I am a maths graduate who has leapt out of a (reasonably) successful career in banking to explore the greener grass to the east of the city. I chose software because I love problem solving and want to create tangible solutions. I have just graduated from Makers where I was learning to learn to code and am excited about what I am going to make today.
Want to know more about how I think? Here is my blog.
Want to get in touch? Here is my email.
Projects | Skills | Education | Experience | Hobbies
| Title | Description | Development Timeframe | Technologies Used | Test Suites/CIs/CDs Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donate, Period | Makers final project. We set out to solve a problem in the charity sector whereby charities currently receive donations of items they already have, rather than ones they need. We designed a website where charities can make a wish-list of items they are short of and donors can view these items and make a donation. | 2 weeks | React, Node.js, Webpack, Babel, Sequelize, PostgreSQL, JustGiving API | Jest, Enzyme, Cypress |
| Gilded Rose | Refactoring problem that teaches the value of creating DRY, readable code with single responsibility. Learn more about my process here. | 2 days | JavaScript | Jasmine |
| Petbook | Group project to make facebook for pets. We followed a 2-day sprint structure, sandwiched with planning sessions and retros. We had a stand up each morning and would take turns in running each of these ceremonies. We maintained a trello board for workflow. You can read about our experience here. | 2 weeks | Ruby, Rails | Capybara, Rspec |
| Airport challenge | This was my first weekend project, read it to see how far I've come. | 2 weeks | Ruby | Rspec |
“You have a unique confidence to try something that you have little to no expertise in” a good friend told me when I was considering a career shift. It's true, I do like to put myself up for potential failure if I think its something worth trying; and then see what I can learn from the experience. My main evidence of this is my choice to leave a successful career in finance in order to try coding. This was not a rash decision, it was carefully calculated. I wanted to work in a role where I was continually learning, I wanted my work to have a tangible output and I wanted to work with people who follow XP values. Despite the logic, this choice was a significantly more challenging option than had I stayed put.
The reason I like to challenge myself is due to my desire to learn and grow from my experiences. I found love with Makers as they absolutely embody the growth mindset, something I had not heard of, but that I hugely adhere to. I would recommend Bruce Mau's unfinished manifesto for growth, this aligns well with much of what I believe and strive towards.
I am willing to challenge the status quo if I believe that there is a better alternative. As an example, in my most recent role at Merrill Lynch I challenged senior management in the way that we processed government debt auctions as I felt that our existing practice could be more compliant. Following a meeting with management, I set about creating and implementing a new process. This was off my own back and not part of my day-to-day job but something that made the business stronger and less likely to be fined by regulators for improper practice (we had been fined over $50bn since 2008).
Working on a trading floor, clear, quick and accurate communication was imperative; a lack of clarity could be very expensive for both the client and the firm. I believe that this will translate well into software development where communication with project managers, the business, UX designers etc is so important. From my team projects at makers I have learnt that speaking up early about an issue can reduce pain down the line.
- 3 month immersive web development course + 1 month offsite pre-course
- Learnt to love:
- Refactoring
- TDD
- DRY, SRP code
- Opened my mind to the importance of mental wellbeing, including daily meditation and bi-weekly yoga
- Empowered my growth mindset
- Data Science
- Part time 3-month course covering data science fundamentals
- Project accurately predicted the 2017 six nations winner
- Mathematics BSc Hons, 2:1
- Enjoyable modules included differential geometry, Game Theory, Probability and Statistics
- A levels: Maths (A), Further Maths (A), Physics (A) and Chemistry (A)
- GCSEs: 10 subjects graded A* - B including Maths and English
Bank of America Merrill Lynch (Jul 11 – Feb 18)
Vice President - Rates Sales
My last year focused mainly on the project management of various electronic trading systems as a regulatory requirement – MiFID II. I was responsible for implementing a procedure that totally revamped the way that we traded billions of dollars of government debt and interest rate derivatives on a daily basis. I worked with legal, compliance, audit and advised several teams of developers on their respective projects.
As a sales person my role included data analysis, investment advice and relationship management.
- Never happier than with a delicious cup of coffee and a copy of the economist or prospect magazine
- Kitesurfing and Sailing (Dinghy instructor and day skipper) – addicted to wind forecast and pressure charts
- Rugby – avid supporter, lack the physique to play
- Dancing – mainly bathroom and kitchen, but also when my coding tests go green
- I also enjoy tennis, golf, skiing, triathlon and any other sport that will justify drinking in the sun