Stefan Dominicus
Passionate about solving problems, dedicated, hard working, and creative.
Let's build something amazing together!
Skills
Programming & Electronics
Throughout my schooling and studies, in my career as a software engineer, and in my personal hobbies, I have always enjoyed solving problems with computers. I work with Python, Docker, GCP, Git and SQL on a daily basis. I also have experience with Java, C/C++, MATLAB, ReactJS, HTML and CSS. While I enjoy the freedom and flexibility of software, I find the tangible nature of problem solving with hardware very rewarding. I've spent many years tinkering with various Arduino and Raspberry Pi platforms, which have proved very useful in my personal projects. While studying at UCT, I worked with an STM32F0 micro-controller on a number of projects in courses covering circuit design, assembly, and troubleshooting.
Productivity
It may not be the most glamorous of skills, but reporting and presenting results are an important part of any workplace. I am proficient with most of the MS Office Suite, and I also have experience using macros and VBA scripting in Excel. With so much being done on cloud-based platforms, I have also become very comfortable using Google's productivity suite. I am also used to preparing and presenting Jupyter notebooks, both locally and cloud-based (GCP or Google Colab), for interactive data science applications.
Welding & Fabrication
A few years ago, this would probably have gone on my hobbies page. However, my inner maker has driven me to create a highly functional home workshop which I use for all kinds of projects. I have become particularly interested in welding, and I have invested many hours developing both the knowledge and skill required for various types of welding. The freedom this brings has allowed me to use a wider range of materials and manufacturing processes in my personal projects. For example, my custom café racer conversion put many of the skills and techniques I've developed to use. Have a look at my projects page for more info on this. Here's some pictures of a balustrade I designed and built for a small home renovation, which required a wide range of design and fabrication skills.
CAD & CAM
At high school I was introduced to Google SketchUp, which revolutionized the way I planned my projects and communicated my ideas to others. I have since become very comfortable working with Autodesk Fusion 360, which I find more intuitive compared to SolidWorks (which I used throughout my studies at UCT). The fact that F360 integrates both Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacture (CAM) workflows is something I find very useful. While I sometimes use F360 simply as a way to communicate ideas, I also rely on it when using my 3D Printer and CNC Router (see my projects page for more info on this). Through my electronics courses at university, I gained some experience with Altium Designer, although I do not do much PCB design in my personal projects.
Leadership
I am a natural leader, and prefer to lead by example rather than by instruction. I held a number of leadership roles at school, most notably as Head of House for my matric year. I demonstrated my abilities as an effective leader throughout high school, and also developed a number of useful skills and tactics for managing conflicts and achieving goals. In recognition of my abilities, I was awarded Full Colours for leadership at the end of my matric year. At university, I often assumed a leadership role in group projects, and also captained my league squash team in 2019.
Organization
I am definitely more productive in an organized environment, which has driven me to develop a number of organizational skills and habits over the years. These have proved very useful in all of my projects. I always stay on top of work, and manage my deadlines well to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks. Working remotely from 2020 onwards has been a validation of these skills, requiring that I maintain a high standard of work, while also retaining an orderly separation between my work and personal life - especially important when they exist in the same room.
Teamwork
I have had many opportunities to hone my conduct in a team environment, and I've definitely learnt something new after every group project or production management team I've been a part of. I think this skill ties in quite closely with my leadership abilities. Even when I do not assume a leadership role in a group environment, I tend to be very aware of what a leader would want from their team, allowing my behaviour to be conducive to the group's functioning.