kabligh/cv

K. Annabel Bligh

After eight years as an editor and podcast producer, I joined Makers Academy's intensive 12-week bootcamp in October 2020 to kickstart a new career in tech as a full stack developer. I'm excited to learn new things and build cool products that make the world a better place.

Projects

Name	Description	Tech/tools
Triffid	A mobile app that keeps track of your house plants and aids discovery about plants in general. It uses Node.js and Express.js to create a fully RESTful backend and React Native for the interface. Features include JWT authentication, the ability to add plants and receive watering notifications, as well as a connection to the Trefle API plant database for plant discovery.	MongoDB, Express (Node.js), React Native, Jest, Postman
Dogbook	A Facebook-style web app for dogs to connect with other dogs. Features include signup and login authentication with the Devise gem, the ability to create, edit and delete posts (text and images), as well as commenting and liking each others' posts. Test coverage is over 90%. We worked in two day sprints using SCRUM and Agile processes, developing features from user stories.	Ruby, Rails, PostgreSQL, RSpec, Capybara

Experience

The Conversation – Business & Economy Editor, Podcast Producer – January 2014 to October 2020

• The Conversation is a news website that brings academic experts and journalists together to produce rigorous analysis of what's going on in the world.
• I worked in a fast-paced news environment, producing articles and audio to tight deadlines.
• I taught myself sound editing to start podcasting. The flagshow show, The Anthill, which I wrote and presented, had 250k downloads in 2020 and was shortlisted for the Publisher Podcast Awards.

Skills

Fast learner

I'm good at picking up new concepts and applying them quickly. In my previous job as a news editor, I had to get my head around new topics every day and make them understandable to a mass audience. This has enabled me to quickly pick up and apply software engineering principles, new coding languages and frameworks. It was particularly helpful when deciding to use a new tech stack for my final project, Triffid.

Strong communicator

I love taking complex ideas and making them easier to read or understand. I regularly gave presentations to academics on how to write for a general public audience. This has helped me work in a team on group projects and with pair programming. I believe it will stand me in good stead when talking to clients and non-engineers about technical issues.

Attention to detail

Having worked as an editor for many years, I appreciate the the power of language and how to structure it. I've found the same principles apply in coding – from adhering to language conventions to the importance of refactoring. Plus, it was previously my job to spot typos. This eye for detail has proven incredibly helpful when tightening the loop and debugging.

Education

Makers Academy (October 2020 to January 2021)

• OOD, TDD, MVC
• Agile/XP
• Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, Node.js, React Native
• PostgreSQL, MongoDB
• RSpec, Capybara, Jasmine, Jest

SOAS, University of London – MSc International Politics – Distinction

UCL – BA History – 2:1

A Levels – Mathematics (A), English Literature (A), History (A)

Hobbies

Exploring London and further afield with my dog, Hyko, playing football with my galdem and eating tasty things.