CK
Available for Placements & Graduate Roles

CHISOM
KALU

Junior Software Developer based in Newcastle. Building REST APIs, shipping real products, and running a multi-brand tech business — while finishing my CS degree.

87%
Top Module Grade
6+
LeetCode Solved
3
Business Brands
5+
Certifications
// Chisom Kalu — Developer Profile
const developer = {
  "name": "Chisom Kalu",
  "role": "Junior Dev",
  "location": "Newcastle, UK",
  "stack": ["PHP", "MySQL", "JS"],
  "available": true,
  getHired: () => "Let's talk!"
};

developer.getHired();
// → "Let's talk!"
01 — About

WHO I AM

I'm a second-year Computer Science student at Northumbria University with real, hands-on experience that goes far beyond the classroom. I build REST APIs, manage cloud infrastructure, and run a multi-brand business — all at the same time.

My backend skills are practical and proven: I've built full CRUD REST APIs in PHP with dynamic search, pagination, relational MySQL joins, bearer token auth, and proper error handling — deployed on live servers and tested with Postman.

Outside of code, I founded Balancewise Ltd, a three-brand group (clothing, logistics, IT services) where I handle all technical operations including Microsoft Entra ID, DNS management, and email infrastructure across multiple domains.

I'm actively seeking a placement year or graduate role where I can contribute from day one.

University
Northumbria University
Degree
BSc (Hons) Computer Science
Year
2nd Year (Level 5)
Top Grade
87% — Programming
GitHub
github.com/codedcek
Status
Open to Opportunities

CERTIFICATIONS

Azure AI Fundamentals
Microsoft · 2024
SIA Security Licence
Security Industry Authority · 2024
Emergency First Aid at Work (Level 3)
Highfield · 2024
Mental Health First Aid
MHFA England · 2024
Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene
Food Safety UK · 2023

WHAT I'VE BUILT

View GitHub →
02
JavaScript · Live API

Haymarket Metro Live Display

Real-time departure board for Haymarket Station, Newcastle — consuming the live Nexus Metro RTI API and styled to mimic a real station display board.

  • Async fetch with auto-refresh every 30 seconds
  • Toggle between platform display and raw JSON view
  • Yellow/Green line color coding and animated trains
  • Full error handling for failed API responses
JavaScript Fetch API HTML CSS
03
Consulting · AI

AI Usage Framework — Coffee Design Ltd

Led report writing for a responsible AI framework delivered to a real Newcastle-based creative agency as part of a university consultancy project.

  • Report Lead for Team Awesome Sauce
  • Synthesised AI ethics, tool selection and adoption roadmaps
  • Delivered as a professional client brief to a real business
Technical Writing AI Strategy Consulting
04
Infrastructure · Business

Balancewise Ltd — IT Infrastructure

Architected the full technical stack for a three-brand business group spanning e-commerce, logistics, and IT services.

  • Microsoft Entra ID home lab for identity management
  • Professional email infrastructure across 3 domains with Zoho Mail
  • DNS management and domain routing across multiple brands
  • Exploring ROS 2 robotics and automation on Mac Mini
Azure Entra ID DNS Zoho Mail ROS 2
03 — Skills

TECH STACK

Backend
PHP
MySQL / MariaDB
REST API Design
PDO Prepared Statements
Python
Frontend
HTML5
CSS3
JavaScript (ES6+)
Fetch API / Async
React (Learning)
Tools & Platforms
Git / GitHub
Postman
Linux / Bash
VS Code
Microsoft Azure
Cloud & Infrastructure
Microsoft Entra ID
DNS Management
Zoho Mail
Domain Routing
Docker (Learning)
Currently Exploring
ROS 2 (Robotics)
Node.js
Machine Learning
Cloud Computing
Soft Skills
Technical Report Writing
Team Leadership
Problem Solving
Business Mindset
Self-Starter
04 — Background

EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

WORK EXPERIENCE
2023 – Present
Founder & Director
Balancewise Ltd
Running a multi-brand business group (clothing, logistics, IT services). Responsible for all technical infrastructure, cloud identity, domain management and operations.
Jul 2024 – Jun 2025
Lead Representative (International)
Northumbria Students' Union
Represented international engineering and environment students to faculty and senior university management. Drove policy improvements affecting hundreds of students.
Apr 2024 – Oct 2025
Security Officer
Argenbright Security Europe Ltd (ASEL)
Supported major retail partners including Tesco, Lidl, Aldi and Amazon. Led CCTV monitoring, investigations and loss prevention. Assisted in recovering assets exceeding £10,000.
Dec 2020 – Feb 2022
IT Technician & Graphic Designer
FreshCare Systems Ltd, Nigeria
Technical support, hardware maintenance, database management and graphic design using Adobe Illustrator.
EDUCATION
Oct 2023 – Jun 2026
BSc (Hons) Computer Science
Northumbria University, Newcastle
Level 4 average: 67% · Programming: 87% · Computational Thinking: 71% · Current modules include Software Architecture, Mobile & Web App Development, HCI, Advanced Programming and Algorithms.
Sep 2022 – Jun 2023
International Foundation Programme in Computing
Northumbria University, Newcastle
Level 3 average: 61% · 120 credits passed · Introduction to Computing & Coding: 78%
LANGUAGES
English
Fluent
Igbo
Native
05 — Contact

LET'S TALK

I'm actively looking for a placement year or junior developer role starting Summer 2025. If you're building something interesting and need a developer who can contribute from day one — let's talk.

Available for Freelance

I also take on freelance projects through Balancewise Technologies — REST API development, backend systems, and IT infrastructure. Get in touch to discuss your project.

🛍 Shop Balancewise Clothing → shopbalancewise.com