Great question, derrida. The projects were launching MVPs of projects over a weekend as part of a larger group or just a few friends working together. I've worked on:
* Copywriting - for a landing page, app, email responses
* Setting up the CMS / working on HTML & CSS for the project
* Integrating online tools into the project (Wufoo, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, Get Clicky, Get Satisfaction)
* Marketing - Designing and implementing a process for attracting new users and having them sign up
I'm not a programmer, but after a few technical and non-technical project hackathons, I've come away with three pieces of advice:
* Clear communication with your team (if you're working as a team): Have a system for communicating without interruption so you aren't sacrificing productivity for better communication.
* Pomodoro, Pomodoro, Pomodoro: Work in sprints. I favor pomodoro sprints, but whatever works for you. Small time sprints helps avoid burnout and focuses you on the piece of the problem at hand (I need to make X do Y) instead of the whole frickin' thing.
* Set a clear MVP for the 48hours: You've got 48 hours, that's great. But you've also _only_ got 48 hours. You can build something cool, but try to hone down to something that's functional, communicates your idea, and doesn't have bloat. Ask yourself, if you had half as much time, would you include this feature? Be merciless and work to build something awesome that you can get finished.
For all the students searching for a post-graduation job or all the laid off workers, this article by Tim Devane is a great read for anyone beaten down by the job search.
Wordpress is simple, stripped down, easy to use, can double as a CMS, and is easily customized. I've set it up for a number of my personal clients and they're very satisfied with it.
Bonus points for going outside of the stock resume and trying something new.
I really like that you're thinking out of the box - that gets noticed - but a lot of what you're forcing into the resume format should be in your cover letter: your objective, the tag cloud, and the icon-centered text at the top.
That said, I can't read this. Keep in mind that in a lot of places you may be applying a non-technical person may be reading the resume, so having it built in a certain way can work against you.
Rand's has a great article (http://bit.ly/hd7fRt) on resumes and their function that can help focus you.
I've sidestepped the issue and just use instapaper on my iPad and iPhone to read long articles. Instapaper holds my place for me between sessions, so I don't have the pain of remembering where I am.
> Is a strong, unified online presence a requirement for freelance success?
No. Not in the least. I think a strong sense of marketing yourself is important, and that often ties into developing a strong online presence, but not a unified online presence.
> they have a professional identity that they use across communities, a blog full of relevant professional content, and an attitude towards community participation online pretty much opposite of my own.
That's only one way to do it. There are tons of successful freelancers / contractors that you haven't heard of (not because they aren't successful), but because they're working on developing their skills and getting work, not developing an online presence.
Slow down and start talking to people. You don't have monthly costs, investor expectations, or debt forcing you to work at a fast pace. Take it slower, start having more social interaction, and start talking to people again.
Nothing matters more to employers than seeing that you actually have a passion for building things
This is as true outside of technical fields. I've been giving talks at Career Centers about communicating passion to find a job after college, and the thing that is most attractive to employers is creating something or communicating passion.
And Feross? Outstanding. In the next talk I give, you're in the spotlight. Congratulations!
I don't get the hubub about the RealID announcement. Yes, your real name is out in public on the forums, but so what?
I saw this same discussion on Reddit and loved one of the responses:
> "Thus it appears we are left with another case of I put something on the internet and someone I didn’t want to see it, saw it - this is everyone's fault but my own."
* Copywriting - for a landing page, app, email responses * Setting up the CMS / working on HTML & CSS for the project * Integrating online tools into the project (Wufoo, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, Get Clicky, Get Satisfaction) * Marketing - Designing and implementing a process for attracting new users and having them sign up