I'm a Junior Full Stack Developer, looking to help improve your organisation! My first coding experience came while working as a Pricing Analyst for an ethical energy company, and since then I've sought out opportunities to develop my skills further. I picked out the intense Makers Academy software development bootcamp, where I've dedicated the last few months to learning new skills and the best ways to code. Now that I've graduated, I'm excited to put what I've learnt to the test in the world of work, and keep building on it!
From my early days of VBA and SQL, through to building mobile apps using React Native, I've always enjoyed the challenge of picking up new technologies. I've worked extensively with SQL, Ruby and JavaScript, including Rails, React Native and Node.js, as well as HTML, CSS and numerous testing frameworks. I'm focused on coding and working the right way, which in my eyes means OOP, comprehensive testing, version control with git & GitHub, collaborative working and supporting your peers.
| Name | Description | Tech/tools | Focus & Learning |
|---|---|---|---|
| don8 | A mobile app to connect charities with people who can help them. Post adverts with what your charity needs, and volunteers can see what you need, and where! | MongoDB, Express, React Native, Node.js | Building cross-platform, non-relational databases, prioritisation |
| Spacebook | A space-themed 'clone' of Facebook. Sign up and scroll through the ether to see what your fellow explorers are saying. In Spacebook, everyone can hear you scream | Ruby on Rails, JS, CSS, CI/CD using Travis, Postgres | Launching for production, strong agile methodology with two-day sprints |
| Calculator | A simple calculator to take sums as strings with a particular format and calculate the result, developed as part of a review of my process | JavaScript, Jasmine | Focus on TDD and building a future-proof tool |
I love learning new things - whether it be practical skills, information or random trivia. As soon as I learn something I want to put it into practice or share the information with someone.
At Makers, I immersed myself in learning, picking up numerous technologies and approaches from scratch, constantly testing my learning with projects, and making sure I kept a learning log of all the most important things I worked on.
When encountering a problem - from small error messages to more complex interactions - I always try to approach it as logically as possible, to work out how to solve it before diving into it. By thinking about why something is or isn't working, I'm able to narrow down a larger problem to a much more specific one. This was noted in one of the external reviews I did while a Makers student, where the reviewer said:
You did a really good job with being able to read the important information in the backtrace and were able to identify where errors were occurring and what kind of error it was, this meant that for the most part you could interpret what the problem was by using that information and you did not try random changes to the code in order to fix the bugs.
I've always had a keen eye for detail, and can often pick out a missing bracket, accidental capital or slightly misspelt function. This precision was important during my Maths degree in order to make sure proofs were logically consistent. Similarly, when I was working at Bristol Energy, I owned our cost stack, and introduced multiple checks and balances to ensure we were as accurate and up to date as possible.
I enjoy finding ways to work with different people and I have plenty of experience of coding with others. Through multiple self-led group projects and daily pair coding on the Makers Academy course, I developed the way I work with different people and tailored my approach to their preferences. When I was at Bristol Energy, I led a significant project to create new products with varying levels of 'greenness', collaborating with the Sales, Forecasting, Trading and Regulation teams, amongst others.
Makers Academy (January - March 2021)
Software Development Bootcamp
- JavaScript & Ruby, including React Native, Node.js, jQuery and Rails
- Self-led, language-agnostic learning
- Collaborative working through multiple group & pair projects to produce clean, reusable code
- Relational (PostgreSQL) and non-relational (MongoDB) databases
- TDD using several testing frameworks - Jasmine, Jest, RSpec, Sinatra, Capybara
- OOP, RESTful routing, agile working and other best practices
- Emotional Intelligence, including communication, feedback, self-awareness and empathy
Bristol Energy (March 2017 - October 2020)
Pricing Analyst/Senior Pricing Analyst
- Extensive database work in SQL Server
- Continuous development of an existing Pricing Model using Excel and VBA
- Integrating user front end with SQL Server database
- Reporting and presenting commercial data to Senior Leadership Team
- Prioritising workflow & managing colleague expectations for new and improved products
- Accurate and timely updating of costs and regulatory factors
Bristol Zoo (July 2016 - March 2017)
Catering Assistant/Team Leader
- Coordinating efficient team efforts to provide best possible service and allow for quick turn around
- Liaising with customers to ensure events were set up as they intended
Bristol University (September 2013 - June 2016)
BSc First Class Honours in Maths
- Breaking down complex problems into smaller ones, particularly in the Pure Maths units I focused on
- Attention to detail to ensure logically consistent proofs
A-Levels (September 2011 - June 2013)
- Maths (A*), Further Maths (A*), Chemistry (A*), German (A)
Triathlon
I'm currently in training for my first sprint triathlon so you may see me plodding the streets of Bristol or cycling the surrounding area on a bike twice my age.
Boardgames
I'm a big fan of boardgames as well and have a reasonable collection of modern classics - Azul is the one I recommend most often.