24th January, 2020
Getting the first job is a challenge. But once you get it, you start to thrive. After almost three months at Tidy Design, I can say that I learned more about web development than throughout the last year of studying on my own. New tasks, technologies and environment expanded my skill set. During this time, I worked on graphic design, software development and communication with the clients. Varied tasks gave me a lot of valuable experience.
First steps
My initial tasks were rather basic, but not least interesting. First, I had to design and code an email mockup. Then add more rigorous form validation on an older website. It was a great lesson on how to deal with someone else’s code and how to work on existing projects.
My own project
After about a month at Tidy Design, I got my first project task. A single page website for our accountant, one that I had to design and implement by myself. After designing a mockup of the website, I got some feedback from Mike and Luke. Following a couple of adjustments, I got round to the code implementation. Technological stack was JavaScript, SCSS, PHP and WordPress with essential plugins. It took me a few days to program the mockup. However, with Luke’s help, it was pretty seamless. A little bit of comprehensive feedback at the end, and the website was ready for the client.
Work-university balance
Apart from being a member of the Tidy Design team, I am a first-year student at the University of Portsmouth. I spend most of my time there, learning about software engineering. Still, whenever I have a day off, I’m back in the office. Luckily for me, Tidy Design is quite flexible in this regard. Working as a student gives me a chance to practise all that I absorb during university days. It’s definitely something worth considering if you are at the beginning of your journey.
Kamil