10 years in QA: A brief retrospective
This Thanksgiving week - November 2019 - I will be celebrating 10 years in this field. I came to this field, on this same holiday, back in 2009 with zero experience in Quality Assurance (QA), testing, or any formal training. At the time, I was studying information systems security (a passion I still wish to pursue).
I interviewed for the position at a start-up agency with nothing more than some first-hand knowledge of compliance like Sarbanes - Oxley Act, HIPPA, and a few others, as well as a "can-do" attitude. They took a chance on me and I've been grateful ever since.
It has been a turbulent decade, filled with many highs and a few too many lows. A career that has included a steady climb to the top of the mountain - as a Manager - and currently serving as automation engineer. I will recap some of those highs and lows as befitting the tradition retros I have come to participate in while employed at many of these companies.
LIKED
The current engineering path I am on is heaven! Automation is the greatest skill I have ever learned
I got the opportunity to work with some amazing people, some of whom are still friends
I got the chance to work on a wide array of applications for web and mobile
In Agile, Test cases are an antiquated artifact that is no longer utilized
Workplace lunch & learns have been a blessing, and I love to participate when the chance arises
LOATHED
Workplace politicians can make this job unbearable
Too many managers place a high value in Key Performance Indicators (KPI) as a way of measuring progress
Workplace optics matters, but never for the right reasons
I've come to the realization I really really hate micro-management
Having to perform full regression tests on complex apps with no context on what was changed, in a short window of time
Having to work long nights, weekends, and some holidays with no appreciation
Getting laid off too many times for financial reasons
Getting fired for trivial (or political) reasons
Performance Improvement Plans (PIP) .. the instrument of purest deceit and guaranteed dismissal from employment (happened twice)
LONGED
More opportunities to practice security testing
Workplace mentor, especially when I first started. Its been rough having to learn on my own
Career stability
Proper certifications in Security (need to get on this)
LEARNED
BOSS ISN'T ALWAYS RIGHT, BUT THE BOSS IS STILL THE BOSS
Never accept anything you are not comfortable doing
Bringing QA in early on a project is invaluable
I have the potential for leadership, but I've come to learn its not a path I wish to take
I got to work with earliest versions of iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Windows devices
I am at my best when I am given creative freedom and autonomy in tasks to be done
How to work with offshore teams
How to work with QA Outsourcing Companies like Applause
Have learned automation skills working with different frameworks
Automating iOS and Android apps (barely, but a lot has changed since I tried this)
Work with DevOps, Jenkins, and collaborating on best ways to approach CI/CD
Have finally learned how to use Postman effectively
You have to stay on top of your skills or become obsolete
You are an asset until you are not, then you become expendable
I've learned to work in both Waterfall and Agile methodologies
In one engagement, I learned how to run a team of like-minded people
Have worked testing front-end, back-end, CMS of all kinds, some performance testing
Have learned how to work with security tools (the learning continues)
Learned the power of HR, positives and negatives
I have learned there's no such thing as workplace loyalty
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