About Me
I am a Junior Full-Stack Web Developer with a focus on React and Node. I gained an in-depth understanding of JavaScript to enable proficiency in React for frontend and Node for backend development. I self-taught a vast array of other tools and technologies when they have been required. Highlights include: PostgreSQL for storing and retrieving relational data, Docker for easily deploying to cloud providers, Postman for testing APIs created using Node and ExpressJS.
After 8 years in Mechanical Engineering I have decided to finally make the jump into software. I have always been extremely passionate about technology and this career move reflects my desire to be involved in the cutting edge of business, technology and the web.
From May 2018, I left my job as a Mechanical Design Engineer to retrain full time as a web developer. I have used online courses and project-based learning as the main vehicle for improving my skill set. I also frequently attend programming meet-ups such as LeedsJS and CodeUp.
Skills
JavaScript
A programming language made prolific through the use in the browser. It is now seen as the language of the web.
ECMA Script 6
Released in 2015, ES6 brought a major update to the JavaScript language adding many new features.
HTML 5
HTML 5 is the mark-up language for the browser.
CSS 3
Cascading Style Sheets 3, is the latest version of the language used to add visual spice to a website
Sass
Sass is a widely-used extension language for CSS.
NodeJS
Allows the use of JavaScript to write server side code. Built on top of Chrome's JavaScript V8 runtime engine.
Node Package Manager
NPM is both a command line interface and the world's largest software registry with approximately 3 billion downloads per week.
React
React is a view library built by Facebook, released in 2013. It aims to enable complex & dynamic websites to be built using re-usable components.
Redux
Redux is a JS library for state management. It is commonly used in conjunction with React or Angular.
GIT
GIT is the go-to version control software. Allowing teams to collaborate and keep track of changes in complex projects.
Github
Github is the most popular remote repository on the web. This allows the remote use of GIT in a seamless fashion.
Jest
Is a testing library developed by Facebook aimed at enabling efficient testing of the React and React Native applications.
Mocha
Is another popular testing framework for both NodeJS and the browser
Postman
Is a program / chrome extension for testing RESTful APIs. Postman makes it easy to to test, develop and document APIs through HTTP requests.
Webpack
Webpack is a module bundler which simplifies the build process for web applications.
Heroku
Is a popular cloud platform that enables building, delivery, monitoring and scaling of applications.
Firebase
Is a cloud backend as a service platform by Google. It seemlessly intergrates NoSQL database, authentication and server hosting.
MongoDB
Is a popular open-source NoSQL database. It stores data in JSON-like documents.
Portfolio
Engineering Experience
Jesmond Engineering
This was a summer placement as a Structural Analyst with focus in the aerospace industry. The placement involved heavy use of Excel and Visual Basic for stress calculations and modeling. This placement kick-started my interest in programming through developing small batch files to automate tasks.
Applied Drilling Technology International
Immediately after graduating I started work as a Trainee Drilling Engineer. The work environment and shift pattern were challenging. However, this instilled a strong work ethic and the experience gained working in a team were invaluable. Unfortunately ADTI was liquidated during the oil price crash in 2015.
Engie
My job title at Engie was Mechanical Design Engineer on a combined heating and power station. This position required strong problem-solving skills in order to understand how the existing mechanical systems worked for integration of new equipment. Frequent communcation with multiple stake holders was required to keep the project moving forward, this greatly improved my project management and people skills.
Web Development
From May 2018, I have been retraining full-time as a web developer. My main target has been to gain a strong grasp of JavaScript, with a secondary goal of becoming familiar with the current JavaScript ecosystem and popular frameworks.
