Harrison Cook

Software Engineer, Enterprise Cloud, Full‑Stack Developer

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About Me

Gallery Profile Picture Example Photography Example Photography On Stage Picture

Growing up in a world filled with music and performing, my early years were shaped by rhythm and stage presence. While the arts nurtured my creativity, it was the intricate logic of digital technologies that ultimately captured my curiosity.

With a strong foundation in calculus and a passion for creative expression through photography and theatre, I discovered programming - an elegant fusion of precision and artistry. It's a discipline that, much like music, follows structure yet allows for boundless innovation. Today, I've traded compositions for code, developing solutions that balance efficiency, structure, and long-term viability. Whether refining algorithms for sustained performance or engineering systems built to endure, I thrive on transforming complex theories into practical, resilient applications.

As a Software Engineer with 3 years of industry experience, I currently specialize in TypeScript and C# development, complemented by a broad array of integration technologies. My fascination lies in understanding software at its most fundamental levels, where hardware and code intersect. I am eager to deepen my expertise in engineering highly specialized, efficient solutions that require a comprehensive understanding of the hardware they operate upon.

Beyond technical expertise, my background in musical theatre has honed my ability to communicate, collaborate, and present effectively. I bring a unique blend of creativity and precision to every project, fostering an environment of technical excellence and innovation. Ready to build something remarkable? Let's orchestrate solutions together.



Education

Bachelor of Engineering with First Class Honors
Majoring in Software Engineering

Victoria University - 📍 Wellington, NZ

📅 Feb 2018 - Nov 2021

Achievements
  • Specialization: Networked Applications
  • 2021 Dean's List for Academic Excellence
  • 2020 Dean's List for Academic Excellence
  • 2019 Dean's List for Academic Excellence
  • 2018 Dean's List for Academic Excellence

View Transcript (PDF)


National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)

Marlborough Boys' College - 📍 Marlborough, NZ

📅 Feb 2013 - Nov 2017

Achievements:
  • Level 1 with Excellence Endorsement
  • Level 2 with Excellence Endorsement
  • Level 3 with Excellence Endorsement

View Transcript (PDF)



Work History

Software Engineer at Xero

📅 Aug 2024 – Now
📍 Wellington, NZ

  • Proactively identified opportunities for process and code quality improvements, actively participating in discussions to propose solutions.
  • Contributed to enhancing the quality and stability of existing legacy systems through targeted bug fixes and code enhancements.
  • Assisted in analyzing and resolving issues within legacy applications, gaining familiarity with production challenges.

Software Engineer at Z Energy

📅 Nov 2021 – Aug 2024
📍 Wellington, NZ

  • Fast-tracked from Graduate to Engineer within 6 months (bypassing Junior status) due to exceptional technical growth and trusted contributions, outpacing my peers.
  • Designed, developed, and deployed full-stack, data-centric microservice solutions using TypeScript or C# in Azure.
  • Operated within a robust development environment leveraging Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for cloud resources and adhering to rigorous practices for documented, monitored production deployments.

Software Engineer Intern at Raygun

📅 Nov 2020 – Feb 2021
📍 Wellington, NZ

  • Designed, developed, and published a React Native NPM library, streamlining integration with Raygun's crash reporting and monitoring software.
  • Gained hands-on experience in the full lifecycle of software library production, including development, packaging, and distribution, now applied in building internal frameworks.
  • Transitioned from academic learning to practical industry development, collaborating in a professional software environment to deliver impactful solutions.


Portfolio

🛠 Toolbelt

An overview of the technologies that I could work with.

.NET
  • 📦 ASP.NET [Enterprise]
  • 📦 Blazor [Interest]
  • 💻 C# [Enterprise, Interest]
  • 💻 F# [Interest]
DevOps
  • ☁️ AWS [Enterprise]
  • ☁️ Azure [Enterprise]
  • 🔗 Git [Enterprise, Education, Interest]
  • 🔨 GitHub (VCS, Actions, Workspace) [Enterprise, Education, Interest]
  • 📊 NewRelic [Enterprise]
  • 🔨 Terraform [Enterprise]
IDE
  • 🌐 Arduino [Education]
  • 🌐 Eclipse [Education]
  • 🌐 IntelliJ IDEA [Education]
  • 🌐 Neovim [Interest]
  • 🌐 Rider [Enterprise, Interest]
  • 🌐 Vim [Education, Interest]
  • 🌐 Visual Studio [Enterprise, Interest]
  • 🌐 Visual Studio Code [Enterprise, Education, Interest]
  • 🌐 WebStorm [Enterprise, Interest]
Low Level
  • 💻 C [Education, Interest]
  • 💻 C++ [Education, Interest]
  • 💻 Rust [Education, Interest]
  • 💻 Zig [Interest]
Mobile
  • 💻 Dart [Interest]
  • 📦 Flutter [Interest]
  • 📦 React Native [Enterprise, Interest]
Node.js
  • 💻 CSS [Enterprise, Education, Interest]
  • 💻 HTML [Enterprise, Education, Interest]
  • 💻 JavaScript [Enterprise, Education, Interest]
  • 📦 Next.js [Interest]
  • 📦 React [Education, Interest]
  • 📦 Tailwind [Interest]
  • 💻 TypeScript [Enterprise, Education, Interest]
  • 📦 Vue.js [Enterprise, Interest]
Operating Systems
  • 💻 Windows [Enterprise, Education, Interest]
  • 💻 Linux [Education, Interest]
Scripting
  • 💻 Bash [Enterprise, Interest]
  • 💻 Lua [Interest]
  • 💻 PowerShell [Interest]
  • 💻 Ruby [Education]

📚 My Projects

A collection of projects I had fun with (University / Personal).

University Projects

  • Bus-Sharp

    A web and mobile solution tackling Wellington's public transport issues, developed as a university team project.

    Technologies: 💻 React, 📱 React Native, 📄 TypeScript

    Links: Bus‑Sharp‑Ionic , Bus‑Sharp‑React‑Native


  • Chaps Challenge

    A modern take on Chip's Challenge, developed in Java Swing as a university group project.

    Technologies: ☕ Java

    Links: Chaps‑Challenge


  • M5-Stack BLE Network

    A solo project building a network of Arduino M5Stack ESP32 devices for weather data transmission via Bluetooth Low Energy.

    Technologies: 🌐 Arduino, ⚙ C++

    Links: None


Software Projects

  • Cookie-Nvim

    A journey into Neovim, learning its powerful features despite a steep learning curve. A future part of my custom setup.

    Technologies: 📝 Neovim, 🌙 Lua

    Links: cookie‑nvim


  • Cookie-Vim

    An extension of my Neovim challenge, stripping away all language assistance to master programming languages by heart.

    Technologies: 📝 Vim

    Links: cookie‑vim


  • Portfolio

    My developer portfolio - a testing ground for frontend development.

    Technologies: 📄 HTML, 🎨 CSS, 💻 JavaScript, 💚 Vue.js

    Links: dev‑portfolio


  • Snake-Game-Rlz

    Experimenting with Zig and Raylib for game development.

    Technologies: ⚡ Zig

    Links: snake‑game‑rlz


Development Projects

  • Mouseless Development

    Enhancing efficiency with keyboard-driven tools, eliminating reliance on a mouse.

    Technologies: 🐧 Bash, 🚀 PowerShell

    Links: None


  • OS-Linux

    Exploring Linux through system customization, shell scripting, and open-source workflows.

    Technologies: 🐧 Linux, 🐧 Bash

    Links: None


Hardware Projects

  • Planck-EZ Keyboard

    Customizing a 40% Planck EZ keyboard and refined key mappings for better ergonomics.

    Technologies: None

    Links: None


  • Glove80 Keyboard

    Optimizing the ergonomic Glove80 keyboard by refining layout and typing techniques.

    Technologies: None

    Links: None


  • PC-Building

    Building and optimizing personal computers with a focus on performance, component selection, and system architecture.

    Technologies: 🐧 Linux, 🗔 Windows

    Links: None