I'm a full-stack junior software developer with experience in Ruby, JavaScript, Node, MVC, SQL, NoSQL, TDD and OOD. I'm able to offer a collegiate teamwork style, great debugging skills and excellent communication from the get go - and you can rely on me to pick up new concepts or processes quickly and independently.
I'm looking to work with innovative and ambitious people, develop my skills and grow as a developer, and work on projects that are useful and engaging. I'm particularly interested in open data, data visualisation and social impact.
You can see all my projects on Github and more work on my portfolio website here.
| Project | Technologies | 😃 | 😕 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer's Dictionary | Node, Express, MongoDB, JavaScript, jQuery, SVG, CSS, Bootstrap, Mocha, Chai, Zombie & Heroku | We learnt all of these new technologies without any learning materials in under two weeks. | It would be interesting to extend the search feature to use fuzzy matching. |
| FixCity | Ruby, Rails, PostgreSQL, Google Maps Javascript API, RSpec, Capybara, Sass & Bootstrap | I had the idea for this project and it was really fun to play with filtering by tag. | It would be great to extend the user model to include admin users. |
| MakersBnB | Ruby, Sinatra, PostgreSQL, RSpec, Capybara & BCrypt | We figured out how to upload images by ourselves without any gems. | It would be nice to figure out implementing date ranges in bookings. |
| Gabrielle Schwarz | HTML, CSS & Boostrap | I built this website before enrolling at Makers and figured it all out for myself. | It would be interesting to add on a content management system. |
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Communication: great at listening, speaking and writing
- Write a blog about my experiences of learning to code and have been featured by Medium as a 'Top Writer' under 'Women in Tech'
- Given the superpower of 'Captain Clarity' by my team at the British Red Cross - as could listen to vague product requests or long dialogues in meetings and discern the pertinent point
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Collaboration: flexible, confident and natural collaborator
- Volunteered as a set designer and technical director at the Cambridge ADC Theatre during university. Collaborated as a team under extreme time-pressure and a tight budget to produce professional-level performances
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Reasoning: quick problem-solver and great lateral thinker
- Achieved a Gold Certificate in UK Intermediate Maths Challenge 2006 qualifying for the National Kangaroo Olympiad and a Silver Certificate in UK Senior Maths Challenge 2009
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Adaptability: comfortable in dynamic and fast-paced environments
- Was required to pivot between different emergency responses every 6 weeks or so in my role at the British Red Cross and get up to speed instantly
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Initiative: natural self-starter with a can-do attitude
- Was the first information management person on the ground during the Europe Refugee Crisis, and had to set up all the information processes on my own from scratch
Makers Academy (January - March 2017)
- 12-week intensive software development bootcamp that focuses on OOD, TDD, XP values and software craftsmanship
- Worked with Ruby, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, Sinatra, RSpec, Jasmine, Capybara, PostgreSQL, jQuery and HTML/CSS
- Demanded independent learning, keen problem-solving and grit
University of Cambridge, King's College (BA (Hons) Geography, First Class | October 2011 - June 2014)
- Dissertation entitled “Technology and Space: Exploring how smartphones mediate urban experiences”
- Collected geospatial data through the Twitter API using software developed at University College London and analysed the data in ArcGIS 10.0
University of the Arts London, Camberwell College of Arts (Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Merit | September 2010 - April 2011)
- Undertook a foundation diploma in art and design before taking up my place at Cambridge
Other
- A-Levels in Maths, Further Maths, Geography and Art (all with A* grade)
- 13 GCSEs including Maths, English Language and English Literature
- Certified in Spanish Intermediate Level 1 (71%) (equivalent to Common European Framework for Languages: B1) from the Cambridge University Language Programme
British Red Cross (GIS Data Analyst | September 2014 - December 2016)
- Provided maps and spatial data analysis for operational decision making in several international emergency response operations; including the West Africa Ebola Outbreak, Nepal Earthquake and Europe Refugee Crisis
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) (Surge Information Management Delegate | October 2015)
- Seconded to the Regional Office in Budapest to provide surge support for the Europe Refugee Operation
- Acted as a focal point for information coming in from each country and coordinated regional data management
Genuinely interested in most things
But in particular...
- Art (love wandering around art galleries and sometimes treat myself to gallery memberships)
- Travelling (very proud of my guidebook collection)
- News (do really care about how we organise ourselves as a society - and like a good debate)
- Meditation (have to admit that there is something to it)
- Rollerblading (did it a lot as a teenager - bit less of a whiz now)
Contact me on twitter at @katmhicks or via LinkedIn