What this is.

In essence:

I'd like to work as an intern for web-engineering with you.

Currently I'm studying Information Engineering (think Computer Science with focus on Analysis & Visualization) in my second year at University Konstanz (southern Germany, right at the border to Switzerland).
And I need a break. Well, not a break in the sense to do nothing at all. Rather the opposite, I'd like to crank out some honest work, to make use of what I learned in University so far and for the most of it, reassure myself there is more to this whole matter than what we are taught in University.
So maybe you can help me help you — classic win-win, I'd say.

You might be wondering…

  1. Why just so few days left? I need to file my re-registration to University & pay tuition fees if all this doesn't work out. Also I'm sometimes late for stuff, never too late though. Anyway, I'm ready to take on all the efforts to handle paper-stuff like visa-application etc. in a blink.
  2. Why does this look so boring? I figured you would be curious to get a glimpse of who I am and this is best conveyed with text. True fact. Other than that I'm busy as hell as the end of the semester nears and multiple deadlines approach quickly, though I saw some decent online job-applications recently which make my attempt look ridiculous.
  3. What…? Continue reading, please.

Bored yet? Watch some photos from a short-trip to Berlin. I enjoy Street art.

What I'm looking for.

My vision is to craft real software for people with real needs and trying to make the world a better place thereby.

Agreed, this may sound idealistic but it's what I would love to do. Having the chance to apply what I learned in University so far, actively taking part in a company with culture, contribute ideas & deliver working solutions. The possibilities of today's and tomorrow's interconnectivity and its impact on society amaze me and helping you shape what is to come is what I would like to be able to.
I'm looking for an internship or a lab place. I don’t want to get lost inside a big corporate structure, rather I’m looking for an agile team or startup based in a non-German-speaking country.
I'm available from mid-August through whatever you can offer me, though our venture should be at least three months long. Additionally I'm fully aware of what relocation means and I'm eager to take it on.

What I offer.

It's probably best to also note the biggest weakness of my application right here: I didn't take time to contribute back to the open source community but plan to change this in the near future. Promised. Ideally this is part of your company culture and I'm able to put some effort in this right away.

Technical skills

I'm not going into too much detail here but everyone wants to show off a bit, right?

I have experience in:

  • The Web-Stack, top to bottom - rather top though, crafting User Interfaces and connecting them to a Backend
  • Getting things done with CakePHP
  • LaTeX, handling large Documentation
  • Planning software projects with outdated methods (Waterfall model anyone?)
  • Using my keyboard & Terminal
  • Java / JUnit
  • C# / WPF / XAML (just as of late)
  • C++ / OpenGL (just as of late)
  • SQL
  • R
  • Version Control
  • And after all, the Motivation to learn whatever Tool it takes to accomplish a goal.

I believe in the Web as the one true platform, and open Browsers & Protocols as the way to access it.

Over the course of the last semesters we explored a variety of Computer Science subjects: In Algorithm & Data structures we examined and evaluated the runtime of common algorithms. We also made use of graphs as Data structures and discussed the implications of Hashing.
In Analysis & Visualization we were introduced to the KDD-Process, various clustering- and classification algorithms and finally the Evaluation of Visualizations.
This semester we touched on Usability, current and forthcoming interaction patterns & where the Human fits in all this in the course Interactive Systems. As an exercise we produced a high-fidelity prototype in Microsoft Expression Blend.
The biggest challenge this semester was the Software Project where we planned, designed & implemented a Music Streaming System in a group of four. The deliverables were ~250 pages of Documentation and Diagrams plus ~6000 LOCs of Java.

It even made me grow a beard, as you can see further down. Now that it's finished I consider shaving…

Soft skills

I know you aren't just looking for a stupid workman and I can assure you, I'm more than that.

I love inefficiencies. Discovering, understanding and working on resolving them is something I enjoy.

I imagine abilities you look for are self-organization, capacity for teamwork, openness to learn new things & share, looking over the fence and perhaps most importantly, dedication. I believe I can deliver all of these.

Thanks to Everyday.app, but I only took so few mugshots… Yet you might want to check your prospective hire. I'll shave this week, yes.

As you already know, I'm currently pursuing my Bachelor degree in Konstanz. Besides, I'm a member of the campus group Études Sans Frontières where I lead the local Fundraising division. Our aim is to stabilize places of terror like the DR Congo, Chezchenya & Afghanistan by supporting students in our age with the means of stipends. Eike, former head of the group in Konstanz, wrote down some of his experiences with me (see below).
Finally, I’m running my own small IT business since 2005 and delivered projects in a variety of fields and size. Over the time I specialized in custom web-based solutions specifically designed to help medium-sized companies organize their portfolio and manage their websites.
You see, balancing workload is something I am used to.

Pickaxes, going vertical, UX & HN are more than just words and strange acronyms to me. I'm in the scoop on this kind of stuff.

I enjoy running, exploring (especially traveling and tasting exotic food), spontaneous cooking, conversations on social matters & photography. Phrasing thoughts is what I like as well, I currently just don't take enough time to do so, as you can see by skimming over the posts over at Running Code.
While in University I picked up some (okay, very very few) Arabic and Spanish, I'm fluent in English as you can read and the French I learned in high-school also floats around somewhere.

Home ♥ traveling here I've been places. Powered by iPhoto & Google Maps

Besides quite a number of places around Europe, I've been to Southeast Asia 2 x 2 months on my own, visiting Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia & Singapore. Yes, I have lots of travel recommendations.

Thank you, iPhoto & Google Maps, Europa Technologies, Geocentre Consulting, INEGI, MapLink, Tele Atlas.

I'm a deeply optimistic & calm person and I tend to infect others with that. I remind myself of the three important A's Attitude, Awareness & Authenticity every single day.
Still, I can maintain a neutral point of view and apply what I like to believe is common sense.

Random Facts.

  • Someday I'll finally manage to make T-Shirts with hipster slogans on them: I already have text.
  • I dig ampersands & ampersands.
  • I can party all night and get back to work the next morning.
    At least once every few days.
  • I own Apple hard- & software. I'm not a crazy fanboy though.
  • I'm 22.
  • Most of what I know about US politics comes from Jon Stewart,
    the most trusted source of news.
  • Constantly feeling wanderlust.
  • fyvm.com somehow inspires me day after day.
  • I draw attention to details.
  • I'm a Coffee-addict.
  • I support fair trade.
  • I'm a PADI certified scuba diver.
    Though I think their instruction videos are really cheesy.
  • Curry is a must-have in every kitchen.
    I can whip up a pretty decent meal with leftovers and some Curry, oh yes.
  • copypastecharacter.com is some kind of interface library to me.

What others say about me.

People I worked with kindly offered to write a few lines about me:

  • Eike Pockrandt, Études Sans Frontières (Konstanz)

    Eike and I met around May 2010 in Konstanz where I'm attending University. He led the campus group I organized a charity-run for and which I joined shortly after.

    Leo spent a notable amount of time developing and executing innovative fundraising concepts, including documenting instructions and results for later performances in our internal Wiki-platform. The emphasis on having a lasting effect by pushing on the development of company fundraising and the effort to establish simple organisational structures were on his primary focus.

    His exceptional good deal of initiative, his talent to integrate people with different backgrounds, his reliability & readiness to help others enriched and shaped our activities decisively.

    He has been a true asset to our community and will be sorely missed.

    — Eike, former head of the local campus group

  • Michael Konrath, forty-four Multimedia (Koblenz)

    When looking for work in between highschool-graduation, traveling and University in 2009, Michael took a chance and hired me to work on-location for his multimedia agency forty-four. I helped to plan & realize a locality-based ad-platform for a big social network in Germany.

    Because of his prior knowledge of web-technologies and readiness of mind Leo was able to independently identify problems and deliver suitable solutions on time.

    Leo actively took part in discussing features and proposed solutions on his own, which eventually were implemented in the final product.

    He collaborated with coworkers & our clients on solving technical issues, shared his knowledge and was a valuable addition to our team in general.

    — Michael

  • Jonathan Dörr, Wellenmacher GmbH (München)

    Most of my projects were contract work for Wellenmacher. I got to know Jonathan in 2005 and we collaborated on a number of projects of varying size since then. We just finished the Relaunch of north-windsurf.com.

    I always turn to Leo when I have technical questions. And he always provides me with a precise answer, either because he already knows it or he gets back to me after some purposeful research. His breadth of knowledge in everything web-related astonishes me over and over again.

    He owns a valuable point of view, which allows him to anticipate our clients needs and envision appropriate solutions. I'd hire him for my next project without doubt.

    — Jonathan

So what now?

Feel like I can help you out? Want to interview me? Think there is something missing here? Or you can forward my application to someone you know? Great, let's talk!

For your stalking pleasures:

I'm looking forward to talk to you. Enjoy your day.

-- Leo