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Nicholas Shiell

Hello I'm a London based Web Application developer
Please contact me if your looking for a great web application

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My CV

Nicholas Shiell

London Based Web Application Developer

Key Skills

  • PHP 4.x – 5.4
  • Symfony 1 & 2
  • ZEND 1 & 2
  • jQuery JavaScript
  • Linux
  • Agile
  • MySQL Postgress
  • Mercurial, Git SVN
  • Doctrine 1 & 2
  • HTML5 & CSS Twitter Bootstrap
  • PHPUnit
  • Python

Profile

I started coding HTML and CSS when I was 15 years old. I have watched web development grow from a cottage industry to a major business. I enjoy using new technologies and employing novel techniques and design patterns to my work. I am also passionate about art and enjoy consulting on projects involving creative use of software.

Recent Contracts

Streamworks International Nov 2012 – Feb 2013 [Agile Team]
  • Worked in a team that developed ruptly.tv for selling video feeds
  • Used Twitter Bootstrap with Zend Forms for displaying forms elegantly
  • Mentored other developers on how to write code that fits Zend2’s coding style
  • Used Composer to find other code libraries on GitHub to include in the project
  • Used MySQL Workbench’s diagram tool to build the database and PHP Entities
  • Organised catch-up meetings with other developers
  • Parsed annotations into project documentation with Doxygen
  • Used Selenium2 inside a Virtual Machine for functional testing of ZEND forms
  • Reviewed other developers code commits
  • Discussed which features could be implemented in order to meet deadlines
  • Wrote ZEND forms and entities using class abstraction to limit code duplication
Ipsotek Sept – Oct 2012 [Small Team]
  • Took ownership of an intranet site for monitoring surveillance video camera feeds
  • Used JavaScript with jQuery for building complicated website frontend features
  • Allowed operators to group surveillance cameras, and “snooze” false alerts
  • Wrote code using sysmfony2 and Doctrine 2 with Unit tests for my code
  • Wrote code for creating Postrgress databases - so that the app can install itself
  • Provided consultation on system architecture and new features
Kin Design July – Aug 2012 [Support Role]
  • Supported a web app that displayed 3D videos of visitors at the Olympic park
  • Stayed late in the evenings to make sure the app worked flawlessly
  • Wrote a scheduler to provide XML data to a large LED screen at the Olympic park
Lonres.com Feb – June 2012 [Agile Team]
  • Worked in a scrum team that built a new lonres.com website
  • Pair programmed using Python, SQLAlchamy, Celery and other python packages
  • Wrote a PHP model to persist data through a Python/Django webservice
  • Used jQuery UI and OO JavaScript to build a WYSIWYG template editor
  • Ensured all work done had good test coverage to prevent regressions
  • Reported to the Project Manager on progress of Jira tasks
  • provided consulting on web development best practices to python developers
  • Used elements of “eXtreme Programming”
  • Gave time estimates work and provided retrospective feedback after each “sprint”

Older Contracts

Whitewater Oct – Nov 2011 [Agile Team]
  • Fixed bugs and added new features to a Symfony1.4 based fundraising platform
  • Fixed bugs for “The British Heart Foundation” and “Maggie’s Cancer Centres” sites
  • Wrote jQuery code to load data from a Symfony view using AJAX
N3RD Sept – Oct 2011 [Small Projects]
  • Built micro-site nutsaboutmobiles.com and setup a webserver to host the site
  • Developed a “content unit” for Pierre Vacancies to be shown on partner sites
  • Used Photoshop to crop images and provide consultation to management
Kingston College May – Aug 2011 [Support Role]
  • Redeveloped an enrolment system to run on IIS Webservers with ZEND framework
  • Redeveloped code to generate PDFs and consult on the MVC design Patten
Short Term Contract Roles Oct 2010 – March 2011
  • Built facebook “like-gate” pages and consulted on using “SOAP” for TBG Media
  • Wrote CRON scripts to fetch data and compiled documentation for Ideal Cruising
  • Wrote valid HTML for pages for vCars used car dealer site

Permanent Roles

Hachette Filipacchi Nov 2009 – Sept 2010 [Agile Team]
  • Created new micro-sites using the ezPublish CMS
  • Trained editors in making updates
  • Refractored existing JavaScript code by turning them into jQuery plugins
  • Wrote a taskboard intranet site for my team to manage SCRUM tasks
  • Supported websites:
    • elleuk.com
    • sugarscape.com
    • extras.elleuk.com
    • psychologies.co.uk
    • redmagaziene.co.uk
    • shopgirl.elleuk.com
LOVEFiLM May 2009 – July 2009
  • Used Photoshop to enhance/crop images for use on their German website
  • Ensured all work met WAI, xHTML, CSS standards
Digivate March 2008 – April 2009 [Agile Team]
  • Created e-commerce websites for mail order companies
  • Logged into remote LINUX servers to do backups and deploy bug fixes
  • Used Symfony to build a white label e-commerce website for future clients
  • Supported websites:
    • rnlishop.org.uk
    • startriteshoes.com
    • cannockgates.co.uk
    • debtfreedirect.co.uk
    • ebrookes.co.uk
    • elvi.co.uk
    • jabbrz.com
    • pennyplain.co.uk
    • hss.com
    • growell.co.uk
Earlier Roles Aug 2003 – Dec 2007 [Freelance]
  • Created a WYSIWYG editor for a microsite for the Jewish Lads and Girls Brigade
  • Developed a web-based questionnaire for the Institute of Biology
  • Worked for a small design house designing vinyl signs for cars and shop-fronts
  • Worked for NetecGC providing IT support for companies in London
  • Created a system for storing 86,000 paper records for the Jewish Military Museum
  • Created a bespoke touch-screen museum exhibit for the Jewish Military Museum
  • Acted as the IT go-to-guy for The Association of Jewish Ex-servicemen and Women

Education

Industry & Personal 2002 – 2013 [Training courses & personal work]
  • Had official training on eZ Publish CMS and brief training in Drupal
  • I have a RackSpace server for production of personal work
  • Had training using Linux and I Develop using a Ubuntu (and own a MacBook)
  • Went to a SensioLabs conference for (Makers of Symfony)
  • Met Fabien Potencier (createor of the Symfony project)
Euro RSCG Skybridge March 2002 – April 2002 [Internship]
  • I learnt how websites are developed in a team for business
Epping Forest College Sept 2001 – Aug 2003 [Btec National Diploma in Computing]
  • Studied 16 units (including: -
    • Website Development
    • Network Administration
    • Systems Analysis
    • Low Level Programming
    )
King Solomon High School Aug 2001
  • AS Level:
    • Art
  • GCSEs:
    • Art
    • Science: Double Award (x2)
    • Mathematics
    • Electronics

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