Okay, I’ve just spent 20 minutes trying to talk my web developer friend down from the ledge, which was fairly depressing and scary. His web business is going belly up and he’s in fairly desperate straits…

Anyway, he’s convinced that website development work has completely dried up across the UK.

Is this true, or is there still web development work out there?

Help appreciated.

There is definitely work in London if you are any good.

Thanks packer

My mate’s Liverpool based, but I guess could go anywhere…

I’d be surprised if there wasn’t some work around in a big city like that.
Best thing to do is brush up the CV and get it to a few agents quick – they’ll soon sniff out interviews for you if there’s anything about.
Good luck.

Yes, definitely. I’ve recently relocated to Oxford and there’s loads of web dev jobs going round here. I had an email just yesterday from a random Oxford based company asking if I’d be interested in working for them.

Cheers guys. I’ll tell him to sort out his CV and get it circulated to the right people.

Sounds like his last year has been pretty much hell, and he’ll have to disengage himself from his failing web company and make a new start…

All the agencies I’ve been at recently have got web work. They’re all London based.

Does he have any insight on why he thinks his company is failing? 🙁 very sorry you’ve just had to go through that ordeal. He’ll thank you profusely a few years down the line when his business is rocking again.

But as someone said, he may have to be a phoenix, ditch the old and take his experience forward with a new direction.

link to his businesses work? (if appropriate? no worries if not.)

Serious question but how up to date is he? Stuff has moved on seriously quick in the last two years, to the point where you could find yourself behind the industry in a really big way. Things have probably advanced more in two years than they have in the entire duration of the web before that.

I wouldn’t say the work has dried up. If anything the smaller guys are benefiting from everyone downsizing on what agencies they use.

If he’s just doing basic websites for small businesses then he’s going to struggle as that kind of market is being gobbled up by DIYers and visual build your own website type things.

There is plenty of work if you are prepared to work at or near NMW, some of the salary’s offered for web developers I see advertised are laughable considering the amount of skills they expect you to have. Anyway if you are really good at it the work finds you

Serious question but how up to date is he? Stuff has moved on seriously quick in the last two years, to the point where you could find yourself behind the industry in a really big way. Things have probably advanced more in two years than they have in the entire duration of the web before that.

I’ve started to get back up to speed with Javascript, and it’s quite amazing how far it’s moved on from the simple stuff that used to be state-of-the-art. It’s worth subscribing to the JavaScript Weekly newsletter and podcast, there’s some great stuff there.

they’ve been recruiting .NET web guys at our place in Manchester

and it’s quite amazing how far it’s moved on from the simple stuff that used to be state-of-the-art

We’re now doing a lot of interactive video based websites now, seems pretty routine now but if you’d have told me we’d be doing that a few years ago, I’d have not believed you. And even things like web fonts and responsive design are just a matter of fact now yet practically unheard of not long ago…

.Net mag is essentially awful, but I find equally worth having around just to give you half an eye on what’s coming up…

Smashing Magazine is also a bit naff, but equally good for an insight into newish things.

I suspect if he’s any good he’ll be fine working as a contractor for a while.

Thanks guys.

I guess he’s up to date – he’s had plenty of high profile clients and he’s built complicated database-driven websites, not just basic sites…

I don’t know the business that well, but he seems up to date and pretty good at advanced corporate and retail websites.

Not sure I can give out his work details – all this is really sensitive at the moment.

But it looks like things have got so far out of hand that his apartment is at risk, his only real employee has quit for lack of wages and assurances of future wages and it’s about as bleak as it can get prior to the big bang.

Thanks for the advice, though. I’ll pass on your suggestions/advice.

The digital industry is generally coping very well. We have had some tough times but the last 6 months have been very busy and have enough work to keep us going well into next summer now.

All the other businesses we know seem to be finding the same.

What sort of web development? Python / dJango job going in central scotland if he’s good and fancies a change.

Get his cv updated and round the agencies. Sounds like a skill set that we would have recruited in Warrington or Cumbria. Probably needs to step above web dev and look at general software stuff.

maybe he’s more cut out to work for a company rather than run one? you can be the best developer out there but if you are rubbish at sales, marketing and client retention etc you are going to struggle. it’s the main reason I haven’t struck out on my own… I am to introverted to go out winning business! :$

There is work out there if you have the right skill set, especially in London. A mate who works in the smoke as a senior .Net web developer was ‘let go’ from one agency and got a job with another before he’d even worked his notice period.

maybe he’s more cut out to work for a company rather than run one? you can be the best developer out there but if you are rubbish at sales, marketing and client retention etc you are going to struggle.

This. Absolutely this.

He’s a techie, not a sales guy and I think most of his company’s problems has been sales & marketing.

That said, he’s got the right skill set, so it sounds like there’s hope for him.

Having said that, I and a couple of mates have tried ringing him several times over the last 24 hours and there’s no response…

Not good.

Thanks all, for the helpful advice.

I think one of the issues is being in Liverpool, there never seems to be a great deal of IT related work there hence most on my IT career I have worked in other areas and now in London although home based.

I have toyed with going it alone but I know I would be rubbish at developing the business side of things so focus on the technology and contract.

Can’t be a REAL web developer if he’s prepared to go outside.

I think one of the issues is being in Liverpool

Interesting – maybe that’s part of the problem.

I reckon his bigger problem is that he’s rubbish at sales and contacting potential clients… plus, he’s continued to try to make his business successful long after others would have pulled the plug.

Can’t be a REAL web developer if he’s prepared to go outside.

😀

Just hope he gets in touch at some point… all the ‘I’m doing myself in over the weekend’ talk has given me the proper willies.

Came across a job on my Web designers website blog, could be of interest to your mate Web Designer North Wales