Putting my finger on what is different is something that I have been working on since I arrived here more than a week ago. Now, rather than attempting to go out and socialize, I find myself with parental responsibilities and scheduling time with friends. It used to be a quick call and my friends and I could meet up anywhere for any reason. Now, it is just to catch up and see one another with all that happens in between.

As with all things, change happens and we can either embrace it or reject and fight against the current. Although it is awkward at first, this change is a good thing. My wife and I can expose our children to all the things that made growing up here so great; Apple Hill in Placerville, CA, snow sports, all of the events over the summer, such as Hot August Nights, Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off, Lake Tahoe, Virginia City, etc. There are so many things here that we can see and do that life really just got better for my family and I. The housing market is at a prime period for a first-time home buyer as well.

Opportunities abound for our family and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store, both professionally as well as personally.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

As such, I am excited to announce that we’re returning home, where my wife and I were raised to undergo another great adventure and I am extremely happy for her.

However, my job search in that area is now just beginning. I am still seeking front-end Web development work in that area, but as I know already, the area is not robust in these kinds of positions. Nor are the nonprofit and public sector positions plentiful.

I admit that it may be a challenge to find fulfilling employment in this area, but I would not have it any other way. I am excited that I am in a position to potentially give back to the community where I was raised in a greater way than I ever could before I left the area in June 2005.

I am now armed with the toolkit that will assist me in succeeding in the Truckee Meadows.

If you’re reading this and you are in the position to or know of someone who is looking to fill a position that requires a Masters in Public Administration or a Front-End Web Developer, please drop me a line, I am open to all possibilities if they are located in the Reno/Sparks area or if a position can work remotely by telecommuting.

Until next time… let the adventure begin.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

Play Ball Sports Portfolio
WordPress Theme

Happy holidays, everyone. I hope this article finds you in good health and high spirits.

Today, I would like to offer my services as a freelance Front End Web Developer for anyone who would like to build their own custom WordPress theme. My rates are on a project-to-project basis. Some sites are simple and involve little custom coding and others are more intricate and elaborate and thus the rate may change depending on the expertise required to complete the project. I can tell you however, that my rates can include a flat website rate or they can be an hourly rate (useful if you just want a design mocked up in Photoshop and coded in XHTML, CSS or PHP for WordPress installation and you handle the customizing once the theme is installed). I am flexible when it comes to how you want to handle your project.

If you are seeking to build a custom WordPress theme or portfolio website, I would like to invite you to take a look at my portfolio page and get a sense of my design aesthetic by selecting any of the icons on the left. Please contact me when you are ready.

Custom WordPress themes will eventually be one of my offerings on a new e-commerce site I intend to build in the near future where I will showcase current WordPress designs I have for sale.

Currently, I have my first WordPress theme for sale here at WillHull.com for $30, the Play Ball Sports Portfolio WordPress Theme. If you are interested in purchasing the Play Ball Sports Portfolio WordPress theme, please contact me and I will provide you information on how to proceed with the transaction.

So, how about it? Are you in the market for a custom design or redesign of your WordPress site? Please drop me a line. I would love to hear from you.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

This theme uses the 960 Grid System, customizable drop-down navigation menus, CSS navigation/hover sprites, embedded header fonts, a 100% widget optimized sidebar and the ability to host adverstisements as a widget in the sidebar. It is perfect for the sports enthusiast, sports writer, sports journalist, sports blogger, anyone who follows baseball, football, golf, soccer, tennis or even cricket. Just about any outdoor sporting event, really. It was created with the sports fan in mind.

Below is a thumbnail of this template:

Preview the Live Demo
Screenshot

If you are interested in purchasing this template, my first of what I am sure are many more to come, it is $30 payable via Paypal (at least while I am designing a few others and until I can get an eCommerce site set up to house them).

This WordPress theme includes:

1. Layered Photoshop Document (PSD)
2. Screenshots of the site similar to the ones above
3. Theme in HTML/CSS (prior to conversion to WordPress PHP; also template for sidebar advertising location)
4. .zip file for uploading to WordPress to install the Play Ball Sports Portfolio WordPress theme
5. All Javascript files (Mootools, jQuery, etc.) for slideshow window
6. Documentation of the files (readme.txt and HTML page documentation as a .zip file)
7. GPL (General Public License) and license for the theme for use on one website only (if you would like to license this theme for multiple sites, please contact me for details)

If you would also like custom coding for this WordPress theme, such as adding your logo (in the header and footer), configuring your Flickr photostream in the footer and AddThis or ShareThis social media sharing links, we can discuss my hourly rate offline as well. Please contact me at any time, if you are intersted in purcasing this WordPress theme template.

What are your thoughts on this theme? I would love to hear them.

Thanks for stopping by.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

So, after watching the video, what do you think? Am I on the right path? Please leave a comment below.

*Disclaimer: I was in no way prompted to speak on behalf of the any of the books mentioned in this blog post. My opinion is my own and I have not been approached by any entity or party to discuss it.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

I think, at this point, if you follow my blog, you know that I love Web design and Web development. I do it in my spare time as well as when someone is willing to pay me for my services. I even dream about Web design, it wakes me up at night and all I want to do is dive into either a Photoshop document and create something from scratch or into XHTML/CSS code. In short, I love what I do.

Until now, it has felt like the art of muddling through. Web design excites me more than any prior work ever has. It is something that I have taught myself through many years and tutorials on how to design and code for the semantic Web.

What I find most illustrative of this joy I have for Web design and coding is that I can dive into my work coding or designing and not look up for hours. Often, I ignore my bodily needs to eat and, at times, even drink water, and next thing you know it is seven or eight hours later and I notice the time. I say to myself, “Have I really been working this long without a break today?”

This very thing happened last weekend, when I thought I was making a quick edit to my site. I was there for four or five hours passionately pursuing a change in the design of my site at WillHull.com. I modified the footer and made it a “fat” footer to decrease the amount of scrolling on my homepage.

I love Web design. Just like falling in love with another person, you know it when you have found your calling. I am secure in saying that I have found mine.

Now, I’ll admit that I don’t know everything there is to know about Web design. If I did, I would also be omnipotent. That’s one of the reasons why I love doing what I do.

If there is something I don’t know, I teach myself by either reverse engineering a known instance of it or seeking out a tutorial on how to do it. There aren’t many other trades out there that I feel this passionate about.

What about you? What are you passionate about? Have you found your calling in life yet?

Share it with those who follow this blog and why you feel so passionate about what you do. Do you agree that when you know you’ve found your calling you just know and you could do it day or night and regardless if someone paid you to do it or not?

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

Listening to the pseudo-jazz/blues/rock fusion of Elvis Presley, Dave Matthews Band or Aretha Franklin emanating from the speakers and eaves dropping in on the conversation of others reminds me that there are other things happening in the world besides my personal situation. In fact, it reminds me that there are other people in the world and they too have their successes, failures, triumphs and struggles to deal with. Being a “fly on the wall” is something I rather enjoy; the people watching, silently left to my own thoughts. In this case however, my thoughts are revealed here in this article.

There is something magical about a coffee shop environment. The reminiscence of the beat nick era, perhaps, or maybe something more. The momentary escape from the world does wonders for the psyche. It’s a release from one’s trivial and mundane; from one’s responsibilities and obligations.

If there is one piece of advice I can offer the world for those that are unemployed, it’s to take a short break once-in-a-while. Shut out the world for a moment. Clarify your senses. Take a breath. Close your eyes and know that no matter how bad things are and will get, you are here and you have something to offer this world that is of value as an individual. You are a human being and a member of society; someone worth the respect of others and capable of something magnificent and awesome.

At least that is what I tell myself in time like this.

How do you deal with difficulty/failure/uncertainty in your life? Please share your thoughts.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

The first is with LeVay Elektrocycle as a website rebuild into a full eCommerce website; complete with shopping cart and ability for expansion at a later date. I will also be handling online advertising and social media responsibilities. I will make a commission off of every sale of each bike and I am hoping that it will become a very lucrative venture for me.

The second is as an independent contractor for Firefly Partners, designing/coding websites for small to medium-sized nonprofits around the country. The work from Firefly Partners will come sporadically, so I am hoping to keep myself busy with several different “gigs” at one time until I can find something more permanent.

What I am most pleased about in these past two weeks is that someone has taken notice of my skills in Web design. I am really excited about these two new opportunities and I hope that I can perform under a new set of expectations.

Update – October 21, 2011: Since publishing this post, the opportunity with LeVay Elektrocycle fell through due to no fault of my own. The opportunity may, once again return but, for the moment, the owner has chosen to divert his energies in another direction. It could be a couple months before the opportunity arises again or perhaps longer. It is hard to tell what it will be. So, for the time being, I will focus on the job search and my work with Firefly Partners.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

Today, kicks off my job search as a full time job. I can now focus all of my energies during normal working hours on the job search. What makes this event different from previous periods is that I am still navigating and discovering many new resources available here in San Diego, California. I hope to find something similar to BradTraverse.com that is specific to the San Diego area.

As I have mentioned before “what I intend to focus on, in this job search, is Front End Web Developer, User Interface / User Experience (UI/UX), online marketing / eMarketing / Search Engine Optimization (SEO) positions or post-graduate education entry-level positions in local government and/or nonprofit organizations.” However, I am still open to positions in the for-profit sector, should there be a great fit for both my personality (as a Myers-Briggs ENTJ) and my motivation.

From everything that I hear, both on the news and from other people, the San Diego job market, much like the rest of the country, is scarce with opportunity. I hope that I can work smarter and not harder by discovering where the best places are to look or perhaps by thinking outside the box, such as hosting this website¹, WillHull.com, or by attending the right networking event such as one hosted by Network After Work™. Perhaps any one of these avenues may pay off. At the moment it is just deciding where to concentrate my unfettered energies in this renewed job search.

To date, I have had a couple of phone interviews and I am working with several technology recruiting firms, but nothing has proved fruitful.

I am not discouraged at this point, however, because I have a lot going for me at this time. I already have a Masters degree, I can learn anything quickly and the world just opened up to explore any and all options without the constraints of actually working for an employer concurrently with an ongoing job search. What this means is that I can take an interview at any time during the day and I can venture out, physically, to find job resources that may be available that I haven’t discovered just yet.

Perhaps, you, the reader, can help. If you know of any good resources in the San Diego, California area, please share and let’s build a professional relationship. Rather than treat it as what I can get from you, I hope to seek out a reciprocal and lasting relationship that will be mutually beneficial. What do you say? Will you lend a hand?

Please feel free to download my current résumé (September 2011) to browse or share with a colleague. As always, thanks for visiting.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

That being said, my job search for my next great professional challenge is just now heating up and about to fire on all cylinders in preparation for my transition into the world of searching for employment once again.

I have found some great opportunities on the local Craislist job boards. I find that I am suited for many positions posted there. With my skill set best suited for a Front End Developer position, many firms are looking for what I can provide. It is my job to market myself to these employers, in hopes of generating curiosity about who I am and setting myself apart from the pack. One way, I hope to attract positive attention about my talents is my portfolio showcase on this Web site at WillHull.com.

This site was designed from scratch using a blank canvass in Adobe Photoshop, slicing it up and hand-coding every line. Consider it a sample of what I can do, if given the opportunity.

Another example is deploying the 960 Grid System into my designs. Utilizing the 960 Grid System streamlines the design process and creates the opportunity for rapid iterations in Web design. Further, employing Cascading Style Sheets (CSS3) into Web design minimizes the time required for creative styling of each page by incorporating new elements into the look and feel of the design rather than relying on Photoshop and Illustrator to create these elements in the form of a digital image. This is only a brief introduction into my talents, skills and value that I can bring to the table in the right Web design position and firm based in San Diego, California.

If these skills have piqued your interest and you want to learn more about me or to request a résumé, please visit the Contact page on my Web site. I look forward to hearing from you.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

What I intend to focus on, in this job search, is Front End Web Developer, User Interface / User Experience (UI/UX), online marketing / eMarketing / Search Engine Optimization (SEO) positions or post-graduate education entry-level positions in local government and/or nonprofit organizations.

Because the San Diego area is not as robust in nonprofit organizations, I intend to broaden my search to include private sector organizations who have a great mission that I can believe in. It is not the bottom line in generating profit that motivates me, but rather if I am doing something that I believe in.

San Diego is absolutely beautiful and the sunsets are gorgeous. Given the current job market outlook, I hope that I find something where I am a great fit and it is, in turn, fulfilling for me to work for that organization.

Do you live in San Diego? Do you know of any good resources for employment in the San Diego job market? Where should I concentrate my efforts first? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

• Graduating from college and getting a Masters degree;
• Getting married;
• Having children (my wife was a part of that goal);
• Learning more about myself in a professional sense (my likes, dislikes, behavior, personality and how I interact with others); and
• Moving across the country and back again;
• Etc.

Today, I seek to celebrate what makes me the unique person I am as I begin to explore goals I have for myself in my 30s.

Turning 30 feels no different than the last day of my 20s, but it sure does feel different from the last day of my teens. A lot has happened since then, incrementally. But I feel much more whole, happy and alive than I ever did in my teens. Life doesn’t have to be about the party, the next bar to stop in at, making appearances, wash, rinse, repeat. Right now, it is about deep and meaningful relationships with those I care about, the work I do and living experiences and not watching someone live theirs on a reality show on television.

To those in their 20s or even 30s finding this article, quoting another article on turning 30 from Perusals & Peregrinations, “[G]o out there, live it, be in the moment, stop thinking/pushing for the future.” Life is for the living. Carpe diem.

I will not look at my 30s as though the best time of my life is already behind me, but rather at what lies ahead around the next corner. Life is an adventure or better yet, “Life’s a garden. Dig it” quoting the movie character, Joe Dirt.

So what will my 30s be like? Even better than my 20s.

Are you in your 30s? 20s? What makes this decade of your life better than your last? Leave a comment below. I’d like to hear about it.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

However, this bill failed to pass the House of Represenatatives, in fear of passing legislation that could be considered politically unpopular because it involves spending when it runs counter to the agenda of House Republicans and others seeking to stem the tide of government spending. It’s a shame that our leaders in the House of Representatives cannot rise above partisan politics for the betterment of the country. This bill affects people like myself, fully equipped with a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) because even though I have such a degree (much of its purpose is to serve in government, local, state and federal or the nonprofit sector), I have yet to receive a reply from any federal agency in response to positions I had applied to nearly a year ago. It’s a shame that, and I am not boasting here, but making an illustrative point as a metaphor for all recent college and graduate-level graduates, that my talent must pursue positions in the nonprofit and private sectors because the waiting period is longer than I can financially bear. I would love a position in the public sector, not for the benefits (which is why some choose to pursue positions there), but because I can actually help and put the tools I have acquired during my graduate-level coursework into practice and actually help this country become a better place for my having been a part of the public sector workforce. However, this is not the case and I have discontinued my search for a position in the public sector (at the moment), because I cannot afford to chase dreams of what could be when I have “a bird in the hand” in seeking a position in the nonprofit and private sectors versus “two in the bush” and good intentions by pursuing a position in the public sector. The common good could benefit from a less than political response by our elected leaders in Congress in instances like this.

I have written on the subject of “Preserving the Public Good over the Individual’s Self-Interest” before. This is another case in which there is great potential for the public good to benefit by decreasing the barrier to entry for positions in the public sector. However, laden with political, and I will add, selfish interests, concerned with reelection to public office because of a stalwart conviction to save the public money because of the appearance it would yield if one were to endorse S. 736, our elected leaders chose to vote this bill down. It doesn’t end there.

Even when presented with “deal of the century” politicians are holding onto their reputation, more so than considering what will help this country as the stewards they should be and are.

Our leaders may see themselves as doing the right thing, but in reality they are standing in the way of true and meaningful progress. I guess that is why many liberals are deemed as “progressives” because they seek to advance the domestic agenda and solve problems at home. I am not intending for this post to strike you as offensive or with a negative, rant-like prose, but I do intend and suggest that those who end up reading these words signal to their elected leaders that they do what is best for the country, not just the political agenda set before them by party leaders. It is time for our elected leaders to think for themselves and decide on the merits of a bill if it should pass or not and not on the overall agenda that will serve to keep those in power, in power.

I hope the voters are watching for instances like this. Perhaps, this is exactly what the voters want their leaders to do and perhaps it is not. Action does not result from inaction. It is time to act and do what is right for the country and not a political party’s agenda, especially when it comes to negotiations over the “debt ceiling” and perhaps when another such bill similar to S. 736 appears in Congress.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

I understand that this won’t reach everyone who may know of an opportunity in the San Diego, California area who might be looking to fill a Front End Web Developer position. That is why I am asking for your help to spread the word about my job search effort or to leave a comment about a resource to find a position in that area similar to what BradTraverse.com is in the Washington, DC area. I am seeking work in the nonprofit (non-profit or not-for-profit) or local government (public sector) in the geographic area.

If there is no position available, I am also willing to work in the private sector for a start-up or where the mission of the business is a great fit for me. As my Masters degree is best utilized in the nonprofit or public sectors, I am searching there first.

However, knowing that my family and I need to put food on the table, I am open to any opportunity that may come my way; again if it is a good fit.

I hope you can assist me in my search to find a new adventure in the San Diego, CA area. Please help spread the word.

Thank you, in advance, for your help in this pursuit.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA

I figure, what is a better way than to throw it out there to you, the reader. What books have you read that have informed your thinking about the nonprofit sector or just a way to navigate the workplace in general? I am interested because I will readily admit, I do not know everything about this sector and one of the ways to acquire more knowledge is to immerse myself in discussion about the subject. Who knows, there might be a book out there that changed the world for you. Why not share how it shapes your daily activities?

As such, I hope you’ll take a moment and answer my quick poll on what books you think are a must read and ones that you think everyone should read if they like to think about the nonprofit sector, fundraising, online advocacy, or just about anything loosely related to the nonprofit workplace (e.g. organizational theory, leadership, marketing, e-marketing, nonprofit Web design, performance measurement, networking), etc.

I’m leaving this poll open until December 31, 2011, so please answer away and let’s see which books come out on top.

If you don’t see your answer here, please leave a comment and tell me about your choice. I would love to hear about it.

This item is from: Williteration | Will Hull, MPA