Arts & Communications: Webmaster
Arts & Communications
Webmaster: Casey Cho
By Mike Yoshiura
Most parents raise their children with an ideal life in mind. Casey Cho's parents were no different. They emigrated from Korea to Hawai'i with hopes of building a life of affluence for their son. "By the time I got to high school, I knew my parents wanted me to be an engineer, a lawyer or a doctor," Casey says.
As a Webmaster of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR), Casey says he may not be rich, but money does not always determine a person's happiness. "The pay may not be the best, but if you're stoked about your job, it's not always about how much you're paid," Casey says. "It's about personal satisfaction."
As DLIR's Webmaster, Casey's responsible for the planning, coding, graphic support, video editing, photography and production of the department's site.
A Webmaster can also be referred to as a web architect, developer or administrator. The term "webmaster" is a spin-off of the term "postmaster," which was originally coined for e-mail system administrators. However, Casey didn't always know he wanted to work with online resources. In 1992, he graduated from Maui High School and moved to O'ahu to attend the University of Hawai'i. As a college freshman, he was undecided and searching for direction. He says that something his second grade art teacher said to him stuck with him over the years. "She told me that I mix colors well. I've always had an interest in art and graphic design."
Casey changed his majors many times, from architecture to education. He finally settled on the School of Communications. In 1997, Casey graduated and got his first job out of college at Hawaiian Telcom as a customer service representative.
Realizing that customer service was going to be a short-lived career for him, Casey searched for a gratifying occupation. To gain more work experience, he accepted a non-paid internship at the DLIR in 2003. "It opened so many doors," Casey says. "I learned HTML and the foundations of building a Web site. I also met David Iwamura, a coworker who totally got me hooked on what I'm doing. He was one of those guys who would eat, sleep and breathe this tech stuff. He once told me there's always a solution to every problem, and web design is all about problem solving."
Webmasters are part of a deadline-driven industry, and Casey often multitasks, prioritizing and managing projects to meet deadlines. "The creative challenges are daily, but you can't get frustrated," he says. "You can't be afraid of failure in this job. Just go for it. Give it a try!" It took Casey a while to find his calling in life, but he never gave up looking when he got lost. When the going got tough, he called on the same perseverance and determination that helped him transition from high school to college, and finally into a rewarding career.