I am a Full-Stack Junior Developer and life-long learner. I fluently speak three languages, worked on Makeup and Special Effects for Cinema and TV and have a degree in Visual Arts.
I walked into programming in the most unexpected way and I couldn't be more grateful for it. I really enjoy the constant challenges and continuous learning process it involves.
Recently graduated from Makers Academy, I would love to find a job in an environment that supports my learning. I am currently based in London, willing to stay, but also open to new horizons.
Curious about how I decided to change career? Brief Tale of a Life Change
For a complete list, see my GitHub Repositories.
| Project | Description | Links | Tech Stack |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Portfolio | Personal Portfolio with Projects, Education, Job Experience and much more |   |
CSS, HTML, JQuery |
| Second Life | An app based on Google Maps API where users give (and get) stuff for free in their area | |
Rails, javascript, Google Maps API, Bootstrap |
| Currency Converter | Small project build in 2.5 days. Allows users select a country, returns some information about it and a currency converter from Swedish Krona to the local currency | |
React, APIs, CSS |
| Hackathon Game | Run and jump game built for a 2.5 days hackathon | |
javascript, p5.js, CSS |
| Mix Tape | First time using React calling Rails for the backend and Spotify API. Combines selected users top tracks to generate a playlist that you can listen from the browser | |
Rails, React, Postgres, CSS |
- Arcade: Website where a user can choose from a range of classic games and compete with others for high scores (React, Node.js, MongoDB, CSS)
- El Campo de Olmo: Building an e-commerce website for an organic farm (React.js, Node.js, CSS)
Life is like travelling, everything changes constantly, and all our experiences give us new abilities to put in our backpack. Below you can see a list with some of the soft skills I've built throughout my journey.
Click on any of them for examples, details or fun facts about myself.
Languages: Spanish, English and Italian
I am fluent in Spanish, English and Italian, with some basic understanding of French.
I LOVE travelling and had quite a lot of crazy anecdotes that would prove how I'm always willing to dive into a new language. For example, while spending two months hitchhiking through the countryside in Greece (where no one speaks English) I somehow managed to have the funniest conversations in 'Greek' with locals. I can also sing a Christmas carol in Finnish.
Adaptability
I have built a new life from scratch more times than I can count. I have lived in over ten different regions in five different countries. Each one of them with new people, new languages, new jobs. None of this is a problem, only the chance for an adventure.
Creative Problem Solving
Survivor of many kinds of low-budget life projects I have learned to be creative with my problem-solving. If something seems impossible from the point you are looking at it, you just need to move and find a different point of view.
When I was volunteering in a refugee community there was a house that was being refurbished to host school groups that will come to volunteer. Three days before their arrival the manager asked me to choose all the furniture from the donation warehouse. We then realized that the house was not ready at all, electricity was not working in some rooms and the walls were not painted. I asked to take control of the project, organized the residents in different teams and after three very intense days, the house was more or less ready. There was still some small things to do: upcycling the sofas, getting kitchen gear, some decorations... There was no time left so when the new volunteers arrived I organized a game to search the community for everything that was missing, and make the house theirs.
I usually find myself having fun while working against the clock. An example is the Hack-for-Heroes hackathon I participated in May. Two and a half days of coding to make an app related to the Covid-19 crisis. Check my project here.
Attention to Detail
From my background as a makeup, hair and costume artist for cinema I've learnt the importance of paying attention to detail. If you have ever dealt with 'continuity' in filming you know how challenging it can get to make a hair up-do look the exact same through scenes that may be filmed in different days.
This ability is extremely useful for debugging. Look, look, look and then look again, just in case.
Organization
I love a plan, a list and a schedule. Even if I just make them for breaking them a minute later (life is unexpected and sometimes improvising is key).
This is a skill I have also learned on set, where there is always a thousand things going on at the same time. Human memory has its limits: Do you remember if the extra actor was wearing a watch in the scene we started to shoot two weeks ago? I bet you don't. Make records of everything, file it properly and keep it organized.
I can't tell how much I've fallen in love with git-flow for this reason.
Team-Player
Always comfortable finding my place in a team, whether that calls for knuckling down and getting my hands dirty or offering leadership when the situation arises.
Curiosity
What? Why? How? If you talk to me about something I don't know, this is the reaction you should expect. As we say in my country 'el saber no ocupa lugar' (knowledge does not take up space).
Highly selective 12 weeks intensive coding bootcamp.
- Focus on Test Driven Development, with an emphasis on pair programming and working in an agile way.
- Object Oriented programming & software design.
- Full-Stack web development.
- Experience with MVC framework patterns.
- Independent learner and problem-solver.
- Ruby, Rails, JavaScript and React.
- RSpec and Jasmine.
Interested in this experience? I wrote daily notes and reflections of my journey in Makers in this repository.
Master in Makeup, Hair and Special Effects for Cinema
- All teachers are part of the team of Jose Quetglas, winner of 8 Goya Awards and a Bafta.
- While in the school all practices are done in real shooting conditions.
- After graduating I was selected for an internship in the Jose Quetglas team for the filming of a television series.
- After graduating I was selected for an internship in the filming of a television news program.
Bachelor of Fine Arts - Sculpture speciality
Main Subjects: Sculpture, Photography, Painting, Digital Design, Carving.
Erasmus: I took the third year of my degree in Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara (Italy).
This is a list of the main fields I have worked on, with a summary of the skills I developed working in them. Welcome to my working life, from television sets to baking bread, with a fun stop as a Christmas elf in Finland.
Use the 'Check Full Experience' dropdown menus to see all the specific roles, places and dates of employment I had in each category.
Perseverance, patience, attention to detail and a very strict time management and organization skills are the most valuable skills I got from this part of my job experience. It is also a great practice for teamwork and delegation, especially when working in big projects.
Check Full Experience
- Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist in Blow LTD - London (04/2019 - 11/2019)
- Head Makeup, Hair and Costume Artist in a Film with Chromatiques Productions - Alicante (09/2018 - 11/2018)
- Children Face Painter in Froggies Events - Madrid (10/2016 - 06/2018)
- SFX Artist in a Videoclip with Amnesia Productions - Madrid (02/2018 - 03/2018)
- Makeup Dpt. (internship) in a TVE Program “BDBT” with Lavinia Productions - Madrid (10/2017 - 12/2017)
- Makeup Dpt. (internship) in a RTVE Series “Sabuesos” with Plano a Plano Productions - Madrid (09/2017 - 10/2017)
- Key Makeup Artist in a Videoclip with Gabezia - Madrid (02/2017 - 03/2017)
- Makeup and SFX Artist in Beefeater Event - Madrid (01/2017 - 01/2017)
Team management, customer care and being able to react fast to any unexpected situation were key skills in these roles. I had a lot of responsibility, teaching new team members, big groups of customers and a tight schedule while paying attention to every detail to make sure they had the best experience. On a side note, working as a translator in an environment that mixes up to five different languages is a great work out for your brain!
Check Full Experience
- Asssistant Manager, Activity Guide and Translator in Pohjolan Pirtti - Finland (11/2019 - 01/2020)
- Activity Guide and Translator in Pohjolan Pirtti - Finland (11/2018 - 01/2019
- Receptionist in Marina Hotel - Malta (10/2014 - 02/2015)
Communication skills, self-awareness and empathy are very important to deal with problematic customers or with your coworkers and make shifts run smoothly.
Check Full Experience
- Beauty Consultant and Shop Assistant in Douglas - Madrid (04/2017 - 06/2018)
- Shop Assistant in Levadura Madre - Madrid (12/2015 - 09/2016)
- Bakery Manager in Cuatro Migas - Salamanca (02/2015 - 10/2016)
- Waitress in Marina Hotel - Malta (10/2014 - 02/2015)
- Waitress and Shop Assistant in Fresh - Malta (10/2014 - 02/2015)
- Waitress and Shop Assistant in Candy Cakes - London (06/2012 - 10/2012)
From a very young age I have been interested in environmental and social issues. This has driven me to volunteer for different organizations, like the ones listed below.
Click on any of them to see some further details about the organizations and my responsibilities.
Fundación Escuela de Solidaridad (2019)
This is a Foundation located in a small village near Granada, Spain. It gives home to over one hundred people living in social disadvantage, abuse or exclusion: mothers with children in emergency situations, young immigrants, adults and adolescents at risk. I spent a month living with them, and even if the conditions were sometimes a bit precarious, it was very inspiring seeing how everyone in the community was trying their best to improve.
My contribution:
- Responsible for directing the restoration project of one of the houses.
- Responsible for managing donations of second-hand clothing (storage, stock and distribution).
- Organized a Workshop on Sewing to produce merchandising for funding.
- Organized a Workshop on T-Shirt printing.
- Organized a Workshop on Natural Cosmetics Elaboration.
Greenpeace (2008 to 2013)
I started volunteering for Greenpeace when I was only 15 years old. I am from a very small region in Spain and the day I got an email from them asking for volunteers to create a new regional group, I knew that was the place for me. Even for our small size we created a very active group, divided tasks amongst the members, and developed various activities such as public awareness campaigns, events organization, data research or signature campaigns.
My contribution:
- Internal mail distribution list management.
- Managed regional email account for information and demands from the public or other organizations.
- Create workshops and organize team rotas to participate in fairs.
Red Cross (2014)
It all started with a First Aid intensive course I did with them. They explained to us all their different departments of the organization and I decided to join them as a volunteer in what they call "mobile health care unit". This is a vehicle that travels through the city at night and tries to detect and address the basic socio-health needs of people on the street (homeless people, drug addicts, prostitutes, elderly people without resources...)
My contribution:
- Monitoring of people in vulnerable situations.
- Basic food and warm drinks distribution.
- Distribution of basic hygiene kits.
- Inform about the resources available in the city (organizations, shelters...).
At this point, I am sure we all know that I like to code. But where to find me when I am not coding? If I had to make a list of all my interests it will be endless, so let's go with the top four.
Click on any of them to see some further details, anecdotes and adventures.
Travelling and Nature
My one true passion in life. Finding me while I am might not be that easy though, I have a mysterious tendency to end up lost in the middle of nowhere in northern and rainy countries.
Hint 1: Look for the drenched hitchhiker holding a camping tent and a backpack with a panda bear attached to it.
Hint 2: Mountain hiking and Kayaking are probably going to be on my road map too.
Reading
Anything, anywhere. Preferably in the shade of a tree, but underground rush hour might as well do.
City Culture: Art and Architecture
I grew up in a tiny village, and although I'm a nature lover that daily craves for forests and seaside, I am also amazed on how many things a city like London has to offer.
I often get lost in endless walks through the city, checking every detail in the architecture and the parks. Museums are my weak point here too, I normally forget time while inside, and only leave with the closing announcement.
Want to know my last discovery? The Royal Opera House. I will never have enough of those dancers, singers and all the amazing costumes and scenarios.
Crafts and Upcycling
Clothes, furniture, a branch from a tree... Just give me a flea market, a sewing machine, few tools and some paint and I am set to play for hours.