From Customer Service to Code

Hello! I'm Thomas Ortega, a programmer with an uncommon journey. My shift from retail and consumer service positions to coding has given me a unique perspective on software development and user-centric design.

The Pivot to Programming

The COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point in my career. As the world changed, so did my aspirations. What began as a practical choice for a more stable career, soon evolved into a genuine passion. I found out that programming satisfies my problem-solving instincts and some of my creative urges, in ways I never thought I was capable of.

Bridging Worlds: Music, Service, and Code

My background in music and customer service is not just a footnote, it's a key part of who I aspire to be as a developer:

• Musical Roots: As an individual that aspired to be a professional musician, I bring an interest for all things related, from signal proccesing to implementation of interactive experiences like videogames.
• Customer Service Insight: Years in customer-facing roles honed my communication skills and taught me the importance of user-centric design. I understand coding as a toolset to create solutions.

Skills and Aspirations

• Experienced in Java, Python, C#...
• Exploring game engines like Unity and Godot
• Eager to dive deep in audio programming and keep exploring graphics, I/O devices, among other things.

Looking Forward

I'm excited about the possibilities in audio programming and game development. Right now, I'm quite interested in learning and understanding a lot of conepts related and being able to apply them. My dream is to contribute to projects that encourage people to keep exploring their relationship to what they listen to. At the same time, I'm open to opportunities in enterprise software development where I can apply problem-solving skills and continue growing as a programmer.

Beyond the Screen

When I'm not coding you might find me tinkering with music production or striving to be a better musician, exploring new and old videogames, or diving into the latest news of topics of my interest like technology. I bulieve in continuous learning and am always looking forward new challanges to tackle.

About this Site

This is the 4th iteration of a portfolio I have made, this one leans on the complex side, but I wanted a solution that can last for long. I decided to use a headless CMS, in this case Strapi, to manage my content, the front is generated with Astro. My workflow entails running the project locally while I create the content and then generate a static export that I can upload to any service that offers a basic http server. You can check more about it here.

Let's Connect!

I'm always eager to talk with fellow developers, audio enthusiast, or whoever thinks have something interesting to share. Feel free to reach out for discussions, collaborations, or just say hello!