basic PHP.

List as many credentials as possible I'd suggest :P

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:48 am
by Grim...
Take some Brainbench tests - if you sign up for their newsletter you get details on which ones are free ;)

Here is my page: http://www.brainbench.com/xml/bb/transc ... id=4499216 .

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:51 am
by Todd_Z
Can you retake Brainbench tests? I'd theoretically keep taking the free ones til i get 90% or better

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:52 am
by Grim...
No, you can only take them once (unless you pay).

Which is fair enough.

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:58 am
by Todd_Z
Tiz true - thanks for the tip to brainbench.

Do people think its worth it to dish out for the Zend Cert? or is it a waste of moolah

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 10:06 am
by feyd
having certification in your direct field is almost always a good idea. It helps signify that you actually do know something. Granted, if the certification is a joke, it may not be a good idea, but something to still look at. Like a college degree, it just says you have a base knowledge and work/study/whatever ethic..

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 11:04 am
by onion2k
Theres a reason why I wrote a series of short articles about PHP and put them on my site.. They impress everyone from non-geek managers ("Cor, this guy can write articles and communicate stuff!"), to geek coders ("Cor! That GD stuff is cool!").

Re: Eye Candy for the Webmasters

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 11:40 am
by Roja
Todd_Z wrote:I am planning to launch a personal site to help me get programming freelance jobs. I want to include eye candy for the webmasters such as awards and certificates. What would make a good impression? So far I have the Zend Certificate on my list.
- Resume (listing specific experiences)
- Contact page (with as many contact methods as possible)
- Services page with a clear list of rates and offerings
- Portfolio - Examples of work, with if possible a look into the code that powered it (and neat tricks)
- Personal articles, forum posts, or examples of writing that show you to be knowledgable

Notably, certs and awards should be mentioned in the resume, not on the personal page.

Think about someone like a Linus Torvalds, RMS, K&R (both of them), etc.. They wouldn't have to brag about their accomplishments. Their resume and the community respect for them show them to already be a star. Don't try to GET there by doing things different than they do - try to get there by emulating them.

Build strong community connections, build respect, do good work, have a strong resume, and you wont have to try to sell yourself - the community will sell you.