Why Testing?

I started to learn software testing in 2018.  Having a degree and several years of experience in Electrical Engineering I decided to switch to software tester. Why? Well, at some point I’ve reached a mid-career level and now I think it’s time for me to try something different. I can provide several reasons why I decided to switch to software testing.

1. There is a myth that “Anyone can test”. I disagree with this point. Nowadays,  testing requires a range of skills that make you a good tester.  I believe that  I possess good analytical and communication skills. I also enjoy learning new things. I hope those skills and my hardworking nature will help me to grow professionally in a new field.
2. In every field individuals with extensive experience and skills that help their clients solve problems can make a good living.  I am planning to become one of them because there is nothing like a feeling of satisfaction that comes from meaningful work.
3. The modern environment in the software development industry offers projects which are both challenging and interesting. There are many testing activities ranging from manual testing to automation, from test planning and implementation to execution and monitoring. There is also an ever-growing list of tools and a community of testers.  Looks like you never get bored working as a tester. Do you agree?
4. My previous experience and projects made me realise that I love learning, gaining new skills and growing professionally. Who knows, maybe someday I will become a test lead or start my software project.  I often visit such places as producthunt.com. I love learning about and discovering new startups, software projects and tools. 

 

Availability

Currently, I work as a QA Product Tester at Figtree Systems.  Feel free to message me on Linkedin. 

 

Skills

I know that there are dozens of areas that I have not learned yet as a tester, but I believe  I already have the knowledge and skills to make your software better. Here is the list of testing activities that I am familiar with and had an opportunity to perform in training

• functional testing
• exploratory testing
• regression testing
• end-to-end testing
• security testing
• accessibility testing
• defect management (Azure DevOsp, GitHub)
• test case management (Azure Test Plans, Qase)
• exposure to test automation (Python, Selenium, TestComplete)
• usability testing
• mobile testing
• API / Web Services Testing

Technologies

• Azure DevOps, Azure Portal
• Git, GitHub
• Postman
• DBeaver
• TestComplete
• familiarity with Playwright, Cypress.io
• Selenium Web Driver
• Microsoft package
• WordPress
• Figma, Hubspot
• Pytest
• Browser developer tools
• ​SOAP UI
• Charles Proxy
• familiarity with PowerBI, Azure Databricks, Jenkins, AWS.

 

Languages

• Basic programming skills: JavaScript/TypeScript, Python.
• familiarity with HTML, CSS, JSON, YAML, XPATH.

 

Qualification

• Bachelor in Electrical Engineering (Russia)
• Certificate IV in New Small Business 

 

Training, courses

• 08/2023 – Introduction to Playwright with Typescript
• 07/2023 – Beginner’s Typescript
• 06/2023 – Postman Fundamentals, Pluralsight
• 05/2023 – Source Control for Test Automation with Git, Test Automation University
• 02/2023 – AZ-900, Azure Fundamentals, Microsoft
• 07/2022 – ​ Introduction To Cypress, Test Automation University
• 07/2022 – ​ Introduction To Cypress, Test Automation University
• 07/2022 – ​Technical Web Testing, Udemy, Alan Richardson
• 07/2022 – ​Playwright with JavaScript, Test Automation University
• 08/2021 – Rapid Software Testing (RST) Explored
• 05/2020 – ​API Testing Foundations, Linkedin Learning
• 04/2020 – ​Unix for Mac OS X Users, Linkedin Learning
• 04/2020 – ​Certificate IV New Small Business
• 11/2019 – ​GitHub for Web Designers, Linkedin
• 08/2019 – ​HTML & CSS, Codecademy
• 07/2019 -​ REST API Testing with SOAP UI, udemy.com​
• 07/2019 – SQL basics, w3schools
• 06/2019 -​ uTest Academy, utest.com
• 04/2019 – ​ISTQB Certificate

Other Areas of Expertise / Hobby

• Audio editing. I worked as a freelancer for Podcast Rocket Agency. I edited audio for multiple clients and podcasts.
• Podcasting & Podcasts. I am a big fan of podcasts. I’ve been listening to podcasts since 2011 which really helped me to get where I am now. Since 2017 I was involved in the production of three different podcasts. You can check one of them – World Speaks English Podcast – a collaboration project of me and IELTS trainer Darian Sandmartin.
• E-commerce. I have been selling on Amazon since 2016 and launched 3 products. If you have kids or you are a dinosaur fan yourself, drop me a line. I would love to send you a demo sample of our new product. Always happy to get feedback from our audience.
• Website Building. You can check one of my websites thetesttaker.com which I started to help IELTS (International English Language Testing System) candidates to prepare for a speaking exam.  The main goal was to keep me committed to learning and improving my skills. 
• Music. This is my long-time passion. Underground house, electronic, jazz, broken-beat, music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Here is the link to my Soundcloud Page. 

 

Languages

• English
• Russian (native)