Mr. Bob's Weblog

I recently got a new job a few weeks ago at a community college. Though I still do freelance web development for small businesses, this is a great stable job to grow in. So I now work part-time for Lord Fairfax Community College in northwestern Virginia. It’d be quite a drive (about an hour and a half), except I telecommute, which is quite nice.

It’s a great example of what the Father can provide. It’s the perfect amount of hours, with the right amount of work: not too far “above” or “below” my skill level. The people–including my boss–are great to work with. And did I mention the commute?

Anyway, the point is that Yahweh God always provides, and not only for me. It’d be one thing if I talked about how great deliverance I received, but that point is it works for anyone. I’ve seen so many answers to prayers–particularly concerning jobs–in the past few months. One person I know was looking for a job and found one in a swift amount of time. It was also closer to home. And one after another, there were jobs for people with not only decent pay, commute time, and other things, but also the perfect job for them. God knows us best, so he’s like the perfect recruiter.

Have you received such deliverance? If not, you’re past due. You’re not past it, though. I think I’ve missed some opportunities in the past, but he was there with greater deliverance than I expected. He’s always there to supply your needs.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
– Philippians 4:19 (KJV)

I’m usually not one to write a negative post (or at least try), but I’ve been itching to write it.

So now that I’ve reduced my work schedule and started to set up my freelance web design business, I’ve been looking for work. It’s really cool that I’ve been given the opportunity to have the freedom of working freelance. I can adjust my schedule (within reason), plan vacations, and give myself a raise occasionally.

The slight disadvantage of this, however, is that I have to be actively looking for clients. I have to work for work. However, this gives me an oppportunity to trust my Father more and more for my needs.

Anyway, the point I’m trying to make here is that I have to look for work. So far I have two primary ways to find more business:

• Find work with local businesses and organizations, and get word-of-mouth refferals from those clients

or

• Using sites on the web, namely GetaFreelancer

When I signed up for GetaFreelancer, I thought I would be able to find so much work, I’d be fine. However, what I found was not unlike a day labor site for web designers.

First, many of the projects are riduclously underbudgeted. For example, one buyer wanted a “web 2.0 site” for $30-100. Also, I saw one project from a buyer in Alabama that preffered suppliers who worked “under $5 hour.” How do these people expect us to live?

Because of these underbudgeted projects, there are many providers who aren’t that good. Some providers’ portfolios were impressing. Unfourtunately, however, most of the providers on GetaFreelancer make lousy websites, whether it’s lack of skill or experience, or a lack of care. I believe the lack of care bugs me the most. Many of the projects bids are autoposts from people too darned lazy to read through the projects. There are other things too, but I’m not in the mood to write them. I decided to do this not because I think I’m the best, but to work towards that goal. I want to improve everyday in my skill, service to clients, salesmanship, and trust in God. In order for me to do that, I have to look towards the best. I can’t hang around providers whose business model is “sell’em cheap.”

Despite all that, however, maybe the one thing that’s really bugging me is that I haven’t landed a single job online. Any fruitful job opportunity has come from local people whom I met face-to-face. So far, that seems to be the best way to find clients. Working with local clients, making sure they are satisfied, and getting referrals (or more business) from that client. It not only works well, it gives a greater satisfaction, too.

Day labor sucks.

If you haven’t noticed the very cool subdomain, I have a new web host: Media Temple (mt). I’ve heard good things about them, and so far they’ve been great!

Also, in unrelated news, I’ve reduced my schedule at my retail job to one day a week. I’m going for freelance web design/development (which explains the host change) and a full-time college workload again (Yay!) After almost a year of working full (or near full) time in retail, my Father has opened new doors! Will it be hard? Sure, but I know I have someone–The One (and His son 🙂 )–in me.

So I’ll keep praising God (while searching for clients)!

Now that I’ve been unemployed for over a week, I found that looking for a job is actually more work than actually working. It’s quite a paradox. I’ve applied to quite a few automotive businesses along with a few other places. So far I’ve had two offers.

I went to the VEC on Monday or Tuesday, and found a few offers, and follow up on them. I got a letter from them just now. Apparently they have an automated search system, and they sen tme information for a job! Pretty cool.

I was so close to landing a a job at Canonical as a webmaster. I was a getting glazy-eyed until I came across:

Working knowledge of Python.

Not cool. I was so close! I wanted to learn Python over a year ago, but I ended up pushing it aside. Though the job will most likely be filled soon by some hillbilly or crazed nutcase (joke 😉 ), I’m adding a book on learning Python to my summer reading list. Python is a really good language to learn (so I’ve heard) and Zope, a founding
sponsor of Python, is nearby. Hey, you never know. 🙂

Along with my upcoming self-taught Python course, the summer semester has started at Germanna. I’m taking two distance learning courses, so I’m still free to have a vacation.

Anyway, that’s my current situation. It’s a good thing that I’ve got somebody on my side, or else I’d be done with. 😀

Well, my work for the semester ended last week when I took my last exam. Though I had trouble maintaining full-time thanksgiving, I survived through my first full-time semester while working. At times I thought that being a full-time student and working was going to tear me down, but I made it.

The funny thing about all of this is that at times I believed I would have to sacrifice my job for my schoolwork, or vice versa, during the semester. However, I gave my two weeks notice the day after my last exam. It seems very strange, even to me, as why I would wait until after the semester to leave my job. Maybe God just wanted to show me that I could survive it.

I sometimes feel that I could’ve done more to keep my job, but I don’t regret my decision. I would often find myself to entangled in work, even when I went home afterwards. I was starting to become bitter and cynical. I was starting to focus on worldly matters, over spiritual matters. I don’t want to end up that way. Losing my focus towards eternity with my Father isn’t in my list of goals. When the choice is between my job or my Father, I’m going to choose my Father.

Anyway, wherever I go from here, I must keep my eyes fixed on God, and not myself.