Curriculum Vitae
If you'd like to read my Curriculum Vitae (resume), then I've provided a PDF below for your convenience, which should show up in most browsers. I've decided to format it as a single page document, to keep it concise! To see my full work history and what other people have said about me, scroll down a bit further.
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Business card share
In case you'd like the digital version of my business card, you can also find it here. I guess they're not that popular nowadays, but a bit of added personality doesn't hurt.
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Work History and Feedback share
I couldn't actually fit all of the information about my work history within the CV, while keeping it short and concise. So, should you care about my entire professional career up to this point, feel free to have a look below, to read more about the companies I've worked for, what I've done for them and what some of my colleagues and clients have said about me.
2017 - 2023 Software Developer
Autentica was my first serious entry into the career of a Software Developer. It actually started with the "Career day" event in my university at the time. One interview lead to another and due to some positive experiences, I was hired directly as a developer, sidestepping the otherwise common practice of doing an internship first.
I actually shipped production software within my first months in the company, benefiting a lot from the guidance and mentorship of those more experienced than me at the time. However, it wasn't long before I could give back to make this investment in me truly worthwhile - I quickly utilized most of the opportunities offered to me here, such as attending many development conferences, both internal and industry wide ones, practiced my skills in any number of greenfield projects and before long, was the one mentoring others and leading internal seminars.
Over my career at Autentica, I've worked on many projects for both governmental organizations as well as those in the private sector, including some in the top 10 largest companies in the entire country. Many of the systems that I've helped develop have been featured in the State Register of Information Systems (VISR) and some have even been considered critical for successfully conducting their business processes.
Not only that, but I've also explored numerous technologies and practices to make both the development process as well as the systems created by it easier to manage and reason about, more capable at scaling and achieving better error tolerance, as well as ways to increase their observability, security and even discoverability for the developers as well. It is in great part thanks to my efforts that we've benefited greatly from container technologies, IaC tools like Ansible and even APM solutions like Apache Skywalking.
Of course, it's not enough to be a technically capable individual or just to be right - software development is rarely a solitary activity, therefore I always strive to be a pleasant coworker and a positive influence upon others. In addition, this also means that i care not only about UI/UX or other metrics, but also DX - the experience that other developers will have with the fruits of my labor, therefore my code is generally well commented and has a nice amount of thought put into onboarding processes and additional tooling to actually help the other developers.
I'm also very much appreciative of the lovely people of Autentica supporting me in my journey and being so forthcoming towards my constant drive to improve myself and the projects that I work on.
Data from my performance review, 2021
I view Kristiāns as an experienced and knowledgeable developer.
The company should involve Kristiāns as much as possible in the standardization and automation of software development processes, as well as containerization and even sales processes.
We also value him leading seminars and his interest in the industry wide conferences and the topics covered in them.
Note: Note: the original feedback was in Latvian, I've translated it into English. The performance review document was internal and contained project specifics, therefore it's not publicly available.
Data from my performance review, 2020
Kristiāns has very extensive knowledge of various technologies and solutions, which helps him evaluate the best solution in any given situation.
All of his daily tasks are performed very accurately and thoroughly, his attitude should be especially commended.
He attempts to reproduce, fix, test and document every problem, which would otherwise be very complicated and would take a lot of time.
Note: Note: the original feedback was in Latvian, I've translated it into English. The performance review document was internal and contained project specifics, therefore it's not publicly available.
Data from my performance review, 2019
Kristiāns has reached a level, where he can be given any new technology or project with little to no issues. He can learn what's necessary and give feedback in a very short span of time.
Currently he is familiar with many different technologies and can offer solutions in systems, where previously none were known and find alternative solutions where necessary.
He shares his knowledge with both others in the project, and the company as a whole.
I currently consider Kristiāns to be one of the best programmers in both the project and the company as a whole.
Note: Note: the original feedback was in Latvian, I've translated it into English. The performance review document was internal and contained project specifics, therefore it's not publicly available.
Data from my performance review, 2018
Kristiāns is very independent and has been able to develop new functionality with little managerial involvement, also participating in the requirement engineering process, giving suggestions and both simplifying the technical implementation, as well as allowing business processes to be optimized.
In regards to a recent project, Kristiāns quickly learn a new framework which let us meet our deadlines. He does quality testing of the features that he has developed and so far our clients haven't reported a single bug, merely asking for more additional functionality instead.
He is responsible and plans his time well.
Note: Note: the original feedback was in Latvian, I've translated it into English. The performance review document was internal and contained project specifics, therefore it's not publicly available.
Data from my performance review, 2017
Kristiāns communicates and collaborates with colleagues well, he dedicates himself to the projects and solves problems efficiently.
Although he has only recently joined the project, his involvement is already noticeable.
He consults the other participants in the project to get the necessary information about the system processes and the desired outcomes, as well as listens to feedback and offers his own.
He can also keep his cool under pressure. I think that this quality lets him do his job well.
He is oriented towards self improvement and innovation and therefore is open to undertaking new challenges and learning new skills and technologies.
Note: Note: the original feedback was in Latvian, I've translated it into English. The performance review document was internal and contained project specifics, therefore it's not publicly available.
2015 - 2021 Computer Science Student (first for a Bachelor's Degree, then for a Master's Degree)
I've decided to list my time in the Riga Technical University under my experience, since it was a formative period, during which I managed to learn a lot and explore a variety of topics, practices and technologies, as well as develop a few interesting software projects.
I think that it is too often when students are dismissive of the opportunities that are available to them and as a consequence don't make the best of this period.
In contrast, I went above and beyond:
- I participated in programming competitions (I even won a PS4 in one)
- I explored new technologies together with professors and other coeds (such as attempting to create a deductive database in MySQL, or comparing Oracle with PostGIS in regards to storage and processing of geospatial data)
- I attended scientific conferences, and many other events
- I somehow even fit in a peer reviewed research paper in there, aside from my main Bachelor's and Master's thesis
Of course, I eventually chose to pursue a Professional Master's Degree, which also necessitated a research praxis and a development oriented praxis, both of which I successfully did in the company that employed me at the same time, in parallel to my studies. Somehow the boundary between the academic aspects and what's a practical application of my career blurred and transitioned into the latter quite nicely.
That said, I still appreciated the time spent in the University and getting to learn many lessons even outside of lectures - such as undertaking the creation of a microservice architecture as a group project and eventually developing about 6 services in 3 different programming languages myself, because the other group members weren't able to participate in such a capacity.
Data from my Master's Diploma, 2021
From 2018 to 2021 I was working on my professional (applied science oriented) Master's Degree in the "Computer Systems" study programme.
I successfully graduated it in 2021 with my Master's thesis receiving a passing grade of 10/10 and my average weighted mark thus being 98%, earning me the qualification of:
Professional Master Degree in Computer Systems and Qualification of Programming Engineer
Note: To get the additional Programming Engineer qualification, I also completed two separate praxes: one research and one development oriented, during both of which I worked as a Software Developer in a company within the ICT industry for months, documenting my experiences and summarizing them in reports that were defended, similarly to how my thesis also was.
Note: RTU is a state-founded and state-accredited university, my qualification conforms to the 7th level of European Qualifications Framework (EQF). It is also the highest level attainable, short of pursuing a Doctor's Degree.
The topic of my thesis was:
Development of a Tool for the Support of the Docker Container Technology
With the formal aspects out of the way, if you're interested in the topic, I'd be more than glad to talk more about it, or my experience with higher education!
Note: The contents of the file are in two languages: Latvian and English
Data from my Bachelor's Diploma, 2018
From 2015 to 2018 I was working on my academic (research oriented) Bachelor's Degree in the "Computer Systems" study programme.
I successfully graduated it in 2018 with my Bachelor's thesis receiving a passing grade of 10/10 and my average weighted mark thus being 84%, earning me the qualification of:
Bachelor Degree of Engineering Science in Computer Control and Computer Science
Note: RTU is a state-founded and state-accredited university, my qualification conforms to the 6th level of European Qualifications Framework (EQF).
The topic of my thesis was:
Comparison of Java EE and ASP.NET Core Technologies in Development of Web Applications
With the formal aspects out of the way, if you're interested in the topic, I'd be more than glad to talk more about it, or my experience with higher education!
Note: The contents of the file are in two languages: Latvian and English
2016 - 2017 Freelance developer
Upwork was my first venture into being a software developer professionally. I actually started taking on projects and seeking out clients whilst studying for my Bachelor's Degree in CS.
The competition for projects was pretty tough, but it also let me learn and explore a variety of different skills throughout the development process. The technologies that I worked with were also similarly diverse, as were the domains:
- one week I was working on a visualization for stock price changes over time
- another week I was helping someone with game development
- yet another week I was doing web development
As always, I rather enjoy learning about new technologies and learning new skills. Thankfully I got to do just that, not being limited to a small silo and a limited set of responsibilities, but rather being able to gradually increase the scope and variety of projects that I could successfully undertake, as my skills got better.
Personally, I would have also enjoyed continuing being a freelance developer, however I wanted to experience how other companies in the industry handle internal development projects and consulting, so eventually I moved on and proceeded to gain a lot of useful skills and insights in my further pursuits.
My only words of caution about the freelancing industry would be to suggest that cost of living and other expenses must be taken into account when attempting to do this (especially since the work isn't always consistent, like a traditional 9-5) and that not only the importance of communication, but also that of gathering quality requirements cannot be overstated!
Data from my Upwork reviews, 2016
This is what you call a Gem. Had nothing but wonderful interactions with him. Very skilled, attentive to details and great communication. Would hire again in a heartbeat!
Note: Upwork protects the privacy of the clients, hence I offer countries not names here.
Data from my Upwork reviews, 2016
Kristians Kronis delivered good work on this Java development project and I enjoyed working with him. His communication was top-notch, he met all deadlines, and his skills were reasonably strong. At one point I asked for an additional milestone and he welcome the extras. He helped me a lot. I enjoyed working with Kristians and will likely have additional jobs for him in the future. He's the best.
Note: Upwork protects the privacy of the clients, hence I offer countries not names here.
Data from my Upwork reviews, 2016
Along to the high quality of work, adherence to deadlines and good communication, I did also very much appreciate the concise and professional regular status updates that allowed me to always know where the development stands. Any unclarity in my specifications was addressed efficiently by Kristians to avoid any delay of the delivery. While making sure that we had enough time to test the deliverable, Kristians even delivered the prototype well ahead of the originally planned schedule.
Kristians showed a good amount of flexibility and contributed with great input making the developed prototype better than originally planned. I can highly recommend working with Kristians and look forward to doing so for further projects.
Note: Upwork protects the privacy of the clients, hence I offer countries not names here. This person also choose to make the project private, hence I've also excluded their location.
Data from my Upwork reviews, 2016
Of all the proposals I received, Kristians' was one of the very few that had really read and engaged with the brief. Kristians was communicative throughout, talked me through what he was doing and what approach he would take and why. He uses his expertise to bring ideas and suggestions to the project that I would not have thought to consider, and did a substantial amount of additional work outside the original scope, simply because it would make the project better. For a non-expert such as myself, this not only provided reassurance that things were on track and being done to a high standard, but also allowed me an opportunity to better understand the development process and increase my own knowledge.
Kristians is the whole package - a capable and resourceful developer with polished project and communication skills, who takes responsibility and initiative in leading the project from his end. I would not hesitate to recommend him.
Note: Upwork protects the privacy of the clients, hence I offer countries not names here.
Data from my Upwork reviews, 2016
Kristians Kronis has proven to be an excellent choice after reviewing more than 14 candidates who applied for this project. We have worked with more than 20 various freelancers worldwide - from China to Brazil and we put Kristians at the top of our list:
- he has passion about the work he does
- he always communicates clearly and effectively
- always has more input and alternative ways of solving problems as they arise most often in any program development
- precise in the way he manages coding
- carefully reviews work given to us to insure all the goals are met.
Note: Upwork protects the privacy of the clients, hence I offer countries not names here.
Data from my Upwork reviews, 2016
Where do I start with Kristians? He has been one of the best freelancers I've worked with in my entire life. His ability to program and create exactly as I wished was incredible. We agreed to a limited about of goals for our project, not only did he achieve them without an issue, he did a lot more than we agreed to. Towards the end of the project, I had a lot of issues which were time-consuming and far more than what was required of him. He fixed them and helped me with them without hesitation.
In the end, he programmed a Steam Quality game just by himself.
It was great working with him and he will be my go to guy for any future projects.
Note: Upwork protects the privacy of the clients, hence I offer countries not names here.