Describe a professional skill you have developed in your most recent job.
In my most recent employment, I have developed more structured information architecture, project management of multiple developers, and competitive analysis skills.
I worked with a number of subject matter experts to develop the information architecture for my employer's web application and the marketing site. Documentation included Visio workflows and wireframes.
I handled a number of projects where I was the subject matter expert and handled managing the project work of several developers in order to meet a deadline and cover all required changes and additions to the web application. I set deadlines, analyzed all steps required for the work and assigned the work to the developers. I also checked work for completion. In addition I worked with clients to gather their needs and input. I also wrote help documentation for the project.
I did an extensive analysis of my employer's competition to gather what works and what did not work for the competitor's web marketing. I worked within a matrix of questions that I asked of each web site and documented all findings. I presented this information to management and gave recommendations on how to add the good to the employer's marketing site.
Do you like working alone or in a team environment?
I prefer the team environment though there are certain aspects to my work where concentrating alone work the best.
A team environment energizes me as I learn from others and mentor others as part of my job. The collaboration to build a mutual product is satisfying. Usually more than one skillset is needed to build products thus it is better to have specialists than to have jack of all trades and maser of none. This gets work done quicker with more quality.
I can work alone as needed. I find satisfaction working through problems to find solutions without outside help.
It is the balance between working alone and working with a team that I find the most rewarding and the most productive for my employers.
Do you work well under pressure?
I can work with or without pressure though I prefer high pressure over low pressure. I can become easily bored and pressure enables me to perform at a higher level.
No deadlines will worry me that I am missing something or I am not needed. I usually will seek out my own work at when this happens and make my own deadlines. When I am in the midst of pressure, I am able to prioritize my work in order to meet important deadlines.
Have you taken any classes since college to bring your skills up to date?
I currently take online courses to learn more web related skills. If I find that learning from tutorials already available on the web for free are not thorough enough or do not force me into enough structure in order to learn something, I take a more formal class. I have done this most recently with a JavaScript class and plan on taking a database class soon.
How can you help our company be more profitable?
I am experienced in wearing multiple hats. Hiring one person to hold many duties will save the company money thereby making the company more profitable. My skills and ability to jump in with little to no guidance also save the company money as I am able to be productive immediately.
Is there anything you would change about your college education?
I would change my major from Fine Art to a CIS degree. Though I honed my artistic ability and design sense while in college, I feel that a CIS degree would help me more in my profession. I am contemplating a Masters in CIS at some point in the future.
Tell me something about yourself that I didn't know from reading your resume.
I am not a "yes man/ woman". I will provide input for brainstorming and in order to make the end product more robust. There is no sense keeping quiet if it means it hurts the quality or speed of finishing a project. I present my ideas and solutions in a positive manner not in a negative critical way. I take criticism well knowning that two or more heads are better than one and usually the end result is a better product. Usually criticism ends up brainstorming for the solution which is comprised of many ideas.
What are your work-related goals for the next few years?
I am most interested in working at an agency in order to expand my design range. Much of my experience has been in the corporate world thus my portfolio shows a limited range in design skills. If you work a long time at one corporation, all of your work looks like the same web site. Working at an agency I will be able to expand my creative sense and add more web skills. Potentially I will also gain more marketing skills and add more examples to my print portfolio.
What did you like most about your last job?
My last employer created educational solutions for the K-20 market. My work directly impacted teacher and student's lives by improving the quality and quantity of information teachers and administrators have to make decisions on educating particular students. This enabled teachers to find those students that would normally slip through the system. Thus indirectly, I helped the quality of a student's education. It was a very feel good position. This added additional motivation to do an excellent job as the educational system depends upon you to do your very best.
What do you like to do when you are not at work?
I am addicted to email where I mentor people in web design. I also enjoy learning new techniques and processes for creating web sites. Web design is my form of artistic expression therefore I spend much of my free time working to improve my art.
Away from the computer, I enjoy cooking and creating new recipes. I am also learning and enjoying mountain biking.
What makes you tick?
Learning more skills and sharing with others the skills I already know are what motivate me and what I enjoy the most in life. I describe myself as a sponge. I soak up everything I can.
Fortunately for me and my employer, these also promote the business.
What new skills or ideas do you bring to the job that other candidates aren't likely to offer?
My level of skill in HTML coding surpasses everyone I have ever met. I have plenty of experience in mentoring other people on these technical skills and enjoy the mentoring. Additionally, I work well multitasking and being a subject matter expert for a company's products.
Why did you leave your last job?
Company-wide layoff
Why have you held so many jobs in recent times?
I have come to expect that the line of work I do for a living, is not a stable profession. There is not a long enough history of the internet for companies to judge the economic viability of having a web designer on staff. I have not changed jobs due to my own initiative. My position changes have always been due to reduction in force or end of contract.
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Sherri Wyche Fleming1509 Catalina Drive
Leander, TX 78641 US
5125288537 (Day)
sherri@sherriwyche.com
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