That Guy Who Likes Pandas

I am Mikko Marttila — professional web developer, sinophile and hobbyist swimmer.

I am a web developer specializing in .NET Framework and .NET Core. I have worked for several years as a full-stack developer in various companies, using tech stacks consisting of .NET, IIS, Angular, MS SQL Server, Azure, JavaScript, CSS and more. Besides my technical knowledge, my experience working with organizations, whose membership base consists of tens of thousands of individuals, has trained me to learn GDPR procedures like the back of my hand.

Besides programming, there are a few other things close to my heart. Even though I originate from rural Finland, a part of me has always belonged to the bamboo forests of China. Since college I have been interested in East Asian history and cultures, and I even spent a language exchange year in Chengdu. If I didn't have to, I think I wouldn't have returned to Finland after my year there was up. One of the things I desire most in life is the ability to experience that wonderful time one more time and return to live and work in East Asia.

I am also a hobbyist swimmer. Not a competetive one by any stretch of the imagination, but competent enough to keep myself in shape and my heart in good condition. One can often spot me in my local swimming hall doing breast strokes. I also wear my Garmin fitness watch to keep track of my progress and keep myself motivated.

My goals

  • Work as a web developer, eventually up do Senior Developer, and Project Manager or equivalent
  • Live and work in East Asia
  • Write the most efficient, cleanest code the world has ever seen

My skills

  • .NET Core, .NET Framework, VB.NET
  • Angular, JavaScript, TypeScript
  • Bootstrap, CSS
  • SQL, MS SQL Server
  • Python, Java

My hobbies

  • Reading
  • Swimming
  • Writing

My interests

  • Nature & Sustainable Development
  • History
  • East Asian cultures
Timeline of my life

  • In the year 1995 AD, the world was finally graced with my existence. I was born just in time to witness the two miracles of the year that were the revolutionary operating system Windows 95 and Finland's first-ever men's ice hockey world championship.

    timeline
    1995

  • One day at the age of 10, I came across an online forum dedicated to a Finnish-made video game engine and scripting language called CoolBasic. This was the turning point in my life where I was introduced into the world of programming and I have been hooked ever since. Even though I did not understand concepts like "object" or "function" at the time, I somehow managed to program a simple game with a movable character, a procedurally generated forest and an enemy.

    timeline
    2005

  • I graduated from high school in 2014 and was accepted to study information technology in the University of Turku in the same year. After studying there for some time, I switched majors from information technology to more programming-oriented computer science.

    timeline
    2014

  • In 2015, as many other men of my age, I went on and performed my military service in the Finnish Defence Forces. I served in the Rocket Launcher Battery as the Master of Signal Corps (NCO) due to my academic background in digital communications studies.

    timeline
    2015

  • During my studies at the University of Turku I met an Asian exchange student. I got interested in her culture and I decided to take up East Asian studies as a minor. The minor only deepened my fascination with Asian cultures and history, and I applied for a language exchange year in Sichuan University in Chengdu, China. The year I stayed in China studying Mandarin, Chinese culture and history has been the best year in my life.

    timeline
    2017

  • At the end of my university studies, I got my first job in software development. I was hired as a web developer, tasked to develop web applications in .NET Framework and .NET Core. As it is the case with one's first programming job, this position determined the direction of my career towards web development.

    timeline
    2019

  • In 2020 I finally concluded my university studies and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. I was at a point in my life where it could diverge in two ways: either I stay with the academic life and complete a Master's degree as well, or with a secure job devote my life to working as a full-time programmer. I decided to opt with the latter, since I wanted to take a break from the academic life and concentrate on something I really enjoy doing.

    timeline
    2020