Detailing the sort of things one does to either earn money, or further one's education. The time spenders. The brain benders.
Before that fateful day in April 1995 (just don't ask me WHICH day) (I think it was the 20th. Yeah, sounds about right), I had no intention of doing REAL work; I was quite happy to continue my Uni studies and bludge on Austudy (not that there was much to bludge on) (oh, and a bit of part-time work); The perpetual student, that was me. And then, I got offered a job, and a regular salary, a REAL income! I was doomed.
Since then I've changed job a few times, crawling up the evolutionary employment chain, each job better than the one before. And so I find myself the CWIS Technical Officer for Murdoch University, where I'm responsible for the technical maintenance and development of the CWIS at Murdoch.
"CWIS" standing for Campus Wide Information Services, this mostly means World Wide Web. Not only have I escaped out of various forms of Computer Support (there's still support, but most of the customers have some idea what they are talking about), but I can now spend quality time developing applications for the Web, the type of work that till then I attempted to do in my "free" time. (There's no such thing! Believe me!)
While working in my previous job as a Computer Systems Officer at Curtin University for the School of Surveying and Land Information, I was also convinced to run an Introduction to UNIX unit for the School. In one semester each year, my objective was to inflict UNIX upon 2nd and 3rd year Surveying and Cartography students, as well as teach them some basic HTML and Web Publishing.
I've been teaching part-time for a couple of years now, alongside my Murdoch job, and have been managing OK. The Unit itself, being about UNIX, keeps changing, thanks to the constant changes in the UNIX (and non-UNIX) world, mostly caused by the advancements by Linux, and the whole concept of OpenSource software design.
Although this area now overlaps with my main occupation, I still spend time working on personal Web projects, as well as do some Consultancy work if I have the time.
Consultancy work is great, if you can find enough work. While between full-time jobs I worked as a Web Consultant for Murdoch under my predecessor, developing some Perl CGI's which he didn't have the time himself to get into. But, finding the work can be like plucking teeth, unless you're prepared to hunt and fight for it.
If I'm wrong (it's been known to happen), then go for it! But, at least on this day, in this city, there're more Web Developers than people with money who want Web Developments. The trickle of work I've received has been all who I knew, not what I knew.
With everything else on my plate, it's often hard to find time for the lower priority stuff. I'm finally sitting down updating this page now, because its predecessor was WAY out of date, both in HTML code style, and in information content.
What SORT of Web Work? Well, there's:
... and much much more! If you order now, I'll also throw in these quality Steak Knives, ... what? You already have enough steak knives? Oh well! They're probably not as nice as THESE ones. Your loss!
