Allstate Insurance Company - Web Development Lead
Location: Northbrook, Illinois Dates: April 1999 – July 2004
Skills Utilized for this Role
Web Design
Web Development
Marketing
Email Marketing
Paid Search
Team Management
Content Marketing
Video Production
Photography
Review Marketing
SEO Optimization
UI/UX
Data Management
App Development
Directory Marketing
Web Design
Web Development
Marketing
Email Marketing
UI/UX
Paid Search
App Development
Data Management
Directory Marketing
SEO Optimization
Position Summary
After completing high school, I began my career at Allstate Insurance. At the time, the company aimed to lead the insurance industry by offering online rating and self-service options to customers. The website was designed to connect with local DMV’s to retrieve driving records, credit bureaus, and the home office to determine premium rates.
However, the website’s launch was met with low user adoption. Allstate’s marketing firm lacked experience in promoting a platform like this, so a group of developers, including myself, was retained to market the product we had built. This was before the days of Facebook and the current state of the internet.
In this role, I utilized my expertise in back-end, front-end, and full-stack development to design and create an intranet of websites for Allstate. The websites were powered by a complex database that housed rates, premiums, end-user information, and actuarial calculations. I analyzed end-user needs to improve website content, graphics, performance, and capacity.
I wrote high-quality HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP code and integrated the websites with other computer applications. I transformed written, graphic, audio, and video components into web-compatible formats using multimedia creation software. I worked closely with the Project Manager to ensure that all technical aspects were considered and that the final products were visually appealing, user-friendly, and functional.
In this role, I was responsible for:
- Designing, building, and maintaining websites and software applications.
- Using scripting languages, management tools, content creation tools, applications, and digital media.
- Collaborating with teams to resolve conflicts, prioritize needs, develop content criteria, or choose solutions.
- Updating websites and directing website updates.
- Developing and validating test routines to ensure that test cases mimic external interfaces and address all browser and device types.
- Writing, editing, and designing website content and overseeing content production by team members.
- Staying current with the latest web applications and programming practices through education, study, and professional development.
- Backing up website files for recovery.
- Identifying and resolving problems uncovered through customer feedback and testing.
- Evaluating code to ensure it meets industry standards, is valid, is properly structured, and is compatible with browsers, devices, or operating systems.
- Determining user needs through technical requirements analysis.
- Conceptualizing creative ideas with the leadership team.
- Testing and improving website design.
- Establishing design guidelines, standards, and best practices.
- Maintaining website appearance through content standard enforcement.
- Designing visual imagery for websites in line with company branding.
- Working with various content management systems.
- Communicating design ideas through user flows, process flows, site maps, and wireframes.
- Incorporating functionalities and features into websites.
- Designing sample pages including color and font choices.
- Presenting website structure through design plans.