Module 4: The Interview

I am not a brilliant kid when it comes to computer science. Yes, I can get by with the day-to-day assignments and work on the computer.  However, when it comes to building your own computer or developing websites, I am not the one for the job.  For this post we are going to take a break from the book: The World Is Flat and focus on an interview with someone I know who has some expertise on the subject of computers.

When I received the requirements for this assignment I was brought back to a few months ago.  It was October, 2014.  I had begun the first stages of my business plan.  A big part of starting a business is realizing what you can do yourself, and what tasks you need to pass on to other people.  I knew I needed a website for my business, but I did not know any of the languages required to create one.  Languages such as C++, Java, HTML, CSS, etc.  I thought to myself that I would buy a book about one of those languages, learn it real fast, and be on my way.  Well, I bought it, but I did not have the patience or desire to read through it!  I decided the better option would be to find someone already experienced in this field.  I checked through my network on LinkedIn.com to find someone that I could talk to about what I wanted on my unique website.  I was fortunate to find someone I went to High School with a few years ago.  We weren’t best friends, but we occasionally talked.  I decided to set up a meeting with Jon to talk about the options that I had.

Jon had his degree in Computer Science as well as some experience building websites.  During the meeting we discussed costs, design, and other options.  It was nice to meet with someone I already knew in my network.  I felt that the information was honest and sincere.  I realize now that he could have charged me a lot of money, and since I was pretty ignorant to the subject, he could have easily gotten away with it.  I asked him what we would need to do in order to avoid problems regarding what I wanted, and what he would give me.  He told me that I should create some sketches of the website that he could work off of.  He told me of a time when he designed a website for a lady and they did not sign an official agreement.  So, when the product was finished by Jon it met her specifications.  However, she thought that he would continue to make updates and other needed work on the website as time progressed.  Jon thought that once the website was finished he was done.  I could tell that he learned a lot from this experience by the way he communicated with me.  After telling me that story we agreed that it would be important to sign an agreement if I ended up choosing Jon to complete my website.

Even though my experience with Jon was fantastic I chose to go with a host company.  I chose to use Shopify.com to use for my business.  This was cheaper, and since I am a college student I was interested in that path!  My interview with Jon was a great learning experience.  I learned various things about the options I have when it comes to creating a website.  I learned more about the languages you need to learn before you undertake the task of creating something from nothing.  I am sure it takes a lot of patience.  I am sure it takes a lot of creativity to be able to imagine an end result and start at the beginning in order to create a living, working, website.  I admire those who are web developers and designers!