Call me Tom, unless you're a member of my immediate family.
In my previous life I was an IT Support Analyst and Systems Administrator. My work primarily involved fixing computer problems for people so that they could do their jobs and looking after the IT systems that helped them do their jobs. My time doing contract IT roles has given me experience in a curious cross-section of industries, from non-profit organisations to construction firms.
I transitioned into web development to re-introduce some challenge into my work. I learnt that I'm at my best when coming up with creative solutions to problems. Frankly, there wasn't much of a challenge in un-ticking the Disable cached Exchange mode box or resetting a roaming profile.
I graduated from Makers Academy in August 2017, and have since been working as a front-end developer building web apps in Angular & React. I'm seeking a new opportunity to grow as a developer; I would ideally like the opportunity to do more back-end & infrastructure work alongside my current front-end work.
I'm a strong supporter of non-profits and I'd love to work either for one, or at a business with a strong appetite for social good.
| Project | Description | My Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Engaging Works | A web app to foster & improve workplace happiness | front-end dev & architecture |
| Engaging Business | A web app for businesses to measure their employee happiness and engagement | front-end dev & architecture |
| B&Q | The web front-end for B&Q's e-commerce platform | front-end dev - product pages & checkout |
| Design my Space | A home improvement companion web app | front-end dev - user accounts & "inspiration" section |
| Project Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Web Front-end | The public-facing website for the Untrnet project |
| Messages in a Bottle | An experimental web app which allows a visitor to receive and send a single message for the next visitor |
| Project Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Perceptron | A Ruby implementation of the perceptron machine learning algorithm |
| Percepticon | An API using the Percepticon gem above to rank article headlines |
| Percepticon Frontend | A single page app demonstrating the two components above |
| Project | Description |
|---|---|
| Clickbait Generator API | An API for creating random listicle headlines |
| Chitter | A Twitter clone |
| Ping | A clone of Pong, written in pure JavaScript |
| CYBER RPS | A cyberpunk themed Rock Paper Scissors |
Adaptability is - in my opinion - my key transferrable skill. As a Support Analyst, I was expected by my customers and colleagues to have expertise in a very large range of different technologies. For example, one particularly hectic day I went from writing Excel formulae, to diagnosing printer connectivity issues, to restoring backups, then finally to preparing media for internal use.
I consider my adaptability to be a valuable skill because it allows me to quickly pick up new concepts. I can quickly get up to speed and integrate myself into teams effortlessly.
I have a strong commitment to professional development through self-led learning. I am a firm believer in continuously improving my capabilities through learning, as I believe the best software developers are not those that have a huge repository of technical knowledge to draw upon, but rather those that are capable of identifying what they need to learn in order to make the best contribution possible.
In my time at Kingfisher Digital, I taught myself Angular, SCSS, React and the redux architecture so that I could make meaningful contributions to the work my team was doing quickly (for a junior developer)! I also taught myself about the internal QA process and the tech used to help my team get new features into production rapidly.
I am always willing to learn whatever technologies or methodologies I need to excel at my work, and I pride myself on my commitment to learn.
Years of working in IT support have allowed me to develop a finely-tuned instinct for analysis. I can take vague descriptions of problems or projects and turn them into creative solutions or implementations.
My eye for analysis was of great use to me during my time as an IT Support Analyst at the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, where I identified bottlenecks in the IT department's service delivery and created automated solutions to eliminate them. It has also been very useful in my current role as a front-end developer, where I have been able to fix multiple critical bugs relatively quickly.
- Proficient in Ruby, Javascript, Typescript, HTML5 & CSS3
- Proficient in modern front-end frameworks (Angular & React) and their ecosystems
- Understanding of a large range of technologies, relating to IT support and systems administration
- Proficent in repairing and refurbishing computers
- Expert knowledge of Microsoft Windows operating systems from Windows XP onwards
- Proficent in Debian-based Linux distributions
- Improving my skills as a developer through peer-led learning
- Running workshops on technical topics, such as machine learning, number systems, and how to think like a developer
- Creating multiple technical experiments to test a hypothesis around value creation
- Coaching & mentoring other members of the peer learning group
- Curiosity and hungry passion for code
- Independent learner and problem-solver
- Agile development and XP values
- OOP, TDD, MVC, Object Oriented Design
- Software Craftsmanship
- Ruby, Rails, Javascript
- HTML5, CSS3
- Rspec, Jasmine
- Advanced Apprenticeship for IT & Telecoms Professionals
- 11 GCSEs grades A*-B
- Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate: Windows 7
- CompTIA A+ CE
Engaging Tech (October 2018 to present)
Web Developer
- Liase extensively with non-technical stakeholders (project management, design) to successfully deliver features;
- Lead development work on the company's internal design system;
- Mentor and upskill other developers in front-end development practices;
- Built data-driven web front-ends in Angular 7 & React;
- Codified internal engineering practices, including unit testing, code review and git branching strategies;
- Lead and participated in Agile ceremonies;
- Perform maintenance & triage on all of the company's front-ends, including legacy code;
- Extensively investigated and researched emerging technologies for use in existing & upcoming projects.
The Brightside Trust (March 2018 to May 2018)
Mentor (Voluntary)
- Provided mentoring for a sixth form student in the topic of a career in IT
Kingfisher Digital (October 2017 to October 2018)
Front-end Developer
- Liaised extensively with designers and product owners to deliver features to specification;
- Worked as part of a cross-functional agile team to build and deliver new features;
- Creation of front-end user interfaces using HTML5, CSS3, PostCSS & SCSS;
- Creation of front-end functionality for Kingfisher Digital web applications using Angular & React;
- Performed quality assurance for new features when required;
- Undertaking of business as usual tasks, such as hotfixes and bugfixes;
- Assisted with the business's implementation of GDPR compliance;
- Introduced and standardised best practices surrounding test-driven development and feature re-use;
- Assisted with the creation of the onboarding curriculum for new developers.
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home (September 2016 to April 2017)
IT Support Assistant (Contract)
London Irish Centre (April 2016 to August 2016)
IT Professional (Voluntary)
Voluntary Action Harrow (January 2016 to April 2016)
Admin and Engagement Volunteer (Voluntary)
Hermes IT SP Z.O.O (October 2015 to August 2016)
IT Support Analyst & Systems Administrator (Contract)
Modebest Builders Limited (January 2014 to December 2014)
IT Analyst & Document Controller
FDL Rail Limited (December 2009 to October 2012)
IT & Safety Critical Administrator
PHS Maxitech Limited (June 2009 to August 2009)
IT Hardware Apprentice