From a trainee to a tester and trainer – learn about the career path of Krystyna, a graduate of the “Become a Tester” training
Krystyna Krysa works at Sii Poland as a Test & Analysis Engineer. She is also a trainer conducting the “Become a Tester” training, although a few years ago she was a participant herself. Find out what motivated her to change her job and how her career developed.
How did you get interested in software testing and why did you decide to change your career path?
Krystyna Krysa: My husband, a tester who was always telling me about his work, got me interested in testing. I started reading more about it, asked him for details and discovered that I really like it. I thought that I could be good at it because I am a very meticulous person, a fan of planning and organizing, which makes it difficult for me to accept any shortcomings. At that time, I wasn’t seriously thinking about changing my career path. I have a technical education, but completely unrelated to IT. I also had a stable job, although I was not 100% satisfied with it and more and more often I thought that this was not the place for me.
In the back of my head, I had one of my currently favorite quotes – “Choose a job you love, and you won’t work a single day in your life”.
Time passed, more and more often I was wondering what to do next and one day, after returning from work, I came across information about the “Become a Tester” training at Sii. I decided to give it a try. I wanted to see how testing works and whether I would actually be a good tester, although I still wasn’t sure if I wanted to change my career.
Why did you choose the Sii training?
K.K.: I compared the Sii training with several similar ones – I checked the duration, thematic scope and price. The “Become a Tester” training seemed to be the most comprehensive, it had the best value for money and it was easiest for me to adjust it to my lifestyle – I was still working full time, so the weekend courses were perfect for me. Additionally, while searching for information about the training, it turned out that I had many friends who had completed this course, as well as those who worked at Sii. Everyone was satisfied with the course and with the work, which only reinforced my decision. For me, “Become a Tester” turned out to be sensational and I still recommend it myself to my friends who are thinking about changing jobs.
What was your impression of the training?
K.K.: The training, although intensive, was carried out in a really nice atmosphere. We started with theoretical knowledge and gradually moved to practical exercises. Everyone had the opportunity to test themselves doing the tasks prepared for us – the students – under the watchful eye of the trainers. I left the training really happy and it was what made me say “yes, I want to change my job”! I was inspired by the passion, commitment and knowledge of the trainers – testers from Sii. And what is important, it was during the training that I fell in love with SQL, which I now teach myself.
How did it happen that you found a job at Sii after the training?
K.K.: During the training, I found out that at Sii you can meet cool, passionate people – people you want to work with. When I was leaving the ISTQB exam, which I took after completing the course, I checked the job offers in the Lublin branch of the company out of curiosity. I was lucky because they were looking for testers. I returned home quickly, updated my CV and after a few days, I got an invitation for my first interview.
How has been your career at Sii and what are you currently doing?
K.K.: I was hired by the Internal IT Department. I took my first steps in testing in the Sharepoint team, then I joined my target team – QA, whose member I still am. It was the initial months of work that allowed me to learn about commercial software testing and gave me a solid foundation for further work.
Our team is an independent unit that tests a number of applications used by all Sii employees on a daily basis. We are responsible for their quality, we support all new implementations and verify their correctness. We also suggest improvements and verify the documentation prepared by analysts so that any errors in the solutions are spotted at the earliest stage of the development work.
I think we are a really well-knit team – professionally and privately, which definitely drives us to action.
Why did you decide to become a trainer?
K.K.: I have always liked sharing knowledge and I was good at it. And I love SQL, which I can talk about for hours. At the beginning, when I was offered the first opportunity as a trainer, I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I like challenges, so I decided to try. The training turned out great and now, for over a year, I have been regularly conducting SQL classes for “Become a Tester” students.
Who would you recommend this career path to?
K.K.: I recommend testing to people who are not afraid of challenges and who are ready to constantly learn, because expanding your knowledge is essential if you want to be a good tester. Creative, meticulous and inquisitive people will do great in this position.
In addition, if someone feels confident in their knowledge, would like to share it and is not afraid of speaking in front of the audience, they should try a career path similar to mine – being both a tester and a trainer for future testers. It gives me great satisfaction and a lot of fun.
And I recommend a change of profession to all those who feel that their current career does not suit them. After I changed my job, I got back to life, now I do what I love and work with great people. Monday returns to work are no longer my weekend concern.
The Sii training has helped me make this decision. Thanks to it, I was able to see if my ideas about testing coincide with reality, if it really is what I want to do in the future. It also allowed me to create the foundation of knowledge on which I am building to this day.
Learn more about the “Become a Tester“ training and other trainings from the “Become an IT Specialist“ series. And if you want to work at Sii, check out our job offers.
