Curriculum Vitae

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Objective

I strive to build on my current knowledge of the web at all times and make sure I'm always up to date with the latest technologies, constantly improving the work I do.

I'm an avid Mac user and I currently maintain my own Linux server for freelance projects including development of my own websites. This runs PHP5, MySQL and Apache.

Skills

I create websites using XHTML, CSS, and Javascript to a hand-coding level ensuring compatibility with all modern browsers across various platforms.

I am experienced with "Web 2.0" technologies including SOAP and XML web services through Javascript, PHP and Actionscript in Flash.

I have a very large experience writing XSL style sheets for generated XML.

Day-to-day usage of the Adobe CS3 suite; namely Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Flash; these are my primary working tools. Additionally I maintain sites using Panic's Coda and Microsoft Visual Studio where this is required. Dreamweaver websites are easy to spot due to their clunky, repetitive code—all of my websites are hand-written.

In-depth knowledge of PHP (preferring object oriented programming using PHP5). Using PHP I have created my own photo gallery software including thumbnail generation, user comments, image resizing and caching features.

Additionally I animate with Flash, have a foundation search engine optimisation knowledge and have working experience of SQL statements (mainly using MySQL server and its client tools).

All my development work is done on a Mac; In addition, I use Parallels desktop to run Windows for tools such as Visual Studio and SQL Server Express Manager.

I currently manage Windows servers over Remote Desktop and Linux servers through both SSH terminal access and Gnome environments.

Excellent working knowledge of the Apache web server and the mod_rewrite module.

Work Experience

Spira Web Design

December 2001 – June 2004, Freelance Website Designer

Freelance website design for small businesses which I set up as an additional source of income to get me through my education.

During Spira Web Design's existence, although ambitious, I hardly had much free time and only had two commercial clients: Blue Reef Photography and The Herbal Consultancy.

Itility Content Management (Select Group)

June 2004 – April 2005, Website Developer

At Itility, my first position was to assist in the development of (at the time) the web-based Itility content management system.

The title of developer was short-lived because I soon had the task of re-skinning the CMS console, designing a new on-line brand for Itility (including a new Flash home page plus interface icons) as well as fulfilling the need for a website design service for Itility's many clients.

The business pushed for Itility to scale-up and manage full-blown custom CRM systems—this meant the job role changed again into a front-end developer—making heavy use of XML, XSL and AJAX for user data that was less driven by design and more by tasks and usability.

Smalltalk (Select Group)

April 2005 – December 2006, Creative Marketing Executive

Itility didn't have the development power to compete with the big-name CRM providers so it was eventually decided that development would be scaled down only to provide services to the Select Group's upcoming property development company 'Dubai Select.'

I moved to Smalltalk, the Select Group's new marketing company, where I was became Creative Marketing Executive. One of my first tasks was to design a series of RAC promotional sugar sachets that are still in distribution around various London motorway services.

One main achievement at Smalltalk was to single-handedly design all adverts for both newspaper and magazine campaigns totaling £1.5 million in advertising expenditure in their first year.

Another achievement was the design of Dubai Select's second website but this time without the Itility CMS powering it. The new site, launched early February 2006, won Dubai Select the award of 'Best Estate Agency Marketing Online' from a panel of 30 independent judges at an awards ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London.

Whilst at Smalltalk I created sites for Dubai Select, Finca Parcs (later Spain Select) and Dubai Fractional Ownership; the latter of which served up a Flash teaser animation awaiting the upcoming launch of the new business.

As Smalltalk grew in size I became team leader to 4 new creative executives.

Select Property I.T. (Select Group)

December 2006 – Present, On-Line Systems Developer

My main achievement at Select Property was a system called 'Stealth Leads.' It was proposed as an attempt to increase the number of leads coming in from the group's websites and became an AJAX key logger which grabbed the user's key presses even if they ultimately didn't press submit.

This feature was used to document the efficiency of the register form and show where users tended to drop off and not register. Each time a user started to register they were assigned a unique registrant ID—this could then be used to observe the registrant’s progress in real-time. If a user left the page then returned up to a week later they would still be presented with their incomplete form data.

My main task before leaving was to design the new Select Property website and start the re-design process for the group's CRM working closely with the ASP.Net developers.

I left this role since I wanted to pursue a wider career in Website Design.

Education

Wilmslow High Sixth Form

2002 – 2004

A-Levels: Business Studies; Information Technology; Mathematics; Physics.
GNVQ: Information Technology.

Wilmslow High School

1997 – 2002

GCSE: English; English Literature; French; Geography; Mathematics;
Science (double award); Social & Religious Education; Health and Fitness (Half);
Information Technology; Graphic Design.

References

Available on request, please contact me