Ali M.
Alfaraj
9034 Ar-Rabiyah, Villa 89
Dhahran, 34462
Saudi Arabia
Mobile Phone: +966-506660495
Home Phone: +966-13-8783600
amfaraj94@[Link]
Objective:
Looking to kickstart a career in the field of Computer Information Systems or in any other business/IT
related discipline.
Education:
September 2013- School: Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo MI, USA
April 2018
Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration, April/ 28/ 2018
Major: Computer Information Systems
Minor: General Business
GPA: 3.05/4.00
Honors: Dean’s list in Spring 2014 and Fall 2017
Description of Academic Major:
The Computer Information Systems program at Western Michigan University teaches students how to
use computers to serve businesses in general. More specifically, the program encompasses business
analytics, designing mobile apps and websites, managing and implementing databases, networking, and
programming. The program also focuses on developing team collaboration skills, interpersonal
communication, and group problem solving.
Skills:
Android Studio: Knowledgeable in designing Android mobile apps using the Android Studio software.
Amazon Web Services (AWS): Conversant with the Amazon Echo (Alexa), its related skills and
connectivity to databases. Also familiar with other AWS features such as Lambda and DynamoDB.
API’s: Knowledgeable about how API’s work. Mostly familiar with Rest API concepts.
Cisco: Knowledgeable about networking concepts and the use of Cisco Packet Tracer software.
Information Security: Knowledgeable about information security basics.
Interpersonal/Communication: Gave many presentations and worked in projects with students from
different backgrounds and countries.
Microsoft Office: Excellent grasp of Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint.
Microsoft SQL Server: Knowledgeable in using the MSSQL server, particularly in executing SQL queries
to retrieve results from databases. Also familiar with MySQL and Oracle servers.
Programming: Familiar with a variety of programming languages including Java, JavaScript, JSON,
[Link], PHP, HTML, and XML. Also familiar with using programming platforms such as Github.
Academic Projects and Experience:
Mobile App Database Design (Fall 2017): Designed an Android mobile app prototype using the
Android Studio software for the U.S company Memories-In-Writing. The concept of the app was to
capture information from users and store it in a database; the user fills up a sign-up form and clicks on a
button, and then the entered information gets stored in a MySQL database. I initially studied the design
of Android mobile apps in Spring 2017, but in Fall 2017 I learned how to connect it to databases.
Networking (Fall 2017): Learned about computer networking, data communications, network
security, and associated technologies. Benefited a great deal from numerous hands-on labs used
throughout this endeavor and gained valuable experience from multiple case studies.
Enterprise Project: Kellogg’s Voice Enables Coupon Data Analytics (Spring 2018):
The objective of this project was to program the Amazon Echo (Alexa) to help the American company
Kellogg with its business. Kellogg provided us access to their coupon database which we connected to
Alexa using an API in an Oracle server. The idea was to make users ask Alexa questions about Kellogg’s
coupons, and then Alexa would speak out the answers by retrieving them from the database. We
formulated and inputted queries in Oracle to retrieve relevant results from the database, and we placed
the API links appropriately within a [Link] code in Lambda (function within Amazon Web Services). As a
result, we successfully made Alexa generate the needed responses from the database which ultimately
helped Kellogg better streamline their business models. This was a complex team project consisting of
ten people, and I was the one who led the project to success by completing its most crucial parts. I
connected Alexa to the database and manipulated the [Link] code to make Alexa speak out the
answers. This was a big accomplishment, cooperating as a team and completing a project from scratch;
we had to do our own research to figure out how to execute a project that even our professor did not
know how to do.
Languages:
Arabic: Mother language.
English: Speak, read and write at a native speaker’s level.
Japanese: Elementary proficiency.
Hobbies:
TV: Action shows, history and science documentaries, and Japanese Anime.
Sports: Soccer, rope jumping, and swimming.
Video Games: Action-adventure games, and online shooting games.
Music: Listening to contemporary music.
