Matthew Gates http://notetoservices.com 4m 1,057 #workathomemom
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
While there are plenty of mothers who can stay home and take care of their children while their husband goes to work, there are plenty of other mothers who do not have that opportunity. For those mothers who do not have the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom, who may also be a single mother, they must go to work. They must do what they can to make ends meet in order to make sure their children are well fed and taken care of so they can have a good life. A mother will do anything for her children, make as many sacrifices if she must, even if it means taking a second or third job, and spending just a few hours a day with them and skimping on sleep or personal alone time.
I have had the great opportunity to speak with a wonderful woman who has been a great part of my life for the past 2½ years, with whom I have personally worked with, trained with, taught with, and learned from in many situations. Without her, this website would have never been what it has become. Without her, I am not sure I would be in the position I am in today. I have her to thank for a lot of my confidence and my success. She has gotten me out of many tough situations and helped me through many! She has been there for me when I’ve been down, almost felt like giving up, and the one who has pushed me beyond what I knew I was capable of doing. She is someone I admire greatly and someone who has come along way from when I first met her. I hope she is an inspiration to you too.
This is my interview with a Work at Home Mom.
What is your name? Josie Natal
Tell me about yourself? I am a 39 year old single mother of two boys. I work from home as a Web Designer and it is my dream job. I like computers, reading, and the history channel.
Do you like working at home? I absolutely love it and really hope that I can do it for the rest of my life. I really hate driving to and from work, working an 8 AM to 5:30 PM shift, getting stuck in traffic, not being there when my kids get home from school, or sometimes I would wake up and not feel like going to work. When working at home or telecommuting, you do not feel that way. You really do not mind “going into work” everyday because work is right at home.
What got you into Web Design? One time I was surfing the web and I was curious how people created these “websites.” I researched and found Dreamweaver. I read up on it and started learning and teaching myself, and I was able to start developing HTML websites. I was working for a small company who had a website based completely in Flash. The company owner was a micromanager type of boss who thought his website was so wonderful. But it was hard to read, hardly found in search engines, and just very out of date. I took it upon myself to re-design his website with a co-worker of mine, and we presented it to him. The boss loved it and that is when I realized I had a talent for web design and really wanted to get into it.
What did you do before you worked your dream job as a Web Designer? I had various odd jobs from waitress, photographer, taxi driver, construction worker, sales manager, and even owned my own business. I worked primarily in an administrative capacity and I am very grateful to fulfill my dream working home as a web designer.
What work do you do as a Web Designer? As a Web Designer, I am responsible for creating and maintaining websites in all aspects of creation, from graphic and logo design, to SEO, theming, and customization.
What is your primary job? I currently work for a News Media company.
What do you do exactly? I code and design Press Releases for corporations such as COTY, CoreLogic, Disney, Avon, Mary Kay, TripAdvisor, NetFlix, KBB, Mountain Dew, and many other large companies.
What do you love about working as a Web Designer? It allows me to be creative and I get to spend time on a computer, which I love. I also love it because I work from home and it allows me to spend time with my kids.
What is your education level? High school graduate self-taught in computers. If there is something I want to learn, I take the time to teach myself.
What are the applications you primarily use as a Web Designer? Adobe Creative Suite.
What is something you dislike about being a Web Designer? I don’t always have 100% creative license. When you know something is right the way it is, but the client tells you they do not like it and they change everything about it, then you have to spend even more time trying to get what they want right. Sometimes a little change is not really that little and it can be time-consuming.
Do you have a favorite Content Management System and why is it your favorite? WordPress. It allows you to be creative and organized at the same time. There is a structure to it that is very customizable in every aspect, from theming and looks to functionality.
What advice do you have for people looking to become Web Designers? Learn as much as you can about everything you can and have the patience to do it. Before you know, the right opportunity will come. If you really struggle at something, you can always look on YouTube and there are plenty of people willing to help and share their knowledge for free. I recommend a website like CodeAcademy for getting started on learning how to code and design websites.
Thank you Josie for the interview. I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me about your job. It is great to speak with someone who is working their dream job and I wish you the best and all the success in everything you do.
Matthew Gates is a freelance web designer and currently runs Confessions of the Professions.
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