[gdl]

If he's just starting to learn HTML, fancy tricks should be the last thing on his mind. Basics come first, and there are a lot of them. Most HTML jobs are going to assume a minimum of CSS and either JavaScript or graphic design (Photoshop) skills as well - and that's just the lowest entry point. Probably most will want experience in whatever CMS or frameworks are popular this week, and maybe some server scripting (PHP / Rails) as well. The days of random teenagers getting paid big bucks for being able to slap together a bare-bones website ended 10-15 years ago.

That rant aside, if he's still interested in showing off (or maybe getting inspired), I'd suggest looking more generally into web design and maybe toying around with the new HTML5 <canvas> element (requires JavaScript skill). It's a lot easier to impress people - especially non-technical hiring folks - with these sorts of visual things than by actual coding ability that they can't judge.