Skills

Creativity

Since high school, I have found an interest in computer programming. I believe it is more than just logical statements and building blocks; I see a deep relationship between computer languages and linguistics. I enjoy discovering concepts, algorithms, and practices that enrich software development and the user’s experience. I like visualizing and defining the relationships between objects, processes, applications, and systems. Enterprise and Communication technologies such as EJBs, JSPs, Web Services, D-Bus, etc… are another area I would like to become more apart of.

Communication

Over the past few years, my communication skills have improved through several work experiences.

Working at Zellers from July 2004 to September 2005 as a Customer Service Representative and Photolab operator improved my verbal and non-verbal communication skills. I had to grow an ability to understand the customer’s photo film requirements and was able to produce them using the photo lab development machine. I was also responsible for the electronic department which meant I had to improve my sales skills when dealing with televisions, digital cameras, audio equipment, etc…. I also learned to read non-verbal communication which helped me prevent several attempts of theft.

Since working at Aurora Cable Internet as a Technical Service Representative from September 2005 to present, I have improved my verbal communication and learned to tailor messages to different end users. Providing technical support by telephone and email has improved the questions I used in determining the problem the customer is experiencing. I’ve learned how to make use of open-ended and closed-ended questions; such as using open-ended questions to determine the level of technical understanding of the customer which I can use to better explain my answers or recommendations.

During my coop experience at Genesys in the summer of 2006 as a System Engineer Tester Analyst, I learned how to communicate professionally in a large corporation with people of different cultures. Working with professionals in Toronto, Canada and Montpelier, France I adjusted to the timezone and cultural complexities. Applying my communication skills gained from previous experiences, I was able to build and maintain new relationships and work productively in a team.

Knowledge

Since my interests in computing and software had begun, I have learned many areas of the IT industry including:

I have developed applications that are stateful, stateless, event-driven, and service-oriented using various platforms such as Unix, Linux, AIX, and Windows.

My development experiences stretch on several axises such as:

Leadership

Over the past four years studying at Seneca, I have improved my leadership skills through team projects and collaborating.

During the 7th semester of my program, I was voted to lead most of the group projects I was apart of by my fellow students. I believe in respecting everybody’s opinion and push for team collaboration; however, I am confident in making tough decisions for the benefit of the group and project when things get out of control. For example, during a recent marketing project each member had various ideas for a product; however, because no one could agree on a single product I decided to enforce votes on each member with the restriction on voting for their own product. This situation proved to be effective.

Since the beginning of the Seneca program up to the present time, I have transformed from a very shy and quite student to an energetic professional. This has taken many projects, presentations, and experiences; nevertheless, learning to adapt and change has helped me lead a team for unexpected changes along the way. An example was when my group’s project proposal was not accepted by the client (professor), I quickly used the constructive feedback to help our group make the appropriate changes which would later be accepted.