Career Development Research
Pinsky, D. (2008). 11 Website Design and Development Standards
for 2018. Retrieved from
https://forbes.com/sites/denispinsky/2018/02/12/
website-design-standards/
In this article, Pinsky (2008), discusses the standards that
are occurring with web development and design, while maintaining
that web design is more than just a pretty interface. The author
goes on to discuss the trends that encompass insufficient web
design and development, and the latest features and standards that
are implemented to enhance the overall quality and performance of a
website. Pinsky maintains that “in today’s global marketplace, it’s
not enough to just have a digital presence. To capitalize an
opportunity and captivate real, live, human readers, an optimized
functional, interactive website is a must.” This article presented
elements of job responsibilities and growth trends in the field of
web development and design, focusing its’ priorities with
progressive web applications, artificial intelligence, and how
social media can be merged during development stages. Pinsky
concludes that “2018 will focus on a shift towards simple,
functional, and futuristic designs.
Institute for Career Research. (2006). Career as a Computer
Support Specialist: Enabling Business and Individual Users to
Navigate Increasingly Complex Technology, Testing New Software for
Reliability. Retrieved from EBSCO e Book Collection database.
According to the Institute for Career Research (2006),
“computer support specialists are investigators, researchers,
thinkers, identifiers, problem solvers, troubleshooters, and
computer gurus all rolled into one professional.” This article
provides descriptive, in-depth information on a career as a
computer support specialist. The author takes a step back through
historical events in time that have led this field into what it
represents in present day, including primary examples of
professionals that discuss their own personal challenges and
experiences in this occupation. “The computer support specialist
was born of this necessity to ensure quality, locate problems and
find solutions, and provide the most accurate and up-to-date
answers to the questions posed by the computing public.”
The Institute for Career Research (2006) emphasizes the
importance of training and education required, keeping in mind that
“the projected growth for this field is very good as the need for
computer support specialists is expected to double within the
coming decades.”
Moncarz, R. (2001, Spring). Computer Support Specialists.
Occupational Outlook Quarterly. 45 (1). 16.
Moncarz’s article on Computer Support Specialists (2001)
discuss the qualifications, training, and opportunities for
advancement available in this fast-growing field. According to
Moncarz, “computer support specialists at hardware and software
companies often enjoy rapid upward mobility; advancement sometimes
comes within months of initial employment.” This article also takes
a deeper look into the qualities and skills employers are seeking
for this occupation. The author goes on to say that “strong writing
skills are important for preparing manuals for employees and
customers. The article provides details on entry-level education
needed to support this role, not necessarily including a
postsecondary degree. Moncarz further states that “many companies
are becoming more flexible about requiring a college degree for
support positions because of the rampant demand for specialists.”
The author concludes with suggestions on continuing education to
keep skills up to date with the current trends because “the
constant interaction with other computer personnel, customers, and
employees requires computer support specialists to communicate
effectively on paper, via e-mail, and in person.
Karper, E. (2005). “Ordinary People Do This”. Rhetorical
Examinations of Novice Web Design. Business Communication
Quarterly, 68(3), 340-344. doi:10.1177/108056990506800308
“Web designers produce web pages that seem to ignore
fundamental principles of good design.” Karper (2005) illustrates
the procedures that are executed by entry-level web designers, and
the results of a successful case study. Karper found that “this
study demonstrates how designers describe their processes and
examine how technologies (particularly Web authoring programs)
impact the ways in which designers can think and learn, which
offers insight into how to create documentation and interfaces for
software that enables people to work for on and for the Web.” This
article is very precise and organized in stating the procedures
that Web designers and developers experience when designing web
pages, and further establishes certain process that are needed for
a successful Web presentation. The case study in this jounal
“uncovered two struggles that the designers faced: a rhetorical
struggle in terms of creating identifications and developing new
strategies for a new medium and a technological struggle in
deploying technologies in the service of their rhetoric.” “These
findings ask us to reconsider how process and genre are
(re)mediated through the interfaces and technologies used,” Karper
maintains. The author concludes by explaining how “this study
demonstrates how designers describe their processes and examine how
technologies (particularly Web authoring programs) impact the ways
in which designers can think and learn, which offers insight into
how to create documentation and interfaces for software that
enables people to work for on and for the Web.”