A high-speed web career develops for DC grad

For recent Internet Applications and Web Development graduate John Medina, securing his job as web developer for Search Engine People, a company specializing in search engine optimization, was made possible through his studies at Durham College.

The first week of June Medina sent his resume, cover letter and links to his portfolio in response to a job advertisement he found online. He was given a short questionnaire via email, scheduled for an interview and skills assessment followed by a second interview, all in a period of seven days. On the eighth day, Medina was offered the position.

“It was a combination of good timing, a rapidly growing company needing someone with my skill set, and having made my presence known to the HR department prior,” said Medina, who reached out to the company for an internship opportunity after his first year at Durham College.

Although he was declined as an intern, the HR manager encouraged him to contact them upon graduation. But weeks prior to graduation, it was the HR manager who contacted him to inform him of an opening for a Graphic Design position. While he did not secure the Graphic Design position, his luck soon turned when the company began their search for a web developer.

As web developer, Medina is responsible for content updates to clients’ websites, building JavaScript and PHP applications, converting Photoshop files into functional websites, and more.

“The program has opened a lot of opportunities for me. Two weeks after I started working I was still getting phone calls and emails from prospective companies, recruiters, and staffing agencies,” said Medina. “It feels good to be wanted in a field where the work is in demand and the competition is fairly intense.”

While Medina also holds a certificate in Web Design, he felt the Internet Applications and Web Development program would help him build his coding skill set, particularly JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL, which he felt were necessary to his future success.