About Me
I'm a Full-Stack Software Engineer with 13+ years of experience in education. During my time working for different institutions in the UK and EU, I have cultivated a deep understanding of both the academic and tech worlds.
I enjoy using technology to craft scalable, de-coupled, and high availability backend web solutions, specialising in GraphQL, Node.js, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB. My expertise in education has enabled me to automate repetitive tasks to reduce time and human error using technologies such as Electron, JavaScript, Node.js, Python, and VBA.
One of my career highlights has been my pivotal role in developing Learnlight's learner platform, a project that has achieved an impressive uptime of 99.94% and enabled a 99.8% SLA with our customers. It's immensely gratifying to know that the platform I contributed to is accessible to students worldwide, whether they're accessing it through the web, iOS, or Google Play stores. What's truly special is that this project allowed me to combine my past as an English teacher with my current role, as I had the privilege of working on the very app my students used to study English!
My aspiration is to utilise my experience as both a Full-Stack Software Engineer and a teacher to mentor and guide new developers. I'm committed to sharing my knowledge and expertise to empower the next generation of talent in the tech industry.
Message me if you'd like to discuss backend development strategies, my work with automation, GraphQL advancements, or any tech (or ed-tech) related topics. I'm always eager to collaborate and share what I have learnt in order to propel our industry forward!
You can view my current contributions here: github.com/Karl-Horning
Skills & Experience
Diving into the intricacies of backend development while also crafting intuitive frontend interfaces. Discover my expertise through the linked skills below, each guiding you to GitHub repositories filtered by relevant tags. Please be aware that some of my backend work is housed in private repositories.
Work Projects
Embark on a journey through my professional endeavours. Explore the projects that showcase my skills and dedication in action.
Learnlight App
Driving the backend engine of the Learnlight app, I meticulously sculpt and maintain its GraphQL API, ensuring seamless communication with the frontend. With Sequelize as my trusty ORM, I orchestrate efficient SQL queries, extracting crucial business data to power the app's functionality. Additionally, I've seamlessly integrated the Oxford Learner's Dictionaries API, enriching the app's offerings with premium language resources.
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Trainer Trainee List
Introducing the Trainer Trainee List app, a robust tool tailored to empower onboarder staff in tracking the progress of trainers. Seamlessly interfacing with the JazzHR API through Axios, this application efficiently retrieves and organizes job and applicant data. Leveraging Electron and Bootstrap for a seamless user experience, it employs the exceljs library to export comprehensive reports, enabling onboarder staff to monitor trainer progress with ease.
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Personal Projects
Welcome to my sandbox of innovation and learning. Here, I put my spare time and professional knowledge to the test, experimenting with new ideas and honing my skills through personal projects.
Portfolio Site
Introducing my personal portfolio site—a testament to my journey in web development and design. Crafted with Next.js, Tailwind CSS, and TypeScript, this portfolio site reflects my dedication to clean design and efficient development. Hosted on GitHub and deployed seamlessly with YAML and GitHub Actions, it serves as a canvas where my technical skills and creative expression harmonize, providing a window into my holistic approach to crafting digital experiences.
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