Levan
Javakhishvili

Dear Professor,

This portfolio presents my professional experience, career goals, and communication skills as I continue developing my career in software engineering and artificial intelligence. As a Computer Science student at Florida International University (FIU), I want to build on my existing experience in mobile application development and backend engineering while strengthening my knowledge of AI, machine learning, and advanced software systems.

My professional background includes developing mobile banking applications and leading backend development for Rezto.ge, a restaurant reservation and prepayment platform serving more than 300 restaurants and handling hundreds of thousands of reservations. My work has involved backend architecture, payment integrations, reservation management, and connections with external services. I have also participated in research involving brain-computer interfaces, augmented reality, and interaction data analysis. These experiences have given me a practical foundation that I want to combine with my academic studies and future professional opportunities.

The four pieces in this portfolio address different audiences and professional situations. The elevator pitch is designed for recruiters, hiring managers, and potential professional contacts during networking events and interviews. The professional bio is intended for LinkedIn, portfolio websites, and internship applications, where readers need a clear understanding of my experience and technical background. The career development action guide is primarily designed for my own use, with potential value for career advisors and mentors who can help me evaluate my progress. Finally, the professional outreach email demonstrates how I would contact a recruiter or hiring manager to inquire about software engineering internship opportunities.

Each piece demonstrates communication techniques discussed in this course. Plain language helps me explain technical experience without overwhelming readers with unnecessary jargon. Direct patterns allow me to communicate my purpose quickly, particularly in my elevator pitch and professional email. Tone management helps me remain confident and professional without sounding overly formal. Localization is reflected in how I present my qualifications for the U.S. technology job market, where relevant experience, clear descriptions of contributions, and evidence of results are important.

Persuasive writing is another important part of this portfolio. Instead of relying on general statements about enjoying technology or solving problems, I use specific examples from my professional experience to demonstrate my abilities. My work at Rezto provides evidence of my responsibilities and the scale of the platform. Similarly, my career guide connects industry research to practical actions that I can take to improve my skills and prepare for future employment.

The action guide also demonstrates AI prompt engineering by showing how clearly defined tasks, relevant context, specific evaluation criteria, and constraints can improve AI-generated feedback. It emphasizes that AI tools should support my work rather than replace independent thinking, testing, and verification.

Overall, this portfolio represents my development as both a software professional and a communicator. My goal is to combine my existing software engineering experience with further education and practical AI skills. By presenting my experience more clearly and adapting my writing to different audiences, I can better communicate my professional value and prepare for future opportunities in software engineering and artificial intelligence.

I'm a software developer and Computer Science student at Florida International University with experience leading backend development, building mobile applications, and integrating payment systems for real-world products. At Rezto.ge, I led backend development for a restaurant reservation and prepayment platform serving more than 300 restaurants and handling hundreds of thousands of reservations.

My work at Rezto has included backend architecture, reservation and payment functionality, integration with the Bank of Georgia payment API, and connections with external services such as restaurant point-of-sale systems. I have also contributed to features involving QR menus, restaurant events, and reservation management. This experience has given me practical insight into developing and maintaining systems that support business operations, customer transactions, and growing user demand.

Beyond backend engineering, I have worked on mobile banking applications for financial institutions. My technical experience includes JavaScript, TypeScript, React Native, Node.js, Express, MongoDB, and Python. I have experience working across application interfaces and backend services, which helps me understand how different parts of a software product work together.

My interests also extend to artificial intelligence and research. In 2024, I participated in research involving brain-computer interfaces and augmented reality, including the collection and analysis of interaction data. This experience strengthened my interest in exploring how emerging technologies can be applied to complex technical challenges.

As I continue my Computer Science studies at FIU, I aim to deepen my knowledge of software engineering, AI, and machine learning while contributing to meaningful software projects. I am particularly interested in opportunities that allow me to build on my existing development experience while exploring new approaches to application development and intelligent systems.

Prepared by Levan Javakha
Computer Science, Florida International University

My career direction

I have experience building software that supports real businesses and customers. At Rezto.ge, I led backend development for a restaurant reservation and prepayment platform serving more than 300 restaurants and handling hundreds of thousands of reservations. I've also worked on mobile banking applications and participated in research involving brain-computer interfaces and augmented reality.

My next goal is to build on this experience while developing stronger skills in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Rather than starting over as an AI beginner, I want to combine my existing knowledge of backend systems, APIs, databases, and mobile applications with new AI capabilities.

AI is changing how developers write code, evaluate solutions, and build applications. My goal is to learn how to use these tools effectively while maintaining the technical judgment needed to develop reliable software. This guide outlines seven practical steps I will take to strengthen my skills, improve my portfolio, and prepare for future opportunities in software engineering and AI.

My personal action plan

Timeline	Priority	Evidence of progress
Next 1–2 months	Improve my resume, GitHub, and technical fundamentals	Updated resume and organized repositories
Next 3–6 months	Complete a practical AI or machine learning project	Published project with documented evaluation
Every month	Apply for relevant opportunities and seek feedback	Updated application tracker and feedback notes
Every semester	Review my skills and career direction	Updated goals and a new learning plan

My commitment

I do not need to abandon my existing strengths to adapt to AI. I can build on my experience developing backend systems and mobile applications while learning how to use AI effectively and responsibly.

My goal is to become an engineer who understands the technology behind the software, evaluates AI-generated solutions critically, and builds reliable products that solve specific problems.

By following these seven steps, I can continue developing my technical skills, demonstrate my abilities through practical projects, and prepare for opportunities in software engineering and AI.

Creating this portfolio helped me recognize that effective professional communication depends on selecting the right information for the audience and purpose. My professional experience provides strong material, but the way I present that experience determines how easily readers understand its value.

The revised elevator pitch and bio place my backend leadership at Rezto near the beginning. This is more effective than opening with broad statements about enjoying technology because it immediately demonstrates my experience and the scale of the systems I have worked on. The action guide translates my career goals into specific, measurable steps, while the outreach email uses the same evidence to establish credibility with a potential employer.

Plain language, direct organization, and tone management are important throughout the portfolio. Each piece uses a professional but natural tone, with enough technical detail to demonstrate expertise without making the writing difficult to follow. Localization is reflected in the emphasis on relevant qualifications, individual contributions, and clear requests for professional opportunities in the U.S. job market.

The portfolio also demonstrates persuasive writing through evidence rather than unsupported claims. My experience with backend systems, payments, mobile applications, and research provides concrete examples of my capabilities. The action guide adds another dimension by connecting external research to practical career decisions. Instead of discussing AI only as a trend, it identifies specific ways I can learn, build projects, and evaluate my progress.

Finally, the guide demonstrates that AI prompt engineering involves more than asking a chatbot a question. Effective prompts require a clear task, relevant context, a defined audience, and specific constraints. AI can support research, drafting, and software development, but its output still requires human judgment, verification, and responsibility.

Overall, I want my professional communication to show not only which technologies I know but also what I have contributed, what responsibilities I have handled, and how my experience can be valuable to a future employer. This portfolio represents my effort to communicate those strengths more clearly while preparing for continued growth in software engineering and artificial intelligence.