CV.README

By Joe Nelson, updated 04 Jan 2021

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# Software Engineer
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2:1 Honors in Computer Science at the University of Sheffield, graduated Summer 2012

Software Engineer at OnApp (www.onapp.com) September 2012 to December 2017
Working on a TDD tested Rails web application with a synchronous MySQL cluster, sidekiq workers, lots of APIs and fairly big data. Day to day I add and modify features, fix bugs, improve performance, do Linux system administration.

Full stack developer at bluespot (www.bluespot.io) January 2018 to December 2019.
Agency worked for several clients, creating Heroku Rails apps, with Postgresql and React/erb frontends. Talked with clients directly using domain driven design to elicit requirements, weekly agile sprints. Some pairing, all TDD.

Developer at KoruKids (www.korukids.co.uk) January 2020 to November 2020.
Heroku, Rails, React. Worked in mixed squad of developers, designer and domain expert.
Refactored some of the technical debt to mitigate complexity and meet new requirements and worked on new features. Successive covid19 lockdowns led to shedding of contractors, then new hires.

Skill breakdown key
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01%: I think I heard of that
20%: Basic grasp, heavily relying on manuals and Stack Overflow
40%: Passable, inelegant.
60%: Confident, fluent enough in use to be productive, use own notes
80%: Expert, it is as if I wrote the manual
100%: I did write the manual. I know ALL the gotchas

Skills, preceeded by percentage understanding. Always increasing, or would be were it not that the more I learn the more I realise what I don't know.
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[80] Soft skills - Eliciting requirements, teamwork
[70] Refactoring - Change codebase to better reflect domain
[70] Ruby - Pure ruby
[70] SQL - MySQL and PostgreSQL
[70] HTML/ERB/HAML - Structuring a page
[70] GIT - Source management, rebasing to keep commit history tidy
[60] Rails (Ruby on) - Web application framework
[60] Rspec - Unit tests to test functionality
[60] SCSS/CSS - Web page styling
[60] Linux system administration - ssh, remote pairing with tmux, kill zombies, scp, :q Vim
[50] Javascript, React, Redux - Front end web
[40] Languages I used to know - Java, Python, Visual Basic 6, Matlab, Haskell
[30] Elixir and Phoenix - Learning in free time in case ruby dies

Full stack, slightly more comfortable with back end.


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# Slight Engineer
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I'm good with my hands and like to make things, I've designed and built a few things to a passable standard, and am exceptionally good at improvising solutions to physical problems with scant, assorted resources.
Foraying into textiles, I made my own laptop bag as everything available on the market (in my price range) was poorly designed and shoddily assembled.
Have some handyman skills.
Assembled overclocked tower PC, a rite of passage to developer geekdom.


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# Leader (Managers are soo last season)
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UOTC
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Whilst at University I was in the Sheffield University Officer Training Corps, where I gained leadership skills and learned the importance of arriving on time.
Doing MLDP2 meant I automatically qualified for the CMI (Chartered Management Institute) management level 2 qualification, and they send me junk mail about being a manager now.
During my time there I became a physical training instructor, planning and running 'circuits' fitness sessions, and everything up to but not including obstacles courses (renamed because 'assault course' sounds too aggressive).
I also learned how to fall asleep anywhere, a coveted skill usually shown-off by the elderly.
Helped to run cadet camps (younglings) doing some stands (day activities).

This was very time demanding, but it looks good on your CV to have extra curricular activities everyone told me, so I reluctantly left my cherished computer-hovel and went on adventures.

Duke of Edinburgh award
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Prior to university, I partook in Bronze walking, Silver cycling and Gold canoeing DOE award.
This involved volunteering, teamwork and learning new skills.


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# Hobbies
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Hiking in forests - Epping Forest, also meetup.com.
Social dancing - 'Forro' (its like Salsa).
Board games - on meetup.com.
DIY - renovated attic.
Cycling - commute.
Swimming - Formerly in Carlisle Amateur Swimming Club, I wasn't very fast.
Reading - mostly translated amateur work from Shōsetsuka ni Narō.
VR headset - beatsaber is good exercise, and clears cobwebs from a specific part of the room.


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# Quote so I sound clever
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"Brevity is the soul of wit" - William Shatner, as Firefly's Captain 'Malcolm Reynolds' in Star Wars.