[My Profile]
Who is Brandon Darrell Buttars?
I've always been a doodler since I remember. I remember driving past billboards growing up and thinking the logo sucked that a company had so I would go home and draw what I thought was a better one. I remember creating cartoon characters out of the shapes I saw in the ceiling texture above my bed. I've always been creative and have always enjoyed putting my spin on things.
I also enjoy technology and computers so naturally I put the two things together and have tried to create a place for myself in this world. I enjoy what I do and enjoy learning how to do more. I'd like to think I'm a happy mixture between creative and analytical. I like to understand the why and how so I can do it all myself. I'm inspired by others and their accomplishments but feel it's my duty to try and do things better.
My Goals and Purpose
My goal is to make the most of my time and learn as much as possible in the process. I don't like to say no, because I am confident I can figure it out.
[Stuff I've Done]
Some things that I've done.
I can do a lot of different things and find myself a jack of all internet trades, but here are some examples of things I've done in the past that I'm able to display on this resume site:
Logo Designs
Template Designs
Miscellaneous Designs
[Relevant Jobs]
What types of jobs and experience have I had?
I've tried to list the jobs and experience I've had that are relevant to my goals and the types of jobs I would be interested in. I've listed the different position descending from the dates those responsibilities were held.
PMA Media Group 2009 - Present
SEO | SMO Manager [ Current ]
I had previous experience with SEO at some prior jobs and was elected to ignite the SEO division. I did not get the initial development support needed so I was forced out of necessity to learn Ruby on Rails. I developed a CMS where we could manage and optimize our content and webpages. We eventually decided to simplify our publishing process through WordPress so I reimplemented and migrated the application into WordPress and managed the theming and coding of the site. I have helped to grow and manage the division to 7 writers, 2 social media experts, and 3 link builders.
Front End Developer [ 2010 ]
Much of my job as the Web Design Manager ended up involving UI development and also required me to learn Ruby on Rails. I worked closely with the developers and spent so much time correcting HTML and CSS and implementing the code into the applications that I didn't have as much time to manage the design team. I continued assisting the design department, but I moved into a more flexible role so I could assist all departments with any frontend needs. I also began creating my own application to alleviate pressure on the development team to push forward with our SEO objectives.
Web Design Manager [ 2009 ]
I was hired on as the web design manager. As web design manager I was in charge of managing and delegating tasks assigned to the design department. I was also in charge of creating a system for speeding up the coding and designing process. I conducted code audits and debugged all code before it was launched. My role as manager also included hands on coding and all the advanced coding and design required for the in house Ruby on Rails applications.
ODIN Development 2007 - 2009
Web Design Manager | Front End/UI Developer
Managed design projects for all clients and internal projects and applications. I managed the setup and the theming of all Drupal installations. Created the UI for different internal applications using .NET and Ruby on Rails. I did all code audits and cross browser debugging before code was implemented into web sites and web applications.
Prosper Learning 2005 - 2007
Internet Mentor
Introduced and educated students to the internet and the opportunities available for those interested in doing business online. Taught organized courses and assigned specific tasks for students to do on a week to week basis. Assisted students in keyword research, site structure, and helped them identify initial business opportunities they may want to get involved in.
Best Buy 2004 - 2005
Home Theater Sales Associate and Inventory Rotater
I was in charge of assisting customers in determining what products would best fit what they were looking for. I was also in charge of restocking our division with new shipments and reorganizing the displays.
WestHost 2004
Technical Support
I operated as a level 1 technician. I resolved client issues with
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 1999 - 2001
Missionary
I put this on here because I learned a lot more than I have at a lot of the jobs that I've had. If you're not sure what a missionary does, let me know.
Buttars Tractor 1994 - 2004
Parts Manager
Parts Clerk
Machinery Assembly
Laborer
[Stuff I Can Do]
What other specific skills do I have?
Job experience descriptions don't always illustrate the skill set of individuals and they types of skills that one person has. I decided to list the different skills and software that I have experience with and work with on a day to day basis.
Software
I have experience using all main stream office software such as Microsoft Office, iWorks, NeoOffice, and OpenOffice. I worked with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Fireworks. I have minimal experience with Flash. If you're looking for a Flash guy, I'm not him. I could learn it, but I prefer using jQuery when possible because it's so much easier to edit.
- Word | Pages | Writer
- Excel | Numbers | Calc
- PowerPoint | KeyNote | Presentation
- Photoshop
- Fireworks
- Illustrator
- Textmate | Espresso
- Windows | Mac OS X | Ubuntu/Linux
Languages/Markup
I am expert level at HTML and CSS. I love using jQuery to add another dimension to websites and interfaces. I work in PHP and MySQL, and have worked with .NET and Ruby on Rails in the past. In understanding the basics of most programming languages I've worked with, I've been able to implement my HTML and CSS into the applications allowing the actual programmers to continue developing. I've worked with GIT and with Subversion in the past for version control and deployment.
- HTML
- CSS
- jQuery
- PHP
- MySQL
- RoR
- .NET
- GIT
- Subversion
CMS | Shopping Carts
For a few years I spent a bunch of time installing and evaluating different Content Management Systems that were available. The ones I stuck with and have the most experience include in order of preference:
- WordPress
- Drupal
- Joomla
- Shopify
- Magento
- ZenCart
- osCommerce
Analytics and Monitoring
I have experience using a bunch of different traffic analytical and monitoring applications such as:
- Google Analytics
- Webmaster Tools
- Woopra
- Clicky
- Clicktale
- CrazyEgg
Servers and Performance
Beyond the analytics of sites I understand how to research keywords and understand supply vs. demand on the web. I know SEO but prefer front end development. In doing so I understand how to optimize a site for the search engine from a code perspective and for performance. I also understand and have set up my own web servers before and managed them. I know how to do cross-browser optimization also so that users have as close to an experience as possible no matter what browser and operating system they are using.
- Ubuntu
- RedHat Enterprise
- Apache
- Phusion Passenger
[Edumacation]
How have I learned what I know?
To do what I do, there have be many different ways that I have been educated. When I was breaking into the industry I had a hard time finding any institution that had an actual curriculum that could help me reach my goals. Much of what I know has come from personal study and trying to solve specific problems.
Utah State University
I attended Utah State University from about 1998 to 2005 off and on as I was helping with the family business, serving an LDS mission, and working full-time. I was in the graphic arts program. At the time there wasn't much of a web program. The web design classes I attended were taught by a teacher that didn't know what she was doing. I taught the class a majority of the time and after that experience I realized if I wanted web experience, I had to get it on my own.
Bridgerland Applied Technology College
I attended the BATC in their computer graphics program and quickly realized I was just reading a book and borrowing their computers so I purchased the books, stopped going to class, and started using my own computer.
Freelance and Personal Study
My first website that I created was for my dad just right before I left on my mission around 1998. I created it in FrontPage and when I got back from my mission I started using Dreamweaver and Fireworks. That was back in the Macromedia days. Much of my time was helping other people do things and getting their sites up on the web.
I gained a lot of experience with a job that gave me a lot of free time while I was on the phone and between calls helping others develop web businesses. I learned SEO and was able to fine tune my HTML and CSS skills along with my newly acquired SEO skills.
[Get a Hold of Me]
So have I peaked your interest?
So you think I have some skills that could help you or your company out huh. If you want to get a hold of me, the best way is to shoot me an email at: brandonbuttars@gmail.com. If you want to talk to me, give me a call at 435.764.4574.