< About Me />
Personality
- Keen learner
- An aspiration to deliver quality results and service
- Resourceful
- And a persistence as strong as a ship's hull
So Why Coding and Web Development?
I'm an aspiring IT professional addicted to engineering solutions with code!
I graduated from university in 2011 from a regional town in New South Wales, Australia, with a
Bachelor of Information Technology degree, where I attained close to a distinction grade average. During these studies, I
learnt the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, Visual Basic .NET, and C++. Upon reflection, I thought,
"cool! Things I code, using foreign computer syntax, actually worked, displayed, and could potentially be of value to a user!".
After taking a gap year from graduation to explore parts of the world, I was fortunate to land a full-time IT job as a Graduate Information
Technologist. Here, I transitioned between working with multiple different teams of varying responsibilities within the IT discipline. I became a
"jack-of-all-trades" IT professional, so to speak, including software development. C# and .NET were the primary tech-stack I adopted and learnt
throughout, developing applications and even a game application as a hobby in my free time.
That dopamine lift I get when something I engineered is functioning, and bug-free is addicting! Such satisfaction is especially true when I know
the code base is well-designed, Robust, reusable, maintainable and meets the client's requirements.
Unfortunately, and resentfully, personal health issues became paramount. So after I exited my full-time IT job, I became directionless in my career
aspirations because my skills and knowledge in coding, and especially full-stack web development, were not up to scratch. Furthermore, my health
issues compounded my ability to upskill in coding to industry requirements. Eventually, I tried other non-IT-related careers with enthusiasm, but I
couldn't shake off my curiosity and sentiment for coding.
"Coder Academy", an accredited coding bootcamp to become a full-stack web developer, was my saving grace. The course
curriculum is practical/hands-on and industry-focused, and I feel that I can comfortably attest that it's important to have skills and knowledge in
the latest and most powerful, contemporary tech that can provide value.
I have successfully graduated from Coder Academy, and I can't wait to see where all my efforts take me moving forward!
Timeline
-
2024 - Current
Qualified, industry-ready junior full-stack web developer, ambitiously seeking my next junior full-stack web development opportunity.
- MERN
- Flutter
- Rails
- C#/.NET
- Open and keen to learn any stack! Including AI integrations.
- Open and keen to learn DevOps/Cloud deployment.
-
2023
A qualified, industry-ready junior full-stack web developer, currently a part-time junior web developer at AML Cloud.
I attained valuable ChatGPT/AI programmatic implementation exposure, in addition to upskilling in the Flutter web stack through agile task completion for a real-world production environment. I am also concurrently seeking full-time employment opportunities to thrive in the industry, to continually grow, and to drive successful outcomes for businesses, teams, and clients! -
2022
A student full-stack web developer at Coder Academy, an accredited coding bootcamp. Students here learn the latest and most influential technologies in the industry. Coder Academy presents an invaluable opportunity to upskill to be ready for all challenges in the modern web development industry!
-
2021
As a Retail In-store Team Member, I provided friendly and efficient customer service as a Coles supermarket team member, where I could thrive in delivering and developing my team and public interpersonal interaction skills in a fast-paced environment.
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2020
A student disability support worker. In an arguably increasingly competitive IT job market, it was in good interest to cross-skill into a carer role in a growing industry. A role in this industry would complement my personality well. This study increased my soft skills, which are practical skills to possess in the IT industry.
-
2018
An attempt as a student full-stack web developer at Coder Academy, an accredited coding bootcamp. Unfortunately, due to health reasons, I had to resign from the course before graduation, but my determination brought me to try again with a strong work ethic in 2022.
-
2012 - 2017
A Graduate IT Professional at Powerlink Queensland, Queensland's government-owned energy transmission network provider. Over the 5-year graduate program, I attained a broad yet competent understanding and skills of multiple Information Technology disciplines.
-
2011
Graduated with a Bachelor of Information Technology degree at Southern Cross University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies
-
I can't stress enough how much I love SCUBA diving! I first trained for and got my entry-level qualification to dive
in the open water on a beautiful island and waters off of Thailand, where I also met some wonderful people and made new friends.
After arriving back in Australia, I frequently dived, as long as I could afford to do so, off of NSW and QLD coastlines, including regularly attending a meetup group of like-minded divers. I furthered my training and qualifications to become a current "Rescue" diver, one step away from becoming a trainee "Divemaster" - the first step into becoming a professional diver. Today, I've done well over 100 dives!
I've dived with sea and weather conditions and a wide variety of marine life. From the calm, warm, shallow waters of Thailand with schools of tropical fish to diving in cold winter waters in Australia in ripping currents, strong swell, and countless menacing looking (but honestly very calm, docile) sharks.
SCUBA diving is very meditative and thus relaxing to me underwater. You hear nothing but the sounds of your breathing and the need to focus on your breathing patterns to control your air consumption rate and buoyancy underwater, to me is meditative on its own, even when surrounded by Gray Nurse sharks! - When the typical Queensland heat isn't oppressive, I love going bushwalking and hiking, especially up mountains. Being in nature feels very grounding; it brings us back to our human roots. When hiking, it's just you and your hiking group, the natural elements, and the endorphin lift from the sometimes strenuous exercise and fun of occasionally scrambling up boulders. Of course, the always fantastic views at the summit of a mountain are a bonus!
(Couple of my photos below)
Where Do I See Myself:
> In one year:
- Being positioned in stable employment in the IT industry as a junior web developer or software developer. I hope to conduct work and activities to successfully leverage my existing skills and knowledge to add quantifiable value to the organisation and benefit our stakeholders.
- Actively utilising all available educational and peer resources to continue learning and upskilling in an ever-evolving tech environment and changing client expectations.
- Building positive rapport and peer and client networking to solidify trust and gain endorsement to help my career growth.
> In five years and onwards:
(In addition to all of the above)
- Realised a strong passion and ambition in a specific coding/developer-related role and continuing working to become and position myself as an expert in that role.
- Able to mentor and train others, both internal to the organisation and those in the broader community.
- Enjoying a healthy work/life balance.