Everything You Need To Know About Starting A Creative Job In Tech
"I think creativity has the same meaning in web development as it does in most other design or artistic endeavors: 'Can you evoke an emotional reaction in your audience?'"
Welcome to the Collective World Careers Newsletter. Collective World is a one-of-a-kind creative network powered by the minds and voices behind The Thought & Expression Company. We’re so glad you’re here.
Today, we’re sitting down with Senior Creative Technologist Douglas Johnson and Full-Stack Developer Jessica Townsend to talk about web development, what it’s like working as a tech professional in a creative industry, and the advice they’d give to anyone just starting out their careers.
When you began your career, what drew you to web development in general? What were you looking for when you entered the field? Did you expect to work at a creative place like Thought Catalog or did you imagine a more traditional environment?
Douglas: I think this changed over time. When I started making websites it was 1996 and I wasn’t thinking about a job. The internet was an esoteric place and making websites was a way to define a piece of it. I was lucky to have that to explore in the years between middle school and getting a driver’s license.
When I started professionally, I was in my mid-twenties and yes I definitely imagined everyone would want MY creative input.
Jessica: I had messed around with basic HTML and CSS when I was around 12, but didn’t really think of it as a career path. When I started as an engineering major at Purdue University, one of my required classes was a web development course which led to me switching into the web development program at Purdue. I think what I like most about this career is creating something “tangible” that others will see and use. I also feel like there are more opportunities to work as a freelancer or at a company with flexible schedules, which is a big bonus.
When I started pursuing web development as a career, I had expected to work at a traditional agency where I create new websites for clients—which is what I looked for when I was searching for internships. I feel like that type of job requires creativity as well, since each client has different needs and requires new layouts and functionality.
How does working in such a creative environment differ from your experiences at past dev jobs? Did it require a different skill set than what you were used to?
Douglas: It is always a privilege to work on things that are meaningful to people. A lot of dev work can be about getting out of the way so users can accomplish a goal. I still like to get out of the way of our content when working on editorial sites, but I might occasionally be asked to interrupt or distract the reader for advertising or our own branding. So I guess the balancing of attention is the unique skill at play.
Jessica: In my experience, an agency will have more developers than designers or writers. At Thought Catalog though, it seems that the designers and writers outnumber the developers which creates a very different dynamic than what I’m used to. I think it’s really cool to have an opportunity to work on a single web product (or family of products) over an extended period of time and see how it grows and changes while balancing the needs of such a large creative team.
When I worked at an agency one of the main focuses was how quickly something can be produced, and how we can save on development time. This was especially the case since the company I worked for had a lot of small businesses as clients, so their budgets were usually fairly small. I’ve only been working at Thought Catalog for a few weeks, but it seems like the general focus is not on how quickly something can be done but instead on ensuring it’s done to the best of our abilities with minimal compromise on functionality.
Do you consider yourself to be creative? What does creativity mean in web development?
Douglas: Yes and I think creativity has the same meaning in web development as it does in most other design or artistic endeavors: “Can you evoke an emotional reaction in your audience? If so, are you precise enough to evoke a specific reaction?”
Jessica: I do think web development is a creative field. I feel that creativity in web development means finding innovative solutions to add new functionality, implement a layout, or fix a problem. We have to balance the capabilities of many different browsers, accessibility requirements, best practices for code readability, search engine optimization, site maintenance processes, and more on top of user needs. There’s a lot more that goes into building and maintaining a website than I think most people realize, and it requires creativity to determine the best way to implement a solution.
What was the most surprising thing you learned while working in a creative field as a web developer? Have you learned anything specific from this job that you don’t think you would have otherwise?
Douglas: Strangely the most surprising thing is how similar it is to other businesses— turning whatever assets you have into money.
Jessica: I think the most surprising thing I’ve learned so far is how much documentation goes into properly maintaining a site—an area where I believe my previous employer fell short. I’m sure there are other web agencies that follow proper procedures to document development stages and updates, but it’s something I didn’t get a chance to learn when working at a small agency that prioritized speed. I also think that through this role I’ll have an opportunity to practice communicating with non-developers about site updates, since there are so many designers and writers on the team.
What advice would you have for someone who wants to go into a tech-based field but who would also prefer to work in a more creative environment? Where would you suggest people go if they’re looking for a creative tech job?
Douglas: Define your purpose. Express a concise narrative version of that purpose in your resume. Find or create work that contributes to that purpose. I don’t know a specific place to go, but I would say: go find people who want the same things you do.
Jessica: I would suggest searching for job listings on Indeed, Linkedin, and Glassdoor. I had used the quick apply option on Linkedin to get this job, which made the process much smoother since I only had to answer a couple questions and all other information was pulled from my profile. I would also recommend having a portfolio site with projects that showcase a variety of skill sets, and updating any job profiles to include a resume and a list of programming languages you have experience with.
I had applied to several companies that required an online code assessment immediately after submitting my application. After completing the assessments I was promptly informed that I didn’t pass without an explanation about what could have been improved. If I were to apply for jobs again, I would probably only pursue companies that schedule a quick 30-minute interview before completing a code assessment.
To make sure a job is the right fit for you, ask lots of questions about the culture, the kind of work they do, and how they are structured. Be clear and honest about your experience and what your personal needs are—this will help determine if the company and position will be a good fit.
If you get rejected by a company, asking the hiring manager why you didn’t get the offer is a great idea. It can give you insight into what you should work on or change about your portfolio and resume.
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