Alex Chen
Junior Software Developer
Profile
Recent Computer Science First Class Honours graduate with 18 months of practical software development experience gained through a fintech internship and freelance projects. Demonstrated expertise in full-stack development using Python, JavaScript, and React, with proven ability to build scalable microservices handling 10,000+ daily transactions. Passionate about clean code principles, test-driven development, and delivering high-quality solutions that drive business value.
Experience
Contributed to the development of critical payment processing infrastructure at a fast-growing fintech startup serving 50+ enterprise clients across the UK.
- Built and deployed 3 production-ready microservices handling 10,000+ daily transactions using Python, FastAPI, and PostgreSQL, reducing system latency by 35%
- Improved API response times by 40% through implementing Redis caching strategies and optimising database queries, enhancing user experience for 5,000+ active users
- Achieved 85% test coverage across all new services using pytest and implemented CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions, reducing deployment time by 60%
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams in daily standups and bi-weekly sprint planning sessions, contributing to 95% on-time delivery rate for sprint commitments
- Resolved 25+ production bugs and implemented monitoring dashboards using Grafana, improving system reliability by 99.5% uptime
- Mentored 2 new interns on coding standards and best practices, contributing to team knowledge sharing and development culture
- Participated in code reviews for senior developers, providing valuable feedback that led to 3 significant performance improvements
Delivered custom web solutions for local businesses across Manchester, managing the complete project lifecycle from requirements gathering to deployment and maintenance.
- Designed and developed 5 responsive websites using React, Next.js, and TypeScript, achieving 95+ Google PageSpeed scores and mobile-first design principles
- Integrated Stripe payment processing for an e-commerce client, facilitating £15,000+ in online sales within the first month and 300% increase in conversion rates
- Implemented SEO optimisation strategies that improved clients' search rankings by average of 40 positions across targeted keywords
- Managed client relationships and project timelines independently, maintaining 100% client satisfaction rate and securing 3 referral projects
- Built custom CMS solutions using Sanity and Contentful, enabling clients to update content independently and reducing maintenance requests by 70%
- Established automated deployment pipelines using Vercel and Netlify, reducing deployment time from 2 hours to 5 minutes per release
Supported delivery of first-year Computer Science modules, helping 150+ students develop foundational programming skills in Python and Java.
- Led weekly tutorial sessions for groups of 25 students, improving average assignment scores by 15% compared to previous cohorts
- Provided one-on-one debugging support and code reviews, helping students understand best practices and problem-solving approaches
- Created supplementary learning materials including video tutorials and coding exercises, used by 200+ students across multiple cohorts
- Collaborated with academic staff to redesign coursework assignments, resulting in 20% improvement in student engagement metrics
- Mentored struggling students through additional support sessions, achieving 90% pass rate among at-risk students
Skills
- Python
- JavaScript
- React
- Node.js
- TypeScript
- PostgreSQL
- Git
- Docker
- AWS
- REST APIs
- FastAPI
- Next.js
- Redis
- MongoDB
- Jest/Pytest
- CI/CD
- Agile/Scrum
- HTML/CSS
- Linux/Unix
- Microservices Architecture
Education
Certifications
- AWS Cloud Practitioner
- Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
- Scrum Foundation Professional Certificate
- GitHub Actions Certified