I personally think that one should really take teenagers of your age seriously since there are many people of your age around and are known for there work. PLus as far as tasks and jobs (online / Offline ) are concerned they should be entitled to you based on ur reputation and past experience with others... and believe me you will be taken seriously! P.S: I just went outta my teenage though 20 now!
I hate stereotypes too, but think about it - they are stereotypes for a reason Honestly however... I respect anyone who has skills, a moderate level of intelligence and respect. It doesn't matter how old the person might be. While some teenagers might fit your stereotypical teenage party life, I know I was never like that - and I know other teens could care less about that lifestyle. If you are hardworking and dedicated at your age, props to you!
Some of the teenagers I have worked with years ago now own some major companies. I was happy to be a part of their growing into this business. Age is relative, but what I look for in people is where they are going in the future. A lot of people my age are burned out. I like those who have ideas, are innovative and motivated, and many of the teenagers here are. A great example would be this kid!
I never tell my clients how old I am - wot they dont know doesnt hurt them. As long as i get the job done, does it matter?
You need to make contacts. You simply won't get an offline job in web development without having some sort of qualification under your belt, unless you 'know' people. An example is myself - I got an awesome job as a consultant straight after leaving school because I knew a guy who was starting up a company, who knew from personal experience that I was competant and I wouldn't cost much. Had I just randomly applied to this company (or any company) without knowing someone, my CV/Resume would have been laughed at. So basically... spread yourself around
I would definitely say that you should start an online business while going to school or while working somewhere else. I recently closed my service-oriented business because being 22 and running a business near silicon valley is fine, but being 22 and running a business in Washington state isn't. It closed with a profit, but one of the biggest issues was securing clients once I made my age known. I even had some clients that loved the work but were waffling about paying because of my age. They literally thought that I shouldn't charge so much just because I'm on the young side. I have been making websites professionally (on and off) since I was 17, supporting myself since I was 15, and I made my first webpage almost a decade ago. I've had other issues because of my age, but mostly it's not necessarily your age -- it's the fact that almost everyone wants something for nothing. And if you're young, they assume that you don't know your legal rights and that you don't (or shouldn't) value your hard work. My advice is definitely to either make your age public knowledge (on your portfolio site), or never mention it. You can't really go halfsies on that one. If you're good, your work will prove it. And if someone tries to screw you over, make sure that you come at them heavy-handed and do everything you can to get your money. There are massive amounts of people in their teens and 20s who are running very successful businesses, so don't let age deter you. You can take some classes in web design or graphic design etc (I was very successful for a time even without taking classes), but you can always try to get clients without it. I would definitely say that you should build a portfolio and update it often. Contact people who seem like they need your services (out of date websites, ugly designs etc) and see if you can find work that way. Or just ask if you can help -- it's a good way to build a client history (resume ahoy!) and it might possibly lead to a long-term gig. In fact, I emailed someone out of the blue because he had a notice on his website that he was closing it due to the previous programmer quitting. He liked my attitude and brought me on as a full business partner (he provides capitol and other necessities, I provide design work). So I got a long-term project a month after closing my business. So good things can happen if you put yourself out there. Attitude is Everything. My work pales in comparison to a lot of people's work, but because I'm nice and have a great attitude I tend to get some decent opportunities. So if your work is really good AND you have a good attitude, you are waaaay ahead of the pack. So if some random person thinks you're running Bill and Ted's Excellent Web Design Service, I say screw em. There are people who need your services and are willing to pay for them. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions. Hope this helps! Griffin
Hide your age and go for online work and prove your mettle. But before you do so Be sure of what you want in your life. Be focussed and dont be a case of burn out burnout in a few years time. unless you believe in your talent and nourish it thouroughly no one will take you seriously.
Yes, I can take them serious (I'm not all that old myself) but they will ahve to proof themselves, I won't just take anybody in. If you have a portfolio from here to tokio (sorry dutch sentence) then you can be taken in. It's just that there is a chance that this person doesn't know what he is doing etc. so we expect more life experience, and some certificates ofcourse.
I was chatting to some top universities the other day and the portfolio thing is true they said if you want to do ecommerce etc and have awful grades (probably from concentrating to much on earning $$$), but have a credible portfolio, they'd let you in. That is why I'm gonna have to make loads of sites in the next 6 months lol