Professional experience

Drupal website development

My first non-internal project that is open to the public: ORCA Caries Research. It is a Drupal website from the ORCA, an international caries research organisation, where dentists and scientists alike find a place to post research papers and discuss ideas.
  • Period: Started May 2020
  • Role: Full-stack developer
  • Business requirements:
    • Gather input from the client and offer solutions
    • Improve e-mail list logic
    • Analyze weak points and offer improvements
    • Enable members to have vivid, scientific discussions
    • Seamless user experience for the users
    • Bug fixes
    • Improvement of former implementations
    • Estimation of CRs budget and implementation time
    • Implementation of CRs
    • Testing
  • Industry: Health, Dentistry
  • Description of my work scope and opinion: I work on this project together with my wife. Since she is a better designer than me, I let her do the design decisions and I delegate the design tasks to her. I take care of the logic and the more technical tasks. Furthermore I make estimations on suggested changes and I analyze the app thoroughly to ensure security and a seamless functionality.
  • Technologies used:
    • HTML5
    • CSS3
    • JavaScript (ES6)
    • Drupal
    • PHP
    • Symfony
    • SQL
    • Git
    • SSH

Front-end maintenance of all internal apps

Front-end maintenance of all internal apps from a big recruitment company in Germany. The maintenance tasks comprise everything from simple bug fixes to complex CRs, including program analysis, user research and documentation.
  • Period: Started February 2019
  • Role: Front-end developer
  • Business requirements:
    • Seamless user experience for the users
    • Bug fixes
    • Improvement of former implementations
    • Estimation of CRs budget and implementation time
    • Implementation of CRs
    • Testing
    • Documenting added functionalities, both in a technical way and for the users
  • Industry: Human Resources
  • Description of my work scope and opinion: I work on this project also together with my wife. Since she is a better designer than me, I let her do the design decisions and I delegate the design tasks to her. I am more of both a project coordinator and a developer who designs and implements the logical functionality or also analyzes some features that are not working or not functioning the way they should.
  • Technologies used:
    • HTML5
    • CSS3
    • JavaScript (ES6)
    • JavaScript frameworks
    • Cordova
    • Node.js
    • Prototyping and UI/UX Design with Figma
    • XML
    • OData (CRUD model for requests)
    • Webpack
    • Babel
    • Linting and testing tools
    • Debugging tools
    • Deployment tools and task runners like Grunt

Out-of-stock items' app

Development of an internal application that displays, sorts, filters and analyzes out-of-stock articles, grouping them by parameters given by the user, such as manager, point-of-sale or article number. implemented in POS all around the globe.
  • Period: Started February 2019
  • Role: Primarily front-end developer
  • Business requirements:
    • Login function
    • User-specific UI
    • Fully customized selection and grouping profiles
    • Integration with other existing apps
    • Responsive
    • Compliant with old systems
    • Access check in front-end
    • Compliant with UI/UX guidelines
    • Compliant with accessibility guidelines
    • i18n capabilities
  • Industry: Retail
  • Description of my work scope and opinion:I am one of the two developers working on this project. I am mainly responsible for the front-end and the connection to the backend through OData services making use of APIs, but my tasks also comprise writing an extensive technical documentation and complying with the development standards of the client, as well as participating actively on defining requirements during the planning stage. The main challenge is that the project turned from an extension of an existing app to a development of a "cockpit" where the items' app had to be integrated within this cockpit alongside other apps that had to be slightly edited in order to work with the new login system. A tight deadline and a challenging project, but doable with the right mindset and focus. I learned though that I don't want rushed projects. Quality over Quantity.
  • Technologies used:
    • HTML5
    • CSS3
    • JavaScript (ES6)
    • JavaScript frameworks
    • Prototyping and UI/UX Design with Axure RP
    • XML
    • OData (CRUD model for requests)
    • Webpack
    • Babel
    • Linting and testing tools
    • Debugging tools
    • Deployment tools and task runners like Grunt

Migration of on-premise systems to the Cloud

Development and reconfiguration of process integration interfaces necessary for migrating systems of the client to the Azure Cloud. This project involves not only technical knowledge but also a lot of coordination to ensure a smoothless transition for the users and the power plants.
  • Period: June 2019 - May 2020
  • Role: DevOps engineer
  • Business requirements:
    • Interfaces must work seamlessly after migration
    • Interfaces must be tested thoroughly before transportation into the production layer to avoid conflicts
    • Constant communication with the client (JourFixes) is necessary in order to ensure good cooperation
    • System support of the on-premise and cloud systems
    • Work on resolution of incidents
    • Ensure correct functioning of all systems
    • If necessary, perform small CRs in an agile manner and develop small programs to improve workflow
  • Industry: Energy
  • Description of my work scope and opinion:My task is first and foremost to develop and test interfaces that must be migrated from on-premise systems to the cloud. Moreover, I offer support for the systems and take care of the 3rd level incidents that are assigned to my team. I would say the client is very well organized and easy-going. Even though you have to be available for as long as possible, the fact that the client allows our team to work remotely makes the work more flexible.
  • Technologies used:
    • SAP PI/PO
    • SAP BPM
    • Java and JDBC
    • SQL
    • XML
    • XSD, CSV and other data formats
    • Unix/Linux
    • Kornshell
    • Powershell scripts

DevOps support

Development and configuration of interfaces that allow cross-system integration. Documentation of the executed work and leading of a small team.
  • Period: March 2019 - June 2019
  • Role: DevOps engineer
  • Business requirements:
    • All Interfaces must be tested thoroughly before moving into the production layer to avoid conflicts and problems
    • Development of interface objects that map data between systems
    • System support of a stack of on-premise systems
    • Work on resolution of incidents
    • Team leadership in form of mentorship (my preferred approach to leading)
    • Selective delegation of some tasks to members of the team
  • Industry: Retail
  • Description of my work scope and opinion:In this project I am in charge of a small team. I decided to lead the team through a mentorship approach, letting them work independently, overseeing their work and motivating them whenever they make a mistake. I discovered that I love leading a team in this way and I would like to do it again.
  • Technologies used:
    • SAP PI/PO
    • Java and JDBC
    • SQL
    • XML
    • XSD, CSV and other data formats
    • Unix/Linux

POS Performance Dashboard app

Development of an internal application that displays a POS (point-of-sale)'s performance compared to other POS in form of a dashboard where users must log in. The users can then select the comparison based on the previous week, month or year and can choose to check their own performance on a specific date in the past.
  • Period: December 2018 - April 2019
  • Role: Front-end developer
  • Business requirements:
    • Login function with three different roles
    • User-specific UI
    • Selection of performance based on a specific date
    • Lean design where the performance is highlighted and gives the user a clear feedback with a green/red symbol, respectively
    • The dashboard must be responsive
    • The dashboard must be printable and fit on a DIN-A4 page (this was tough, but fun)
    • Works with legacy systems and browsers
    • Compliant with company UI/UX guidelines
    • Compliant with accessibility guidelines
    • i18n capabilities
  • Industry: Retail
  • Description of my work scope and opinion:It was the first time for me as the sole front-end developer in a project and I was in charge of all the front-end development and partly work on the connections with the backend. This has helped me become very experienced and autonomous when developing, even though it can be stressful at the beginning. I learned one must overcome their fears and one can only learn when challenged without help (except for Stack Overflow). The biggest challenge was the use of a very old version of the used JavaScript framework that had very little documentation and no developer support, but was desired by the client. At the end of the project, the client congratulated our team on a fantastic job, and I felt a lot more confident on my abilities after this project. For me, this project was a milestone, but I decided I didn't want to stop here and that I would reach higher, learn more and improve myself every single day.
  • Technologies used:
    • HTML5
    • CSS3
    • JavaScript (ES6)
    • JavaScript frameworks (React and SAPUI5)
    • OData (CRUD model for requests) with query performance optimization
    • Webpack
    • Babel
    • Linting and testing tools
    • Debugging tools
    • Deployment tools and task runners like Grunt

Modification of internal program in the back-end

Modification of internal program in the back-end with the help and mentorship of a senior backend developer. The goal of the modification was to allow whole trains to bring steel instead of individual waggons.
  • Period: November 2018 - March 2019
  • Role: Back-end developer
  • Business requirements:
    • Whole trains must be allowed to bring steel
    • The program that handles individual waggons must be modified
    • Selection of performance based on a specific date
    • High detail and analytical abilities must be applied constantly to avoid the slightest mistake
    • The program must seamlessly integrate with the other programs and creates no conflict in the production environment
    • The program must use object-oriented programming concepts
    • The program must handle data in the IDoc format and in the EDIFACT standard
    • The program must be tested thoroughly to ensure quality
    • In line with client's developer guidelines
  • Industry: Steel, logistics
  • Description of my work scope and opinion:This was my first professional project in back-end development, where I got to apply some of the concepts I had learned during a back-end development training I had done previously on-the-job. It was an exciting project where an understanding of the concrete business requirements was by far the most important task, since the project had a big logistical impact if done incorrectly. Thank God, everything went smoothly and I even delivered an extra feature that adds a flag if the train is full. Very rewarding experience.
  • Technologies used:
    • SAP ABAP
    • Object-oriented programming
    • SQL
    • IDoc and EDIFACT
    • XML

Development of scanner and mobile apps

Development of applications that allow steel workers to work faster, safer, more flexibly and more productively using their scanners and mobile devices. Implementing the most modern standards by that time.
  • Period: February 2018 - August 2018
  • Role: Front-end developer
  • Business requirements:
    • Login through a dedicated server
    • Responsive UI/UX
    • As simple to use as possible
    • Replace the existing apps by modern ones that increase productivity and reduce mistakes/accidents
    • Highly agile project; we had to react to new ideas and features
    • Apps must have scanner capabilities
    • Compliant with client's UI/UX guidelines
    • Compliant with accessibility guidelines
    • i18n capabilities built into the front-end
  • Industry: Steel, Logistics
  • Description of my work scope and opinion:I was one of the two front-end developers taking part in this project. I learned many things, not only about development but also about how projects work, and also about collaboration. When someone needed help, we just communicated it and we also distributed tasks with each other according to depending on our current work load. As a front-end team we were fully remote except for two days and I learned to communicate openly and on time.
  • Technologies used:
    • HTML5
    • CSS3
    • JavaScript (ES6)
    • SAPUI5
    • JavaScript libraries and polyfills
    • Agile methodologies
    • Git
    • XML
    • OData (CRUD)
    • Webpack
    • Babel
    • Linting and testing tools
    • Debugging tools
    • Deployment tools and task runners like Grunt

Education

B.Sc. in Business Informatics

IUBH - International University Bad Honnef
  • Period: Since February 2019
  • Degree: Business Informatics (a mix of a CompSci and a business degree combined that is known in Germany as "Wirtschaftsinformatik")
  • Extra information: I am doing my studies on the side (on my free time) while working full-time. The reason why I chose to switch to this university is that it is more flexible and fully remote, meaning I can even do the exams on Sundays from home. All the material for learning is online so I can learn from anywhere and at any time, even after work if I am not too tired.
  • Especially good grades in:
    • Android development
    • Front-end development
    • Back-end development
    • Economy
    • Marketing

B.Sc. in Business Informatics

FOM Essen - University of Applied Sciences
  • Period: February 2018 - February 2019
  • Degree: Business Informatics
  • Extra information: Just like with the other university, I was doing my studies on the side (on my free time) while working full-time. This university was not so good, neither the professorship nor the topics covered. It was also not flexible and the classmates were rather unfriendly and immature. Whenever I have such experiences, I decide to move on instead of getting stuck, so I did it and switched to a better university.
  • Especially good grades in:
    • Databases
    • Business Information Systems
    • E-Commerce and M-Commerce