Full-stack developer and writer

Hi, I'm Patrick McDermott. I'm a full-stack web developer, specializing in mostly JavaScript technologies, but I also work in PHP, C#, and a few other languages. My passion for programming began at an early age when I built my first web page in high school. Over 15 years later, my passion for development has only grown! I build web applications and solutions for a wide range of purposes, from small businesses, startups, and a public school district.

Though I have always had a passion for code, I took a different career path early on in life. I pursued my other passion of cooking and spent 10 years working in various capacities for various restaurants from cafeterias to fine-dining restaurants. I have even assisted with opening a couple of restaurant concepts. Working my way from the dish pit to sous chef, I learned many valuable skills and gained a lot of experience in teamwork, people and time management, and communication. I also learned valuable skills in designing effective processes and procedures, and I fine-tuned my attention to detail.

Moving from the kitchen into a technology role was a natural transition for me, as a lot of the soft skills of running a kitchen and the creativity and eye for detail of designing dishes and building recipes transferred over into building creative, effective, and functional websites and web applications. The problem-solving and analytical skills that I learned as a chef have allowed me to face nearly any programming challenge methodically and come up with an effective and performant solution for the problem.

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Aside from programming, I also enjoy writing and sharing my knowledge with others. Check out my blog to read some of my latest posts on technology, programming, and life as a whole. On this blog, I try to share stories about my struggles and successes as a programmer, and some tips, tricks, and tools that I have learned or came across throughout my development journey.

Read my blog