Getting Involved: Supporting BCS Pride and LQBTQ+ Representation
After over a year as a BCS member, I'm taking next steps to become more involved, support professional standards and support the LGBTQ+ tech community.
Tech-driven developer with a project-focus
Alex Mac
Developer with over 3 years of experience in web development.
LLB graduate from University of Derby Law School, BSc Computer Science graduate from The Open University and currently pursuing a Masters in project, innovation and technology management.
About me
Hello and warm welcome to my personal development site! This site was originally intended to be a showcase for some of the technical skills I have gained during my time working as a Web Developer, however it has turned more into a blog of sorts about my personal development journey.
I plan to continually update this site, as and when time allows, outside of my academic and working commitments. Although it looks a little empty at the moment, I intend to attempt to maintain the site with periodic updates where I will share my recent developments.
If you're wanting to reach out or learn a bit more about me, check out the following socials:
Work experience
Junior Production Engineer
Difford's Guide, United Kingdom
2021 - 2025
Production Engineer part of a small but highly experienced IT team.
Day to day tasks involved helping maintain one of the world’s most popular cocktail websites building on and further developing my skills gained from my BSc through working with various computing and programming languages.
My role exposed me to all aspects of development: helping maintain the frontend, making necessary changes to the backend and also assisting with patching and other sysadmin tasks.
Customer Assistant
Tesco, United Kingdom
2019 - 2021
Retail position involving various tasks such as PayPoint, National Lottery, Click + Collect and sales through the Tesco POS system.
Ecommerce Coordinator
Stan's Pals Limited, United Kingdom
2017 - 2019
Oversaw the development and maintaining of the ecommerce side of the business, ensuring that selected store products were available to potential customers on our website, and that stock levels, descriptions and photos were accurate.
The role also involved operational management, making use of my IT and legal skills to manage various aspects of the business both online and offline.
Bus Driver
Arriva Bus, United Kingdom
2017 - 2019
Developed problem solving skills, as well as improving my overall skills interacting with members of the public with different requirements and from a variety of different cultures.
Director
Stan's Pals Limited, United Kingdom
2015 - 2016
Founding director of a small local business specialising in pet services. Planned and developed the first website for the company, as well as assisting in the development of policies and procedures.
Education
Master of Science (Technology Management)
The Open University
2024 - Present
Currently studying my Masters, with a focus on aspects relating to innovation management, strategic capabilities, sustainable organisations and project management and data management.
This qualification will assist me in my continual personal development and my desire to transition towards leadership and managerial roles within the tech industry in the future.
Bachelor of Science (Computing and IT)
The Open University
2017 - 2022
Undergraduate degree in Computer Science, with a more specialised pathway relating to development and engineering modules, as well as UI/UX.
This degree provided me with the foundations to get me to where I am today in my career.
Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
University of Derby
2012 - 2015
Undergraduate degree in Law, covering all aspects of domestic and international law.
This degree provided me with many transferable and valuable skills that are important when dealing with clients and considering legislation.
Skills
Below is a list of some of my key personal proficiencies.
Problem-solving
Proficient in assessing and approaching problems in a logical way to achieve a solution, working both on my own initiative and recognising where external input is required.
Time management, planning and organisation skills
Skilled at managing academic study, full time working and carer responsbilities on a day-to-day basis. Organisational and planning skills ensure I can fulfil work, personal and academic commitments.
Communication
Experienced in communicating effectively and fostering good positive relationships with those around me, and the importance of good verbal communication to ensure others feel comfortable and valued. Also aware of the need for good non-verbal communication, especially in remote roles and when working with clients.
User Interface/User Experience
Mindful of the need for good design and a positive user experience, appreciative of great design that is easy to use and aesthetically pleasing.
Analytics
Proficient in analytical skills, allowing me to assess situations and also detect possible anomolies and issues.
Keen to learn
I have a strong desire to constantly develop and refine my skills, whilst also enjoying continous learning.
Versatility
Knowledgeable in a variety of past academic and employment fields, building up a strong work ethic to adapt and learn new concepts quite quickly.
Attention to detail
Diligent in regard to the attention to detail and the quality of my work, allowing me to produce work of a high standard and learning from errors.
Ambitious
Keen to progress and expand my knowledge base, whilst understanding and welcoming the knowledge and experience I can gain from others.
Portfolio Examples
Below are some of the projects I’ve carried out to develop my skills further. Most of these are from projects I’ve undertaken in my spare time or academic studies to learn more about various technologies.
Project 1:
Healthcare App for home carers (Open University)
Description:
For my final project of my BSc I embarked on creating and logging the project process of building a web application for a health dashboard that would assist home healthcare workers with managing appointments and medications for their patients. This incorporated many of the skills learnt as part of my degree.
Role:
As an academic project for my degree, I took on a variety of roles including project management, user interface design and active development for both frontend and backend tasks.
Project 2:
Simple Responsive Image Gallery example
Description:
Developed a responsive and interactive image gallery using HTML, CSS and JavaScript, designed to demonstrate strong UI/UX principles across both desktop and mobile devices. The project also serves as a personal showcase, offering insight into my personality, interests and values through thoughtful layout and design.
Role:
Undertook a full design and development process, implementing dynamic modal functionality with JavaScript, responsive styling with custom CSS and HTML structure. Focused on creating an accessible, engaging user experience that balances technical execution with personal expression.
Blog Posts
View all posts »Read some articles where I share some of my thoughts on various topics related to technology, both specific to certain products and to various technologies and other interests within the field.
Personal Development, Project Management, Career Musings
After four months into studying Project Management as part of my Masters, I may have found my true calling.
So... how do you test an AI system?
Attended a webinar with the BCS on the topic of AI testing, with QAT Professional Bryan Jones
Where I was, Where I am, Where I want to be
So as of this month I've made a start on my journey to gain a Masters, starting with the exciting world of project management!