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I'm a Junior Software Developer transitioning from a successful stint in IT Recruitment in which I generated over £700k of income in 5 years placing Front End Developers and UX Designers. I am a graduate of Makers Academy where in the space of just 16 weeks I have gone from having a basic understanding of Ruby to building complex JavaScript applications using OOP and TDD in an Agile environment.
| Title | Description | Time | Tech | Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission-Ctrl | VSCode Training Game to teach developers shortcuts to increase their productivity. As a group, we were new to the MERN stack, there was a steep learning curve so we put a heavy focus on learning new technologies. | 2 weeks | React, Node, Express, MongoDB, Travis CI/CD | Jest, Enzyme |
| React Thermostat | A simple thermostat controller. In this project I was able to learn the basics of React as well as getting to grips with Enzyme | 1.5 days | React | Jest, Enzyme |
| Bank Challenge | A simple bank account that allows the user to make depoists, withdrawals as well as printing a statement (In progress). | 3 days | JavaScript, Node | Jest |
| Acebook | A Facebook clone built using Ruby on Rails with a PostgreSQL database | 2 weeks | Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL, Travis, Heroku, Bcrypt | RSpec, Capybara |
Gathering Requirements
During my time recruiting in the IT industry I reguarly spoke with technical hiring managers about their requirements for a vacancy. As hiring managers are incredibly busy, they rarely had time to speak at length. Therefore, it was crucial that I asked pertinent questions to understand what was a priority in terms of technical skill and cultural fit. During my time at Makers, I have also received praise in formal reviews for conducting thorough information-gathering sessions.
Driven to Learn
I have succeeded in the recruitment industry where the vast majority of people do not last beyond the first 6 months in the job. With sheer persistence and the willingness to learn, I became one of the most consistent billers in the company. Recruitment is a pressurised environment, in which I had to be adaptable and learn new skills quickly.
I am currently training for my third marathon. In my second marathon I improved my previous time by over 12 minutes by optimising my training. I'm on course to hit a sub 3:30hrs time in September by making further improvements.
Calming Presence
During our final project at Makers, a time notorious for being stressful, my teammates praised me for being an equanimitous presence in the group. They mentioned on several occasions that I had read a situation that was getting tense and took steps to calm everyone down. In one instance it was as simple as suggesting the group take a break and when that meeting continued, we were able to be far more productive.
Makers is an intensive software development course.
- Focussed on OO principles while developing in JavaScript, ReactJS and Ruby.
- Makers are TDD Evangelists. I can follow a TDD process using Jasmine, Jest, RSpec and Capybara.
- Gained practical experience using Agile and XP techniques. Worked in sprints to deliver projects as part of a development team.
- Used pair programming methods.
- Completed an emotional intelligence curriculum which taught me to be more understanding and mindful of others. It has also helped me to learn to relish receiving feedback.
- Modules including International Sale of Goods, International Movement of People, Human Rights, Public International Law
- Modules included Geopolitics, Geographies of Money and Development & Globalisation
- 3 A-Levels at A grade: Georgraphy, Law, History; 1 AS-Level at B grade
Senior IT Recruitment Consultant
- Covered areas including but not limited to: JavaScript Developers, UX Designers, Architects, Business Analysts and Project Managers.
- A consistently high biller; I generated in excess of £700k across 5 years.
- Progressed from a resourcing role into a senior position where I was responsible for managing and maintaining relationships on important accounts.
- Played a key role in the internal hiring process, which included evaluating prospective employees for aptitude as well as interpersonal skills. Gained a reputation for using curveball questions effectively in order to provoke interesting topics of conversation that wouldn't normally be discussed in interviews.
Bar Work
Football Watcher
- Watching live football matches gathering in-play statistics.
- I am an active person and have played sports all my life. I have run two marathons and I am looking to complete another later this year in a PB.
- Football in all its forms - watching and playing. I am a Newcastle fan and my european team is Borussia Dortmund.
- Computer Games; Strategy games including Civilisation V and Total War. Unfortunately, I've also played a lot of Football Manager.
- Photography; I bought a DSLR a few years ago and it has definitely enhanced my enjoyment when I travel as I consciously look at where I am.