[thelist] updating skillset (long rambling request for advice, vague or specific)

Joel D Canfield joel at spinhead.com
Fri Sep 22 14:23:46 CDT 2006


so, I'm being thrust into self-employment again in a few weeks (company
shutting down due to our three largest trading partners having bad
years)

I've spent the last seven years mostly working on the intranets of two
Microsoft-centric companies. I've become fairly familiar with VBScript's
FileSystemObject, and learned a lot about streamlining and automating
business processes (good ol' hamster hunting.) I have database skills,
and have designed some pretty extensive web/database tools for inhouse
use.

But, being insulated to some degree from 'real' web dev (I'm building
*tools* for a captive audience, not websites) some of my skills are
outdated, some may never have existed in the first place. I have built
small websites for local bands and small businesses, but I don't think
anything I've done in that arena has stretched me to any degree.

So, without prejudicing you about what box to stay in, what skills
should an experienced but tunnel-visioned developer brush up on to be
viable as a one-man shop in the freelance world these days? (I'm
specifically looking for job skills; I know what I need to know [for
now] about how to run a business and how to keep my life in balance;
mostly 'cause Best Beloved helps me with both.)

Thanks muchly for any words at all.

joel



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