Software testing has become one of the most popular job aspirations for millennials in the IT industry. Over the past decade, this generation has been increasingly seeking more opportunities to take up software testing as a career path.
People in this generation were introduced to technology at an early stage in their life and they became the first connected generation in history. They are comfortable with technology and have great knowledge regarding the latest developments in the apps market. This fact allows them to be excellent candidates for a software testing position.
Software Testing with Millennials
Here, at Infobest, we have a large team of QA and software testing specialists. Many of them are millennials.
Ever wondered how a workday for a millennial software tester looks like? Let’s have a look.
Meet Alex, our software tester
One of our youngest software testers, Alex has agreed to share with us a glimpse into a typical day as a software tester at Infobest.
7:30 Wakeup
The wakeup hour depends on the day. My schedule is flexible. If I’ve got something (not work-related) to do in the afternoon, I wake up early so that I can finish my workday early. If not, I would go to the office a bit later so that I can catch up on my sleep. But I usually wake-up at 7:30 and start my day.
7:50 Head to work
Yes, I’m ready to go out the door in less than 20 minutes! Because the parking is not a problem at Infobest, and the location is not crowded, I don’t have to be stressed in the mornings about the long and very annoying parking space search. In the summer I usually take my bike to work and the commute is enjoyable.
8:00 Arrive at work
Coffee first! After a sip, I check if I received any new tasks assigned to me and my e-mail, to see if either of them needs my urgent attention. If not, lucky me, I can go outside with my colleagues and peacefully drink the coffee and start the day with a ton of geeky jokes related to scripting and programming languages. This is mandatory😊
8:15 Start work for the day
Well, after a nice chat and a delicious Brazilian coffee with my colleagues, it’s time for some software testing.
I go to my desk and start my work by executing and maintaining test cases. First I need some music in my headphones.
I work on a pretty big project involving data management and SAP transfers, which, since it’s used in the production environment, requires close attention.
13:00 Lunch Time / Ping Pong time
I prefer to eat at my desk to save some time (lunch break is not mandatory). For what? Ping pong, of course! With that saved time I search for people to play ping pong with. I’m lucky that my whole team enjoys playing this game, so it’s easy to find partners. Therefore our next destination is the Fun Room, with darts/Fussball/mini basketball, and obviously a nice professional ping pong table, where we keep training for the future Championships. I win pretty much all the time 😉.
13:40 Back to work
After a much needed “brain break”, I’m ready to get back to work. Before I start testing again, I need another cup of coffee to keep me going.
I check my emails, arrange short, medium and long-term to-do lists and prepare for the team meeting.
Then I go back to testing.
14:45 Meeting time
Every day, our software testing team has a meeting with our test manager Rick on Skype for Business where he informs us about the latest updates and decisions. Rick is very good at his job and knows everything about the project. Above all, he is also a very funny, friendly and nice guy. After that, we usually go around the “Round Table”, where each of us says what we are working and if we have any questions, he kindly explains and helps us with them.
15:00 Back to software testing
It’s time to hunt down some bugs! Testing includes checking the software for any bugs that may hamper its performance. Once I identify a glitch, my responsibility is to track its origin and report the bug. I enjoy getting great quality software shipped on time.
17:00 Ready to go home
After checking my e-mails one last time I’m ready to go home. Today’s workday is over, and I still got plenty of time to do other activities.
What would you tell someone interested in becoming a software tester?
“To tell somebody that he is wrong is called criticism. To do so officially is called testing.”
As each generation comes of age, they find ways to adapt to the world or adapt the world to themselves. Therefore, the workplace has changed in the last 10 years thanks to this new generation of technical infused people.
Software testing is a demanding job, but also a very rewarding one, full of battles, sweet victories and a lot of preparation.