Soon Van

Always looking to learn and hone my programming skills.

PHP is my main programming language and I've been working freelance and web development contracts for over six years. I work primarily on the backend though often find myself doing plenty of frontend work from slicing the template to usability enhancements.

I'm using the Kohana MVC framework more and more to build newer projects with a hand also on osCommerce modifications and fixes. I work locally on a WAMP environment before deploying to LAMP servers and use Git for version control.

Australian born, I'm now living (and legally able to work) in the United States and open to remote or off-site opportunities.

Senior PHP developer

Xenex Media; January 2008 - Current

Hired to update an osCommerce module, was soon the lead and sole developer building and fixing various sites from interstate.

• Developed an XML data feed system that allows configured satellite osCommerce stores to import and update inventory based on a central repository of product information and images.
• Creating modules to extend osCommerce and CRE Loaded shopping cart sites.
• Designed and developed custom content management tools in PHP, building newer sites using the Kohana MVC framework.
• Extending and debugging existing CMS on an as-needed module upgrade, often in loose PHP and some using a Smarty system.
• Setup and design of bespoke content management system written in PHP, MySQL and using jQuery library enhancements on front and backend tools.
• Integrating or updating the payment gateways for PayPal Express Checkout, ANZ, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac third-party credit card authorisations.
• Manage and provide project feedback and reports to small teams the size of three or less.
• Writing status reports overseeing work done by remote teams.
• Testing and cursing cross-browser compatibility issues.
• Security audits and clean up of compromised osCommerce sites. Also writing a guide to guard against future exploits and what to do in cases of inherited sites falling victim.

Developer, Content Editor

the Comic Shop; October 2005 - Current

In addition to pitching, developing and designing the Comic Shop website, I worked on a casual basis in the retail store itself. Building relationships and rapport with the customers, I sorted shelves, cleaned the store and guided its feet into the social media networks.

• Created a custom built content management system in PHP and MySQL.
• Coordinated giveaways, competitions and instore & website publicity for upcoming film releases that related to the comic book industry with contacts I developed in short span at film distribution companies such as Sony Entertainment, Village Roadshow and Dendy Films.
• Copywriting weekly articles promoting new release comics and merchandise in order to draw interests to the site and retail store.
• Maintained side blog, Counterside Noise, that would provide alternative copy and extended the nature of the store atmosphere.
• Organically grew the mailing list to over 3000 subscribers through promotion of mailing-list only competitions.
• Designed various flyers used to promote the annual and birthday sale weekends.

PHP programmer

Create Studios; August 2006 - August 2007

For the bulk of my time I worked on an already heavily customised and extended version of osCommerce, Handband store that involved the following:

• Installing modules and customising the shopping cart software
• Reducing load and work time of custom JavaScript files by moving them into PHP served as JavaScript MIME type
• Testing and format of HTML email layouts
• Converted PSD mockups into XHTML/HTML templates for WordPress and osCommerce.

In February 2008 I was called back to help complete an internalisation and localisation project already underway for the Handband website. It was an interesting problem of further extending the osCommerce build to account for regional customers and handling add-on domains.

PHP developer

Think Unthinkable Pty Ltd; April 2006 - February 2007

Fast-paced environment working in a very small team which was actually adjunct to the MercerBell marketing and advertising media agency. High volume and constant flow of updates, changes and new projects meant it was always interesting to see what else was next and needed building.

• Cross-browser compatibility testing and optimising print versions of CSS.
• Writing scripts to transfer data between CSV and Excel spreadsheets into MySQL databases.
• Updating copy across a range of sites and EDMs.
• Writing and testing form validation and capture.
• Writing send-to-friend mailing and unsubscribing scripts.
• Configuring and tweaking Flash and XML (SimpleViewer) photo galleries.
• Server-to-server site migrations.
• Created an age-restricted photo gallery for the Jameson Ben Folds concert that auto-generated thumbnails from larger upload photos.
• Slicing HTML email templates for EDMs:
• Building microsites for various campaigns.

Documentation Specialist

KPMG Australia; July 2004 - October 2005

On a two month contract within a team of six, I stayed long after with rolling contract renewals based on my familiarity and verse with the organisation's policies and procedures with regard to documentation and the workflow of their SAP time-keeping system.

• Learning RWD InfoPak in a week in order to create the intranet user guides and documenting the business procedures.
• Technical writing and proofreading of user guides and business documentation.
• Talking with service level and business managers across different departments.
• Streamlining and updating the Visio flowcharts used in the documentation.
• Created the documentation for their SAP workflow by watching and interviewing how users interact and work with the system.

With my knowledge of the systems, tools and procedures, and my relationships with various managers and co-workers, I returned on a three month contract in a similar capacity and scope to my previous time there.