1.0 What's This All About?

I'm Sawyer, a student studying New Media Interactive Development at Rochester Institute of Technology for the past 2 years, freelancing for the past 5, and ready to try an alternative mode of education — an apprenticeship. Not because I haven't learned anything while in college (I have), but because the education system moves too slowly for my liking. I'd love to apprentice under one of the leaders of the web design industry and learn from the best. I'd be extremely humbled if offered an opportunity to do so, and I'd be more than happy to work my ass off…I'd actually enjoy it.

What I Can Offer

• Front-end Development

  I'm very comfortable with HTML5 and CSS3. I enjoy pushing the boundaries of these emerging standards, while still providing graceful degradation for older browsers. In addition to HTML/CSS, I'm also comfortable with jQuery.

• Design

  I love getting my hands dirty in a bucket of pixels and have overtime been honing my skills. I have a proper understanding of typography and an appreciation for beautiful/functional designs. I also believe that sometimes less is more.

• WordPress Expertise

  I've been developing websites with WordPress as the CMS for 4 years. I started using WordPress as a CMS before it was widely accepted as a suitable CMS option. This has given me the chance to really master WordPress and get to know it from top-to-bottom. I've even launched my own WordPress theme business.

• Passionate

  I'm very passionate about what I do and I'll work my ass off to give you my best. I started designing and building websites when I was a sophomore in High School, and I've been addicted ever since.

• Fast Learner

  The majority of what I currently know about design and coding has been self-taught. I pick up on things very quickly and am constantly learning.

• Team Player

  I love working on projects with other people who are also passionate about what they do.

• Thick Skinned

  I've had basketball coaches get in my face and tell me to "Get my head out of my ass" — You're not going to hurt my feelings with tough criticism.

• Ideas & Creativity

2.0 What I'd like to achieve from this

Working in a real world design environment

I feel that the best way for me to become a better designer/developer is to work in the real world. I don't feel that school is properly preparing me and I feel very strongly that an apprenticeship is the best way to learn the craft.

Learn from some of the best in the business

I've learned so much by dissecting the work of the people I admire and trying to understand why they made the particular decisions that they did. I would love to work alongside those people and learn directly from them.

Become a better web designer

My ultimate goal is to become a web designer that companies would love to hire. I want to constantly improve and am willing to work hard to achieve that.

Form a strong network of great people in the industry

I'd love to meet all of the amazing people that make up our industry.

Create things that matter

I want to create products that make life simpler for people and products that people enjoy using.

3.0 What I'm asking for

I'm very open to your ideas of what an apprenticeship should be like. I've never participated in one or have ever known someone who has. With that said, it would be awesome if I could…

• Apprentice for at least 6 months. 1 year would be awesome.
• Work with awesome people who have a willingness to teach and make others around them better.
• Be a fly on the wall