Crafting stone to Crafting Code, a Stonemason turned Software Developer.
As of graduating the 12-week intensive Makers course, I feel, I have grown as a person and as a developer. I feel more confident in my skills as a Junior full stack Developer and ready to expand and grow my knowledge. I enjoyed learning was creating tests, to surpass effective and clean code. Among improving my skills, I learned a lot of coding principles.
I'm currently looking for a career in Software Development in London or Essex areas, where I can show off my skills and learn from other Developers in real-life situations and scenarios.
| Project Name | Description | Technolgies Used | Time frame |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Portfolio | This is a single-page web app built using React. My drive to create this was to allowed further my learning of using React. Along with a chance to showcase off some of my work from Github. The site is currently being deployed on Netlify, which can be viewed on this clickable link here | React, Javascript, HTML & CSS, Firebase | Ongoing as it will need to keep it updated with projects and experience |
| Achknowledge | Acknowledge is an app to save your achievements over your day. A lot of achievements that we make day to day are usually lost in the noise of our busy lives; sometimes small, sometimes intangible but Acknowledge seeks to change that. With Acknowledge you can record your day to day achievements and place where they fit into your lives. | Expo,React,Redux,Firebase | Ongoing project I joined first week of March |
| Bank tec test | First attepted this during my week 10 course in Ruby, having not been able to solve it. I decided to attempt this using Javascript and Jasmine to help grow my process, in terms of Test Driven Development and Object Orientated programming. This test allowed the user to create a bank account, make deposits and withdraw funds and print a bank statement. | Javascript, Jasmine | 2 Days |
| mnemonic | A single-page web app game, based on the classic memory / matching cards game. | Build using: JavaScript & React.js Testing: Jest & Enzyme Deployed with: Heroku,Travis CL & coveralls |
10 days |
| aceBook-PingPong | A recreation of Facebook ,some features include adding photos and having a profile. Create posts update, edit and delete posts. | Front-end : Html & Css using Bootstrap Back-end Ruby, Ruby on rails, PostgreSQL Testing: Rspec , SimpleCov Code Climate, Travis Cl |
10 days |
| Key Store value | The Key store value was a project given to me by a mentor, and also my first project created using Golang. It shows how to store arbitrary data behind an http interface. | Built using : Golang Testing: (Currently being worked on using Golang) |
Working progress |
| Thermostat | This was our first JavaScript project at Makers. It was to create the logic for a thermostat in Js being able to interact with it increasing and decreasing the temperature. This included having a min and max temperature as well as power-saving modes which would also restrict temperatures. Along with this, there is a Weather app Api which by default gets the current temperature in London, this can be changed by using the search box to enter in another location to get the temperature of that location. | JavaScript, Jasmine, Open Weather app Api | 3 days |
| Gilded Rose tech test | The gilded-rose kata is designed to practice rescuing legacy code safely by writing a robust characterisation test, refactoring the code into well-designed units, and then backfilling those units with more focused tests. Along the ability to implement new features. | Javascript, Jest | 5 days |
Quick Learner - This skill grow when I started work as a Stonemason the learning curve was steep a couple of examples of are, the process of start to finish on how to prep the stone so it's ready to be fixed, the process of fixing different stones in different cemeteries. Knowing the different cemetery's rules and regulations. What size foundations are allowed in what cemeteries for example. How to read customers in the cemeteries, in terms of mood. This skill was finely tuned at Makers. Having to learn new languages and test works over the course. This helped for when it was final project weeks as we were able to complete a fully working game using React as well as test it having never used React and as for the testing using Jest and Enzyme.
Attention to detail- I have always had this quality before I started my old place of work, this grew even more. I would always be giving Memorials quality control checks before and after fixing them in the cemetery's to make sure it was perfect for the customer, as well as testing previously fixed memorials to see if they were safely fixed. This helped during my time at Makers especially when we first started learning about creating tests, this gave me a keen eye for spotting out syntax errors as well as help me 'Tighten the loop' when it comes to fixing errors. This also helped when it came to the visual side of the course, how projects looked on a page if something wasn't center or didn't line up on the page with other features. Also in terms of colour contrasts, having clear text, what's easier to read and what looks better on different backgrounds. Having this skill helped me create a better user interface.
Team player/Communication - Having worked at a big company it's important to be able to speak and communicate effectively. This could be actively listening to the members about their suggestions on the tasks ahead. Also, the ability to work with different members each day helped me learn more, as I picked up more skills from each member and share on that knowledge with others. So when it was Makers group projects weeks. I already had these skills which helped for each of the projects and allowed me to improve these even more. Working in different teams gave me the benefit of being able to ability to communicate effectively with different types of people in the workforce and at Makers. I learned so much from pair programming with someone new for each day of the course, an example of this is how other people learned differently. The importance of checking in on people's moods. Along with how others work such as taking breaks.
Working under pressure - This skill developed from my previous job, in terms of being about to get the product done in a short time frame especially if deliveries were late, or around the busy times which are, 1 year anniversaries or public holidays like Mother's or Father's day and even religious holidays like Christmas or Rosh Hashanah. Also the ability in terms of working under pressure, some customers would be graveside and watch you fix their stone they had brought, this added to the pressure. One wrong lift could chip the stone and it would have to be sent back to be repaired, which would have been a day wasted, along with all the time spent prepping it. The cost of some of these stones was in the ten thousand cost brackets, which also added to the pressure. Another example of this was the final project weeks we had one day less, due to easter holidays which put pressure on before we started, but because of our excellent planning and effective communication were able to come up with a polished finished project.
Independent learning
problem-solving
OOP, TDD, MVC, DDD
Agile/XP, pair programming,
Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, React
RSpec, Jasmine, Jest, Enzyme
Btec Communication & Employability Skills for IT (Merit)
This included a module about Cisco Exploration Network Fundamentals
ICT Double Applied A2 Practitioners ( CD )
Acknowledge - (March2021 - Ongoing)
- Adapted quickly to the tech stack to complete many tickets in the first month of working on the project. Link to view the project is in my pinned repos/in my project section.
UniRoomy - (March2021 - Ongoing)
- Recently joined, currently building small projects to help learn the code base used at UniRoomy. One of these projects is under the repostory name of LondonPostsCode. Group project to be starting early May.
A Elfes Ltd (July, 2013 - June, 2018)
This was my first full-time job which was for a Stonemasonry company. I learned a lot of adaptable skills from this trade mention above in my skills.
Mk Memorials (November, 2011 - December, 2019)
This was my first ever job, which I only used to work Saturdays, while studying at college. I then went full time hereafter leaving A Elfes ltd.
Weightlifting
One of my main passions which I have learned so much from here are some that spring to mind.
- Goalsetting - This could be simpling losing weight to look good for the summer or improving strength on a lift. In doing so creating a meal plan and a training plan to achieve this.
- Discipline - 'Eating clean' sticking to set amount of calories per day to help your body function in terms of how you want it to, an example of this is eating fewer calories to lose weight. Another example is getting up earlier before work in the mornings to go to the gym, and pushing yourself on the days your not feeling it.
- Patience - Sticking with the training plans and diets for weeks to see if there is a change, not getting frustrated after a couple of weeks due to not seeing any changes, but instead alter plan slightly then repeat the process until change does occur.
Football
Having played in many a 5 and 7 a side teams. Being a team player and having good communication key, when it comes to team sports. Also, I feel I developer leadership skills when the team isn't playing well or you need to grind out the last 5 minutes, you need that in a team someone to carry the group around you and step up.
Tennis
Which I got a Jack Petchey award for, the money I received for this I decided to put it towards getting clothing with our club's name on the back for match days and practices.