Matthew Hirons - CV (Download)
Profile
A well motivated Internet Computing student from Hull University who has a passion for technology. Acquired 18 years experience in the IT sector as a Web Developer/SEO consultant where my creative initiative, ideas and a genuine enthusiasm would allow me to progress and respond to new challenges.
Possess a wide range of skills in related disciplines and am reliable, flexible, numerate and meticulous. A personable team player with a positive, proactive attitude and excellent communication skills developed throughout university and work experience.
Skills
Communication: skills enhanced by giving presentations as part of my university course. Confident in discussing client's websites and search engine optimisation both in person and on the phone at The Web in a Box.
Leadership: organised a group presentation regarding a project plan for a piece of software. Involved delegating tasks, setting clear objectives and meeting regularly to monitor our progress.
Teamwork: working alongside other developers and designers in a fast-paced office environment, learnt that teamwork was the key to success for everything to run smoothly and improved my adaptability.
Time management: planned my time efficiently to ensure performed highly in both university coursework and examinations.
Creativity: developed a number of visual appealing and engaging websites and enjoy photography.
Problem solving: interested in tackling Java programming university coursework that involved creating a functional library system. Required thorough planning and testing. Achieved a mark of 80%. Quickly solving client's technical problems at The Web in a Box. Applying and experimenting with Web programming languages and disciplines.
| Languages | Software/Systems | Disciplines |
|---|---|---|
| PHP | Adobe Photoshop | Object Oriented Programming |
| MySQL | JetBrains PHPStorm | UML |
| XHTML | Microsoft Office | Data Modeling |
| CSS | Apache | Standards Compliance |
| JavaScript | nginx | Interaction Design |
| JAVA | Subversion (SVN) | User Profiles |
| PERL | Joomla/td> | Information Architecture |
| XML | VirtueMart | Coding guidelines from OWASP |
| RSS | Opencart | SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) |
| SVG | ||
| SMIL |
Member of the British Computer Society (BCS)
Education
BSc Internet Computing (Hons), University of Hull
2:1 (just 2% short of a first class degree)
Final Year Project (of above course)
The focus of this project was to discover what will make a successful University campus Web presence.
The side effect of this research project was a scientific approach to the development of an innovative Web site for
The University of Hull, Scarborough Campus. A site was already present, but as identified, there were numerous areas for
improvement in terms of creating a promotionally effective Web presence.
(See the BSc Information link for more information on my degree)
Hagley R.C High School Sixth Form
'A' Levels: Maths [B], Physics [B], Chemistry [C], Geography [A]
Hagley R.C High School
10 GCSEs including [A] in English,
Mathematics, Science and Graphics and [B] in French
Work Experience
Web Developer, The Web In A Box
Fast-paced environment involved in web development projects and maintenance for a wide range of industries. Exposure with open source platforms (WordPress, Joomla, Opencart) as well as extensive bespoke development (PHP, MySQL, jQuery, CSS, HTML) and Apache server administration.
Key achievements include:
- A network of effective centrally managed e-Commerce sites with synchronised product data. On-going custom development to satisfy the clients’ requests. A retail and trade example include:
http://a2zwholesale.co.uk/
http://jewellerybank.co.uk/ - E-Commerce system integrated with live gold/silver metal price feeds. Individual product mark-ups and bulk pricing administration.
http://www.thegoldbulliondealer.com/ - Online application with all data saved in an optimised database as well as integrated with an external web service. User friendly admin system with CRUD functionality for managing users and application submissions. Adhering to coding guidelines from OWASP.
https://www.aurigaservicesapp.co.uk/admin/ - Bespoke secure user friendly content management system evolving with additional features and code updates. Examples include:
http://www.sagetelecom.co.uk/
http://www.chipsawaycambridge.co.uk/ - Google Maps API integration for finding your local garages and instructors. Custom rating/review system, profile pages, private messaging, scheduled reminders for MOT’s, etc
http://www.mycargossip.com/
Adhere to web standards and ensure code is written well and designed to a high standard.
Leadership and communication skills developed whilst training apprentices delegating tasks, setting clear objectives and meeting regularly to monitor progress.
Web Developer, Bird and Co
Working on both internal and external Web development projects in a team environment alongside other developers and designers. Extended my knowledge in many areas of Web development including Object Oriented code and SVN.
Web Developer/SEO Consultant, Self Employed
Carrying out Web development and SEO projects for clients in a range of industry sectors. Effective time management and self-motivation has been critical since turning to self-employment.
Web Developer/SEO Consultant, Get Marketed, Bham
Directly responsible for all new search engine optimisation (SEO) and Web development within the organisation.
Extensive technical knowledge of all aspects related to the Internet resulted in effective SEO and Web projects.
Attention to detail and time management skills ensured new sales were processed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Customer Advisor, B&Q Warehouse, Kidderminster
The role involved dealing with customers' enquiries, stock control and using specialist machines
in the store. Completed full induction and further training modules. This
position greatly enhanced communication and team working skills.
IT Assistant, All About Computer Services, Kidderminster
Primary task involved developing a basic HTML website for the company.
Also accompanied supervisor on various call-outs.
This position called upon many skills learnt as part of my degree and tested
the ability to put them into practice in a 'real world' situation.
Personal Interests
Travel: value travelling and had the opportunity to go on a round-the-world tour including LA, Fiji, Sydney and Tokyo.
Music: enjoy seeing my favourite bands live.
Cars: member of a car club & attend meetings to share our passion for cars.
Sport: keen mountain biker and hiker
These interests highlight a determined and competitive attitude.