Alexandra McGarry
Junior Software Developer
Brighton
alexandramcgarryx@gmail.com | 07793 565433
Personal Statement:
I’m a graduate of the Northcoders software development course (Manchester, UK) where I developed a strong foundation in JavaScript, front-end and back-end development, and an appreciation of the importance of testing. I’ve discovered my passion for coding and my recent projects have given me the opportunity to put these skills into practice, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. I'm excited to continue learning, growing and contributing to the tech industry.
Technical skills:
Language(s): JavaScript, TypeScript, currently learning PHP and Python
Front-End: HTML/CSS, Understanding of the DOM, Responsive Design, React, React Native, Redux, Expo Go, Bootstrap, Tailwind CSS, Next.js
Back-End: Node.js, Express.js, RESTful API Design, Insomnia, Postman, SQL, PSQL, Firebase, MongoDB, Supabase, Prisma, Flask
Testing: Test Driven Development (TDD), Jest, Supertest
Projects:
Mood Journal Chat Application
GitHub: https://github.com/alexmc2/mood-journal
Built using NextJs, my latest project is an AI-enhanced journaling application that assists users in tracking and reflecting on their emotional wellbeing. The app features a LangChain-powered chatbot that utilises vector embeddings to provide a contextually aware personalised chat experience, offering insights and perspectives tailored to the user's journal content and previous chat history. Developing this app has been a brilliant learning experience and I’m excited about implementing future upgrades. For more information on the development process, please visit the README section of the GitHub repository.
Brighton Rock Housing Co-operative Website
GitHub: https://github.com/alexmc2/brighton-rock
Website for Brighton Rock Housing Co-operative. This fully responsive website was built using Bootstrap to provide an online presence for the co-operative and to facilitate communication with potential members.
Colour App: Colour Palette Generator
GitHub: https://github.com/alexmc2/colour_palette_generator
A simple colour palette generator built with Python. The backend, built with Flask, communicates with the OpenAI API to produce colour themes or palettes based on user prompts. The app is hosted using AWS Elastic Beanstalk and AWS CodePipeline. While straightforward, this project has been a valuable learning experience in terms of working with Python for the first time and familiarising myself with AWS deployment.
Northcoders Final Project: Park Me Bike
GitHub: https://github.com/alexmc2/ParkMeBike
https://northcoders.com/projects/june-2023/park-me-bike
As a team of five people, we developed a bike parking app using React Native, Firebase/Firestore, and Expo Go. The app assists users in locating available bike parking spaces using data from the Cycle Streets API.
Content-AI: AI-Powered Content and Image Generator
GitHub: https://github.com/alexmc2/content-ai
https://content-ai-zeta.vercel.app
I developed a web application that utilises Open AI’s GPT-3.5-turbo API and Stability AI’s SDXL 1.0 model to generate AI content from given user prompts. The app was built with Next.js and uses MongoDB for the back-end database and Auth0 for authentication.
Wow Store: E-commerce Website
GitHub: https://github.com/alexmc2/e-commerce-site
https://e-commerce-site-y0uv.onrender.com
An e-commerce practice project built with the MERN stack. The back-end is powered by Express and MongoDB, and the front-end was developed using React, Redux, and Bootstrap.
Northcoders Back-end and Front-end Project: House of Games
GitHub: https://github.com/alexmc2/nc-backend-project https://github.com/alexmc2/nc-games
https://game-reviews-m0nu.onrender.com/api
Developed a board game reviews API using Node.js, Express, PostgreSQL, Jest, and Supertest. The API provides access to board game reviews, review comments, and user data. The front-end was made using React and Vite.
Experience:
Trainee Software Developer, Northcoders (March 2023 – June 2023)
Participated in an immersive programme focusing on full-stack web development, with a strong emphasis on practical, project-based learning. The curriculum covered the entirety of the development stack, from front-end to back-end, with an emphasis on JavaScript.
2004 – 2013 – Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualified Financial Accountant/Management Accountant
Responsible for preparing limited company accounts, reporting directly to partner.
2001 – 2004 – Labour Party Head Office, Westminster
High Value Fundraising Assistant and administrator for Computing for Labour.
Education:
2004 to 2008 – ACCA qualification
1998 to 2001 – University of Sheffield, Bachelor of Laws (LLB: Hons)
1995 – 1997 – Holy Cross College, Bury
A Levels: English Literature (A), Government and Politics (A), Modern History (A), General Studies (B)
Hobbies & Interests:
I’ve been a regular and active member of my local CrossFit box for over four years (CrossFit Connect, Hove). I enjoy running and completed the Berlin Marathon in 2021. I also enjoy learning French.
Member and Resident of Brighton Rock Housing Co-operative,
Hove
As the co-op's treasurer, I’m responsible for managing the co-op's budgets, bookkeeping and annual FCA accounts, reporting to the monthly general meeting.