Lazar Ika
MPharm
About me
Highly motivated, dedicated, resourceful, optimal-solution-seeking, out-of-the-box-thinking, good‑spirited, pattern-spotting, forward thinking, inquisitive, fast and always learning druid turned software engineer, enjoying solving problems and seeing fruits of his creativity and labor work! :D
There is no problem I cannot solve.
My motto is:
Do the work you are going to be proud of.
I speak PHP, Java, Groovy, MySQL, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and making stuff work brings me great joy! :D
When it comes to frameworks, I have thorough experience working on two large-scale projects, one built on Grails (Spring, Hibernate, Groovy, Java) (DAMAGEiD backoffice), and the other using Laravel (charge&GO backoffice and client web app).
I have had some experience with Vue and React Native, and had finished a course on Spring and Hibernate.
I am experienced in working with domestic and US-based clients, requesting to work with me again and again.
I pride myself the most on doing my best to write code that will be easily understandable to other developers.
One of the benefits I bring to the table is proven high level of contribution
in the workforce, and in many areas: alongside software
development, organizing and optimizing processes and team work.
I have a rich history of high productivity in very intellectually demanding,
multidisciplinary positions, with recorded measurable outcomes
(see more in the Experience
section).
I am quick to understand new concepts, which comes prepackaged with my innate drive to always learn. I am naturally trying to make myself, my work, my environment, and my overall impact - better.
I strongly feel people should have a positive impact on each other’s lives, and I am doing my best to live accordingly. I think people should be happy and satisfied with their work, and I believe that those positive feelings naturally lead to better and more creative outcomes.
Apart from playing with my keyboard, I love spending time with people I love, having meaningful connections, dancing, listening to Diary of a CEO podcast, Mindvalley content, Einzelgänger, Brené Brown ❤, fr Richard Rohr ❤, and similar content, learning about philosophy, psychology, and sociology, and I love the time I get to spend in nature. I have shared some of my photos here.
I have shared the practical solutions that helped me overcome the issues
I encountered as a young programmer
here.
For instance,
setting up the Android emulator (AVD) on a Mac with the M1 chip (2021-07)
.
Step by step - just like I would like it. ;)
I am hoping maybe I can spare someone the time, energy, and nail-bitting I went through. :)
Portfolio
I wish I could feature my more recent work, but it is commercial (see links in the Experience section).
I have gone a long way in the meantime (code quality is horrible, looking at it with current eyes), but I still love the work I had done along my learning path. Especially the Dosage Calculator, as a gift to my colleagues, which I needed back when I was working in the pharmacy.
To see my work in action, click the corresponding links, or view source code on GitHub.
p5.js force & bounce
p5.js (JavaScript library)
2020/11
This was only a beginnig of having some fun for fun's sake.
This example deals with velocity, acceleration, force, collision; physics and code.
* Make sure you click to apply force.
Force is applied from click position.
Post-It Notes V5.1.x MVC
Java
(Spring & Hibernate, Spring Security, Maven)
user authentication, and registration
V5.1.2 - default security tables code
V5.1.3 - custom security tables code
MySQL - code
2020/08
Back-end project.
Currently in the process of making.
User needs to log in in order to add, edit and delete notes.
User registration is enabled.
The app uses Spring Security for user authentication, Spring MVC and Hibernate to perform CRUD operations on a MySQL DB, and JSP for the UI.
Post-It Notes V5.x MVC
Java (Spring & Hibernate)
V5.0 - XML configuration - code
V5.1.1 - All Java config & Maven - code
MySQL - code
2020/07 | 2020/08
Back-end project.
Currently in the process of making.
User can add, edit and delete notes.
App uses Spring and Hibernate to perform CRUD operations on a MySQL DB, and JSP for the UI.
Dosage Calculator
HTML CSS JavaScript
2020/01
(Source code on demand)
Calculate ibuprofen and paracetamol syrup dosage for children, based on input body weight, as quickly as possible.
Post-It Notes V4.0 [array]
HTML CSS JavaScript
2019/12
Post-it notes.
In the process of being extended into a full-stack project
First Personal Website
HTML CSS JavaScript
2019/12
I wanted to make myself present online and showcase my work, practicing the craft I was learning.
Pluralsight Profile
Java
2020/04
I took Pluralsight's Java proficiency test prior to taking courses in April and got Java IQ 153, 52nd percetile.
freeCodeCamp Portfolio
JavaScript
Since 2019/11
Solving freeCodeCamp challenges while learning JavaScript.
Experience (Since 2014/07)
Software Developer (Oct. 2020 – Present)
@ Piktogram Studio, Belgrade
Programming :D / Solving problems
-
DAMAGEiD
(backoffice) - Grails 4 full stack web app
(large-scale; US-based client):
Groovy, Java, MySQL;
a few assignment examples, alongside CRUD:
- create a page accessible to super admin,
listing cases with S3 and DB photo numbers, checking discrepancies and fixing them (recent comlex feature, very proud of it);
- create API endpoint and business logic for uploading photos to AWS S3;
- create API endpoints (and logic) for listing and updating entities (with documentation);
- handle specific image caching, local and on AWS CloudFront;
- generate dynamic thumbnails using significant letters of labels (data fetched from the DB);
- annotate images using coordinates from the database;
- edit JasperReports elements, generate PDF, share via email;
- add new list filters;
- custom position silhouettes and sample images
(contact me for videos; with client’s permission);;
- and many, many more; :)
-
Charge&GO suite (backoffice &
client
web app) - Laravel 9 full stack web apps
(large-scale; MySQL) - CRUD; views, validation, controller logic, APIs;
- Convert an existing PHP web app to Laravel 8 (app using MySQL);
- Vue
app
maintenance, fixes and improvements;
- WordPress plugins:
- custom door design tool;
-
generate PDFs
from GET parameters and attach them to Contact Form 7 emails;
-
documentation and publishing
;
- React Native:
- create web conference app prototype;
- Charge&GO mobile app publishing;
- Build an Android game using Cordova and
Processing -> p5.js :D
- Android app edits: new layouts, functionality, and localization.
Professional Experience in the Field of Pharmacy
(Jul. 2014 – May 2019)
I firmly believe is relevant because it made me. And my accomplishments and relations tell a story about me as a colleague, a leader, and an employee.
The fact that the large pharmacy I was in charge of as a Pharmacy Manager had annual revenue growth 2.7 times greater than the average, shows that I can organize a large system, handle multiple different intellectually highly challenging duties, analyze and optimize processes, be a good mentor, motivate a group of people to function as a family, and provide high quality, client-centered service.
The fact that I spoke to and tried to solve problems of tens of thousands of patients as a Pharmacist taught me how to "read minds" ;) and made me highly apt to spot misunderstandings in communication, both with personal engagement, and between other people. Both very useful.
The fact that I was chosen by colleagues to be a Member of Pharmaceutical Chamber of Serbia Assembly and President of the Court of Honor, shows the esteem in which my colleagues see me, based on the experiences we had had together, and the contribution I made.
The fact that I was chosen by our headquarters to be an Article registry team member shows that my IT aptitude and organization skills were always being used and recognized.
These experiences are highly relevant, and paint glimpses of a picture of me and the value I bring to a team, a project, people, work, and an organization, as an employee, and as a human being.
Pharmacy Manager (Nov. 2015 – Aug. 2018)
Licensed Pharmacist, primary healthcare provider
(Aug. 2015 – May 2019)
@ ZUA Farmanea, Dr.Max
Pharmacy management / stock management / professional correspondence / pricing / relations with Health center healthcare providers / documentation management / patient care and counseling, meeting individual needs / Rx drugs dispensing
- mean revenue increase of 33.69% in 2017 (industry standard is 10-15%);
- above average stock parameters;
- six satisfied and motivated employees operating as a family;
- two employees mentored from their professional beginnings;
- around a thousand satisfied patients (clients);
- twelve physicians, Health center director and two RFZO employees satisfied with the cooperation with our pharmacy;
- satisfied regional manager and the institution headquarters;
Article registry team member (Jun. 2018 – Oct. 2018)
@ Dr.Max
Article registry optimization (duplicates, names, codes, bar codes, categories…) / delivery registry mapping / software migration preparation / approximately 28 000 articles
President of the Court of Honor, first-instance;
Assembly member (May 2018 – Feb 2021)
@ Pharmaceutical Chamber of Serbia
Skills & Traits
Resourceful and unrelenting problem solving
Top 1% IQ (according to MENSA)
Analytical thinking
Process optimization
Perpetual learning drive
Interpersonal & communication skills
Humane leadership
Written correspondence
Care
Superpowers
Unrelenting, out of the box problem solving;
Keen and natural observer, noticer of patterns,
imperfections, issues, and potential issues;
Hearing between the lines; spotting
misunderstandings people are not actually aware of;
Automatically creating and optimizing procedures;
Professional and impactful writing.
Technology, Frameworks, Tools
| PHP |
| Java |
| Groovy |
| MySQL |
| JavaScript |
| HMTL |
| CSS |
| Laravel |
| Grails |
| Spring & Hibernate |
| Vue |
| jQuery |
| React Native |
| Cordova |
| p5.js / Processing |
| Git |
| AWS S3 |
| Maven |
| Gradle |
| AI |
Engineering Ethos
Strongly driven to write code that is as human-readable and understandable as possible, striving to make life (and work) easier for the future programmer who inherits it.
"Do the work you are going to be proud of."
References
Contact information omitted for privacy reasons.
* Contact me directly for my references' and iMentor's contact information.
Personal
These are my most tangible interests, hobbies, pastimes and passions:
dancing,
deep, meaningful conversations,
philosophy, sociology, psychology,
helping people,
music,
antiquated games (GTA: San Andreas, Test Drive Unlimited 2);
and here are some of my photos I love the most.
Solutions Blog
I have shared the practical solutions that helped me overcome the issues
I encountered as a young programmer
here.
For instance,
setting up the Android emulator (AVD) on a Mac with the M1 chip (2021-07)
.
Step by step - just like I would like it. ;)
I am hoping maybe I can spare someone the time, energy, and nail-bitting I went through. :)
Other Keywords
process optimization, thinking outside the box, creative, fixer, time management, prioritizing, teamwork, collaboration, precision, consistency, detail oriented, systematic, above and beyond, adaptable, flexible, versatile, proactive, loyal, dependable, respectful, research, common sense, improvement, structure, order, Cursor, Copilot
Contact & Profiles
Feel free to contact me!