Marja-Kristina Photo

Welcome to my website!

I am currently enrolled in the Diploma in Machine Learning and AI for Industry at Technological University Dublin and have built this website as part of an assessment for the Interactive Media Design and Visualisation module. Other modules I am taking this semester are Software Development (Python), Applied Machine Learning and Data Analysis.


























About Me



Skills

  • multilingual
  • tech-savvy
  • communication
  • research
  • project coordination
  • leadership
  • collaboration
  • remote work certified
Expertise

  • process improvement
  • knowledge management
  • diversity and inclusion
  • social media management
  • Eastern Europe and the Balkans
  • politics (Ireland and USA)
Career Interests

  • data analytics
  • data visualization
  • business intelligence
  • technology policy
  • project management
  • technology evangelism
  • community management

























Professional Experience


Please click on a position below to see more information about it.

2018-2020: Classification Quality Evaluator, Google via Adecco

  • Responsible for evaluation and classification of online content in Ukrainian and Croatian to improve advertising quality.
  • Also contributed in English, Russian and Serbian as needed and validated previously evaluated content in all languages.
  • Assist linguists working on specialized research projects to fine-tune existing processes and support the development of new features.
  • Responsible for redesign and upkeep of team intranet website.
  • Completed First Aid training course.
  • Panelist for the Disability@Google course in June 2019.

2017-2018: Administrative Officer, Department of Finance

  • Assigned to Banking & Financial Stability Division, SME Access to Credit Unit.
  • Drafted a range of documents for government ministers and other senior stakeholders including briefing materials, ministerial submissions, and responses to parliamentary questions.
  • Responsible for preparing and coordinating regular updates to departmental materials and reports.
  • Worked on website outlining supports available to SMEs, including preparing communications strategy, promoting website at events, and coordinating promotional activities with an interdepartmental group.
  • Member of the DoF/DPER Social Club.
  • Attended Civil Service Graduate Development Programme.
  • Completed training on minute taking, presentation skills, time management and unconscious bias.
  • Completed Fire Warden training.

2016-2017: Temporary Clerical Officer, Office of the Revenue Commisioners

  • Assigned to Large Cases Division, Customer Service Unit.
  • Processed company registration requests, P45 forms, and certificates of residence for the Large Cases Division.
  • Created and presented a module on tax registration as training material for new Clerical Officers.
  • Completed research project on EU regulations on e-signatures.

2015-2016: Freelance Researcher and Social Media Coordinator

  • Consultant specializing in Eastern Europe for a UK-based business intelligence firm. Researched and translated publicly available information on individuals and businesses of interest. Prepared reports on findings.
  • Social Media Co-ordinator for a successful candidate in the 2016 General Election. Created content for the candidate's Facebook and Twitter accounts, provided intelligence reports on social media activities of rival candidates, and liaised with party headquarters to ensure alignment with overall party strategy.

2013-2014: Parliamentary Intern, Dail Eireann

  • Performed research and administrative tasks for Deputy Sean O Fearghail’s parliamentary, party whip and constituency offices.
  • Redesigned the Deputy’s website and strengthened his social media presence.
  • Attended interest group briefings on behalf of the Deputy and reported on briefing content.

2011-2013: Freelance Content Editor, Translator and Researcher

  • Provided timely content updates for a US government transparency website Legistorm by monitoring a wide range of news sources. Performed pre-release quality assurance of new features.Worked independently from Dublin while interacting closely with the team based in Washington, DC, USA and Kiev, Ukraine.
  • Performed translations from Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian to English. Translated document types included medical records, identity documents, criminal records and submissions to government agencies. Also performed interpreting between English and Russian, Ukrainian, German, and Bosnian. Interpretation contexts included medical consultations, legal consultations and interfacing with local government agencies.

























Education


Please click on a degree below to see more information about it.

Academic Degrees


2020-2021: Diploma in Machine Learning & AI for Industry, Technological University Dublin

  • Currently enrolled in modules in Python, applied machine learning, data visualization and data analysis.

2019-2020: ProfCert in Mathematics for Data Analytics and Statistics, University College Dublin

  • Completed modules in Linear Algebra and Calculus.

2013-2014: MA in Public Affairs and Political Communication, Dublin Institute of Technology

  • 2:1 degree
  • Thesis titled "What’s Seanad Doing on Twitter? An Examination into the Everyday Use of Twitter by Irish Senators".
  • Member of Public Relations & Public Affairs Society

2008-2009: MA in Gender Studies with Distinction, Central European University

  • GPA 3.67
  • Thesis titled "A Story of Man's Great Love For His Fellow Man: Slash Fan Fiction, A Literary Genre"
  • Participated in CEU Choir

2001-2005: BA in Russian & Eurasian Studies, Bard College

  • GPA 3.41
  • Senior Project titled "The Language That Never Existed: The Making and Unmaking of Serbo-Croatian".
  • Study abroad:
    • Summer School of Croatian Language and Culture in Zagreb, Croatia. Summer 2002.
    • Northwestern University Summer School in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Summer 2003.
    • Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. Fall 2003.
    • Arabic Language Institute in Fez, Morocco. Summer 2004.


Other Education


Please click on the course type below to see more information about them.

Language Courses

  • 2020: Irish (Beginners/A1), Gaelchultur, online.
  • 2019: Korean (Level 2/A2), Yonsei University Korean Language Institute, Seoul, South Korea.
  • 2018: Finnish (Beginner), Sandford Language Institute, Dublin, Ireland
  • 2016-2017: German (C1), Goethe-Institut, Dublin, Ireland.
  • 2015-2016: Korean (Post-Beginner/A1), Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
  • 2011-2012: Spanish (Advanced Beginner & Lower Intermediate), ECM College, Dublin, Ireland.
  • 2009-2010: French (B1), International House, Budapest, Hungary.
  • 2006-2008: Croatian (C1), Croaticum, University of Zagreb, Croatia.

IT Courses

  • 2020: Database Fundamentals, eCollege, online.
  • 2020: Code in Place (Introductory Python), Stanford University, online.

Other Courses

  • 2020: Remote Work Ready, Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board, online.
  • 2018: INSPIRE, Women For Election, Dublin, Ireland.

























Hobbies and Interests


I enjoy traveling and have visited over 30 countries. You can see where I have been on the map below.
I have volunteered for the International Dublin Gay Theatre festival for five years in a number of roles, as a Venue Manager (2015-2019), PR Officer (2015) and Box Office Supervisor (2015-2016). I have learned a lot about customer service and volunteer management during my time with the festival.

I have also volunteered as Entertainment Officer at the Silk Road International Film Festival and Volunteer/Sponsorship Assistant at the St. Patrick's Festival in 2018, and Event & Social Media Volunteer at Five Lamps Arts Festival in 2016.

In the past, I have organized and helped run events for Democrats Abroad Ireland (a fundraising quiz and an election night watch party in 2016), and was the secretary/New Member Officer of the Wicklow Branch of Social Democrats from 2018 to 2019.
I have been interested in genealogy for almost 15 years. I have extensively researched my husband's family tree, have made many contacts with his cousins around the globe, and have visited some charming small villages in England on the ancestral hunt. I am also working on my own family tree, although more slowly as the records in countries where my ancestors are from, are either in a language I don't speak (Finland) or hard to access (Ukraine).

I have written up some of the more interesting stories I have uncovered during my research on my personal blog, including a story of a lawsuit for a "breach of promise" to marry a woman, a story about a very elderly bride and groom, and how my research into an old postcard took me across the Atlantic.








































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