Nicholas Taylor
- Age: 20 years
Competitor in Skill: Web Design
Country: United States of America
How did you get interested in your skill?
Computers have always been a huge part of my life. My sophomore year of high school I saw an elective call Web Design and Development. I was considering career paths at the time and realized that I could work for any industry in this modern era with a web development trait.
Where did you do your training for your skill?
I am fortunate enough to be working in my preferred career field. I practice web development five days a week at my job. I am also attending Arizona State University for software engineering. Between the two, I find myself programming seven days a week!
How did you first find out about your Member organization and its programs?
My high school web design instructor encouraged all his students an opportunity to join SkillsUSA.
Who influenced you to pursue your skill as a career?
Steven Paluch has held the most influence for me to pursue web design as a career. Paluch was my web design instructor in high school. He knew how to engage and inspirer his students, pushing them to new boundaries.
What is your experience in participating with your Member organization?
I have one year experience in SkillsUSA. I competed at the regionals, state, and national level my senior year of high school. At the state competition I also earned the gold medal in Job Skill Demonstration leadership competition, in addition to earning gold for web design.
Describe your most memorable moment so far with WorldSkills?
My most memorable moment would have to be when I got the phone call, informing me that I was selected for the competition.
Describe what your experience has been since your involvement with WorldSkills
WorldSkills have definitely pushed my skills to new heights. I’ve added features to websites that I didn’t realize were possible before. My code has gotten more efficient, and easier to follow as a developer. I’ve seen a sufficient change in my websites.
Did participating in the skills competitions and training for WorldSkills help you progress in your skill? Please describe.
Joining SkillsUSA will definitely progress one in any skill. The preparation period will have you learning at an exponential rate. I was learning new things about web development every day during my preparation period.
What do you currently do? Where do you work?
Currently I am working for Rio Salado College as a web technician. I perform updates to our website and online class system.
What are your future career aspirations?
My ideal place of employment work be a successful web development firm. I want to work at a company that depends on the web developers to stay in business.