Recently let go from work - advice needed

[Rob-B]

So last week I was let go from my job after a year and a half. Company restructure I was told. Now I have been applying for jobs as a Web Developer, but I just get the usual you need more experience. Now I have worked at 3 agencies totalling 3 years commercial experience, and I also worked as self-employed for 4 years.

The dilemma I am facing is whether to just keep trying, and see will someone take me on. I am not asking for a high salary, more the average for the years of experience I have. Now I only have 8 weeks of my salary to be paid to me, and a little bit of money saved. How I look at it there could be 3 options:

• Keeps applying for jobs
• Start my own business
• Do something else - maybe take up a trade or something

I just feel a little lost, and feel like I am going round in circles, and that I am just not good enough. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Alan]

I'm sorry to hear you feel lost, but this is a common emotion in your situation, I hav ebeen there andI think many others have been too.

You need to ask yourself some deep questions. Do you enjoy being a web developer is the first one.

If you do enjoy being a web developer, then in your situation ( 3 years experience ) I would keep on applying for jobs...

 

[obscure]

You say you have 7 years experience yet companies are saying you don't have enough experience. Something does not add up here.
1. How much experience do the job adverts say is needed for these positions (are you applying for senior positions that do actually require more than 7 years experience)?
2. Do you have the right kind of experience - IE is your experience in the right field/processes/technology. Can you clearly demonstrate an ability to learn new skills.
3. Do you really have that much real experience (sorry, got to ask) doing the job full time or was it a bit of work here and there over several years. Recruiters are quite good at spotting holes in work history and or padding.
4. Is your CV rubbish - many people have experience but fail to communicate it because their CV is badly written.

 

[fisicx]

@Rob-B Are you any good at your job? Can you bang out websites in a couple of days? Can you create a wordpress theme from scratch? Are you skilled in JS and PHP? Can you help the lost and bewildered develop a site structure? Do you advise on usability, accessibility, UX and conversions?

If you have the talent why not go it alone. There is still a huge demand for freelancer work. I and many others on the forum do just that and make a decent living. I now only need to work about two days a weeks.

 

[Xtm_Mike]

As a web developer, you have the luxury of doing both. Why not start freelancing and continue looking for a job?

I worked with a huge marketing company managing their Web Development needs while being a freelancer on the side. It's hard, long hours, and demanding, but worth it.

Being able to bang out websites in a couple of days is not a measurement of how good a dev you are (nor is creating a WP theme from scratch)... I would never in a million years quote a few days regardless of project size, this isn't something you should be shouting about when looking for work... especially if you're working alone.

 

[fisicx]

My point was that if you can put a decent wordpress sites together in a couple of days and/or build themes (or even just child themes) there is bucket loads of work. This doesn't mean you can't quote for bigger projects but building local and tradesmen sites means good steady work.

 

[Nochexman]

...Now I have been applying for jobs as a Web Developer, but I just get the usual you need more experience. Now I have worked at 3 agencies totalling 3 years commercial experience, and I also worked as self-employed for 4 years...

Sounds like you are being fobbed off. Who is saying this to you? Are you getting interviews or is this what someone at a recruitment consultancy is telling you? You need to be more self-critical in terms of understanding why you are not progressing. Good luck!

 

[Rob-B]

You say you have 7 years experience yet companies are saying you don't have enough experience. Something does not add up here.
1. How much experience do the job adverts say is needed for these positions (are you applying for senior positions that do actually require more than 7 years experience)?
2. Do you have the right kind of experience - IE is your experience in the right field/processes/technology. Can you clearly demonstrate an ability to learn new skills.
3. Do you really have that much real experience (sorry, got to ask) doing the job full time or was it a bit of work here and there over several years. Recruiters are quite good at spotting holes in work history and or padding.
4. Is your CV rubbish - many people have experience but fail to communicate it because their CV is badly written.

Some of the job adverts dont say, but I would not apply for a role if for example, they wanted something specific. I think I have the right experience, always done front end development and learnt seo etc. I have worked at 3 agencies and I owned my own business. My CV is okay I had one of those online CV reviews and made some adjustments.

 

[Rob-B]

Are you any good at your job? Can you bang out websites in a couple of days? Can you create a wordpress theme from scratch? Are you skilled in JS and PHP? Can you help the lost and bewildered develop a site structure? Do you advise on usability, accessibility, UX and conversions?

If you have the talent why not go it alone. There is still a huge demand for freelancer work. I and many others on the forum do just that and make a decent living. I now only need to work about two days a weeks.

I would say that I am good at my job, I am always learning and wanting to get better. I can create a wordpress theme from scratch, although I have used other CMS. I am skilled in JS and have an understanding of PHP. I have experience of working in usability, accessibility from a commercial point of view, it was in my very first job.

 

[Rob-B]

Sounds like you are being fobbed off. Who is saying this to you? Are you getting interviews or is this what someone at a recruitment consultancy is telling you? You need to be more self-critical in terms of understanding why you are not progressing. Good luck!

Its mainly when I have been for an interview, the general feedback is that I need more experience.

 

[Rob-B]

I have thought about freelancing whilst looking for work, so I may consider it, there is also the possibility of contract work. Do people on here get much business? Any hints or tips?

 

[Mr D]

Its mainly when I have been for an interview, the general feedback is that I need more experience.

Am I missing something here? Would they not be aware of your experience before inviting for interview?
So application good enough to invite for interview but stuff in the application not good enough for a job?

 

[fisicx]

Its mainly when I have been for an interview, the general feedback is that I need more experience.

Experience at what?

I have thought about freelancing whilst looking for work, so I may consider it, there is also the possibility of contract work. Do people on here get much business? Any hints or tips?

Yes - go local. Advertise, telemarket, get out and meet people and become the go to person for every business within a mile of your house.

Or look for a niche and exploit that to the max. I've got one that now brings in business from all over the world.

The trick is to automate as much as you can. Get scripts written that installs your platform of choice then installs a range of themes, plugins, dummy content and configures the whole site without you having to lift a finger. It means you have something to show the client within a hour of coming off the phone to them.

 

[obscure]

Am I missing something here? Would they not be aware of your experience before inviting for interview?
So application good enough to invite for interview but stuff in the application not good enough for a job?

This ^
If you don't have enough experience they would be able to see that from your CV, in which case they wouldn't even call you in for an interview.

So, either you are saying something in the interview that makes them think you don't actually have the experience on your CV or else you are doing/saying something wrong and the "experience" comment is just an easy way to reject you.

Many people have great CVs but interview poorly, either due to nerves or lack of prep or whatever. I would suggest looking for someone who offers mock interview training.

 

[Rob-B]

This ^
If you don't have enough experience they would be able to see that from your CV, in which case they wouldn't even call you in for an interview.

So, either you are saying something in the interview that makes them think you don't actually have the experience on your CV or else you are doing/saying something wrong and the "experience" comment is just an easy way to reject you.

Many people have great CVs but interview poorly, either due to nerves or lack of prep or whatever. I would suggest looking for someone who offers mock interview training.

I am very honest on my CV. It lists the jobs I have done, and also the skills that I have the most experience in using. There is nothing on there that I am uncomfortable in discussing in an interview.

 

[RobertN]

I would not recommend but in some cases, employers refuse to accept your freelance experience then you can "create a story" and lie about your experience or say you were working in a different country this is used by many many employees worldwide as employers don't accept gaps in their career.

Or you could start freelancing and in this way creating self-employed web developer's position. If you have experience there are numbers of websites where you can advertise as a freelancer.

There is also social help in case you're in trouble - so don't worry too much as negative thoughts are not going to help you

 

[S2K]

@Rob-B, the most important thing is to remain positive. Don't let the emotions take over. Good luck.

 

[Rob-B]

Thanks for the advice so far. I have asked when they say I need more experience to go into specifics. Also if anyone could recommend some freelancing sites or contract sites that would be great. Thank you.

 

[fisicx]

I found some great devs on People per Hour.

But advertise locally and you find lots of work. Start hanging around on stackoverflow, github, wordpress forums deisign sites and so on and you can find work. Keep an eye on the tenders forum here and you can find work. In short, you need to get out there and start looking. It's not easy but once you find your niche you can do Ok. a chap I know does B&B sites - that's all he does and picks up loads of referral work.

 

[Rob-B]

The Wordpress scripts sound good, any sites on the best way to set these up, never seen it before. I've joined people per hour. I may start advertising on here and some other sites. See if I can get some business.

 

[fisicx]

This is a goodplace to start: https://wordpress.stackexchange.com...t-for-standard-aspects-of-a-wordpress-website

You can develop a plugin that does this for you. Install the plugin, run the scripts and delete and you have a nice clean WP installation.

Or you do like I did an build your own starter theme with the initialization built in: https://onepage.aerin.co.uk/

Or you start building plugins. Add an upgrade option and the money can start rolling in. Makes for a great passive income.

 

[hazmog]

I would do some freelance work if I were you. This would help build up your portfolio and skills whilst getting you some money to pay your bills and put you in a stronger position to get a better job if that is what you want to do.

 

[Mark_Taylor_]

Yeah give freelance a go, maybe part time (2 days) at first and then get a throw away job just to earn the crust. You may find the variation a nice change and liberating, then if your freelance takes off, sack the other job off and give it ago full time.

In the meantime look into the in demand tech, things like laravel, node.js, angular.js, sockets, API endpoint stuff and even phone gap or mobile app tech.
Some of that is hard stuff to learn but there are a lot of highly paid jobs in these high end skills.

 

[Nochexman]

I just feel a little lost, and feel like I am going round in circles, and that I am just not good enough. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Rob, how have you got on in the last few weeks?