Software Developer
Resume:
RÉSUMÉ
WILLEM VAN ZYL
**********@*****.***
LAST UPDATED:
Résumé: Willem Van Zyl (841***-****-***) +27-82-385-**** / **********@*****.*** Table of Contents
Table of Contents 2
General 3
Education 4
Work Experience 5
Skills 7
Volunteer Work 8
Interests 9
References (Professional) 9
References (Personal) 9
Page 2 of 9
Résumé: Willem Van Zyl (841***-****-***) +27-82-385-**** / **********@*****.*** General
Career Objective
Over the past 10+ years I have accumulated extensive experience in client account management, user requirements gathering, information technology management, software development, and project management.
After spending several years managing small, medium, and large software development and technical support teams, I founded my own digital agency (Code Like Clockwork). Through CLC I’ve successfully completed projects to develop applications and services for the retail, education, marketing, and publishing industries both in South Africa and abroad. My software development and agency management experience made me intimately familiar with web- based software development and Agile project management using industry-standard technologies and tools such as PHP, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Laravel, WordPress, Foundation, Bootstrap, Vagrant, and more. My business analysis qualification combined with my experience serving in directorship / ownership roles at several companies gives me an edge in management positions by allowing me to understand both what the business needs, and what technology can provide. I’m interested in pursuing a career in DevOps management, project management, or software development.
I have an Express Entry Canadian immigration application underway, and will be relocating to Canada as soon as the application is approved.
Full Name Willem Jacobus van Zyl
ID Number 841***-****-***
Nationality South African
Gender Male
Date of Birth 18 October 1984
Home Language Afrikaans
Other Languages English (Fluent) (IELTS Score 8.0 / CEFR Level C1) Telephone Number +27-82-385-****
Email Address **********@*****.***
Google Hangouts Address **********@*****.***
Skype Username willemvzyl
Physical / Postal Address 1 Cormorant Avenue
Cape Town
South Africa
7441
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Résumé: Willem Van Zyl (841***-****-***) +27-82-385-**** / **********@*****.*** Education
I completed the B.Tech: Information Technology degree (with a focus on Business Analysis) at CPUT (the Cape Peninsula University of Technology) during 2006 with the following subjects:
• Business Fundamentals IV
•Computer Security IV
•Data Administration IV
•Database Systems IV
• Information and Technology Management IV
•Advanced Information and Technology Management IV
• Project Management IV
•Research Methodology IV
• Software Engineering and Design IV
• Strategic Information Systems V
I completed the ND: Information Technology diploma at CPUT from 2003 to 2005 with the following subjects:
• Business Analysis III
•Development Software III
• Information Systems III
•Accounting Skills I
• Business Analysis II
•Development Software II
• Information Systems II
•Development Software I
• Information Systems I
• Information Technology Skills I
• Systems Software I
•Technical Programming I
I achieved a Senior Certificate at Vredendal High School, Vredendal, Western Cape in 2002 with the following subjects:
•Accounting
•Afrikaans (First Language)
• Biology
•Computer Science
•Computer Typing
• English (Second Language)
•Mathematics
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Résumé: Willem Van Zyl (841***-****-***) +27-82-385-**** / **********@*****.*** Work Experience
Since 2006 I have been employed in both software development and management roles at several Cape Town-based companies, including:
• Pepkor IT: a company that designs and maintains the database systems for Pep Stores and Ackermans nationwide.
•Graham Paddock & Associates (later “Paddocks”): a law firm in the sectional title industry.
•GetSmarter: a premier South African online education provider.
•Getwine: a leading online wine retailer in South Africa.
•Gsolutions: an IT solutions company that built systems mainly for the South African music industry.
•Code Like Clockwork: a Cape Town-based software development and management company that I founded.
I started my own digital agency, Code Like Clockwork, in 2011. Since 2011 I have done software development for several local and international companies via CLC, including:
•Advacare: a distributor of baby products throughout South Africa.
• Booksite Afrika: the major South African importer and distributor for books published by Random House, Penguin, Struik, and others.
•Digital Asset Management System: a company that manages databases for the music industry.
• Fancam: a Cape Town-based (but international) company that publishes 360-degree multi-level-zoom panoramic photographs of sports, music, and cultural events online.
•GetSmarter: the premier South African online education provider mentioned above.
•Hello Tutor: a South African online education provider for user-generated content in multiple languages.
• Jamaica National Bank: the national banking service provider of Jamaica.
•National Arts Festival / Fringe Festival: one of the largest festivals / festival organizers in South Africa, with hundreds of events hosted every year.
• Paddocks: the sectional title law firm mentioned above.
•Quirk: a leading online marketing agency based in South Africa and the UK.
• Skyrove: a leading wifi service provider throughout South Africa. During my career I have planned, participated in, and managed to completion several software projects, including:
•The development of a bespoke CRM (Customer Relations Management) system to manage prospects, leads, manage products, and services, send email & SMS marketing campaigns, track the resulting outcomes, invoice customers, and provide data to external systems via a RESTful API interface. Page 5 of 9
Résumé: Willem Van Zyl (841***-****-***) +27-82-385-**** / **********@*****.***
•The development of bespoke reporting systems that connect to several data sources (via APIs, imported files, or limited database access) and provide unified, customizable marketing reporting and exporting interfaces.
•The development of a bespoke centralized database and API that combines user information and metrics from several clones of a media & entertainment distribution system, then provides this combined and sanitized data to reporting systems via a secure API.
•The customization and implementation of Moodle-based learner management systems for companies and universities that have thousands of students in South Africa and abroad.
•The development of a bespoke rights & royalties copyright processing and contention management system for publishers and record companies in the South African music industry.
•The development of a custom, responsive website and online application system for a national banking provider.
•The design, development, and maintenance of warehouse, distribution, and online sales management systems for one of the major book importers in South Africa.
•The development and maintenance of a custom WordPress theme and plugin that provides festival and event management, search, seating selection, booking, and related functions.
•The development and maintenance of backend systems for a major wifi networking provider in South Africa and Africa.
•The development of a custom online learning platform that allows teachers to record & publish video content in any of South Africa’s 11 languages, and students to purchase such content in their native language.
•The design, implementation, and optimization of virtual server hosting clusters (including load balancers, web servers, database servers, and content delivery networks) for companies both in South Africa and abroad.
•The optimization of MySQL databases by evaluating and tweaking data structures, storage engines, indexes, and configurations, always focusing on delivering optimal speed, concurrency, and efficiency.
•Gathering requirements, researching technical requirements, wireframing, and documenting websites, web apps, web-based mobile apps, and native mobile apps.
•Training companies’ IT staff on the use of project management systems (such as JIRA, ActiveCollab, Mingle, Trello, Zendesk, etc.), PHP frameworks (such as CodeIgniter, Kohana, Laravel, etc.), software version control systems (Subversion, Git, etc.), and the Agile development process.
• Building custom CodeIgniter- or Laravel-based websites or web apps for companies both in South Africa and abroad.
• Building custom Joomla- or Wordpress-based websites (often with custom themes and plugins) for companies both in South Africa and abroad.
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Résumé: Willem Van Zyl (841***-****-***) +27-82-385-**** / **********@*****.*** Skills
I have excellent people and communication skills, am fully bilingual in Afrikaans and English, and the combination of my business and technical studies have always been an asset when dealing with both technical and non-technical individuals.
I’ve been involved in software development and management positions at several companies over the past 10 years.
My software development experience includes:
•10 Years: PHP (including object-oriented development and using modern PHP frameworks such as Laravel)
•10 Years: HTML (including HTML5 and an in-depth knowledge of standards compliance).
•10 Years: CSS (including CSS3 and an in-depth knowledge of standards compliance).
•10 Years: JavaScript (including the use of libraries such as jQuery and an in-depth knowledge of standards compliance).
•6 Years: Bash, Python, and Perl (command line / server scripting languages, although I haven’t used Python / Perl extensively in the last three years).
•6 Years: AppleScript (Mac OS X scripting language, although I haven’t used it extensively in the last two years).
•2 Years: Objective-C & Swift (Although I haven’t used it extensively in the last two years myself, but during that time I have been keeping up to date on the technical features and I have been involved in the technical design of several mobile apps).
My server administration experience includes:
•10 Years: An in-depth knowledge of Ubuntu, Debian, and CentOS linux (installation, configuration, and management).
•10 Years: An in-depth knowledge of the MySQL database system (including design, configuration, and optimization).
My skills ancillary to software development include:
•10 Years: Software Project Management & Agile Project Management of teams ranging in size from 2 to 20 individuals, including both local- and remote-working resources.
•7 Years: Subversion (software version control system, including the planning of team usage strategies, the management of repositories / deployments, and the development of hooks).
•5 Years: Git (software version control system, including the planning of team usage strategies, the management of repositories / deployments, and the development of hooks).
•2 Years: SASS / SCSS (CSS development / simplification tools).
•2 Years: Vagrant Virtualization (Distributable virtual machine development environments). Page 7 of 9
Résumé: Willem Van Zyl (841***-****-***) +27-82-385-**** / **********@*****.*** Volunteer Work
I’m actively involved with the PHP, WordPress, and Business communities in Cape Town, South Africa, including:
•WordPress do_action Charity Hackathon 2014: an annual event during which randomly-assigned teams have to design, build and launch a WordPress-based website for a local charity / non-profit, as well as train them on the use thereof. During the 2014 event I participated as a software developer. My company’s team has won every year we’ve participated.
•WordPress do_action Charity Hackathon 2015: an annual event during which randomly-assigned teams have to design, build and launch a WordPress-based website for a local charity / non-profit, as well as train them on the use thereof. During the 2015 event I participated as a project manager. My company’s team has won every year we’ve participated.
•WordCamp Cape Town 2015: an annual event for developers, designers, and business owners who use the WordPress platform. I was a speaker on the topic of “Finding A Good Developer” at the 2015 event.
• StartupGrind Cape Town (2014 - present): a monthly networking event for local entrepreneurs to learn from others’ success stories, share ideas, and find new business contacts. I’ve been on the organizing committee since StartupGrind came to South Africa. Page 8 of 9
Résumé: Willem Van Zyl (841***-****-***) +27-82-385-**** / **********@*****.*** Interests
Reading (business, productivity, science, fantasy, sci-fi), hiking, caving, geocaching, diving. References (Professional)
Bruce Lunnis (Business Partner)
Director at Code Like Clockwork
*****@***.******
As I’m exiting from my digital agency and handing over the reins to my co-owner, I’m informing my clients of this change one-by-one. Client- / project-specific references are available upon request. References (Personal)
Matthew Dickason (Friend)
Director at JuiceIT
****@*******.**.**
Jacques Nel (Friend)
Software Developer & Project Manager at Bluegrass Digital
**********@*****.***
Willem Van Zyl (Father)
Jeanine Van Zyl (Wife)
***********@*****.***
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