Tell me about yourself - Sept 6, 2022

[Ekaterina Valerskaya]

Hello, my name is Ekaterina.
I have bachelor's and master's diplomas in Philology. Also I have two professional qualifications.
First one is officer of main units management of State Border Security tactical level.
Second one is teacher/lecturer of English language and foreign literature.
My work experience is being 5 years as the senior officer of the shift at border guard units of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, where I fluently use English language in solutions of different situations at the border (administrative and criminal offenses). My career changed because of emigration from Ukraine. That's why I would like to study new sphere for me - IT.
Why QA? My sister motivated me to start with QA. And when I began to listen courses and read about this, I have really understand that it is interesting for me. Interesting to solve problems, to gather details, to work with the computer, to learn something new and to self-improve. In 5 years I see myself as a responsible and well-skilled tester or maybe I'll have rather opportunity to move to higher ranks. Hard work will pay off, that's what I rely on.

[Alekhin]

* Hi My name is Alexey
* My higher technical education relates to the field of maintenance, repair and diagnostics of construction machinery and transport. There is a PHD degree in the transport industry.
* Work experience is related to the specialty, but the main job is in the system of higher and special education.
* Professional burnout and stupid students pushed for a change of professional activity
* QA since the direction of computer technology is quite interesting. I am an experienced PC user and special programs, I have a little experience working with program codes.
* In the next 5 years I want to become an expert in the field of QA and related specialties.

[AnnaBurlakova]

I graduated from university in 2011, majoring in Teaching English as a second language. I have over five years of experience in this sphere, as well as over two years of experience in Customer Care and Key Account Managing in medical institutions and international exhibiting. Due to my relocation to the US and completion of my teaching career, I have made up my mind to make a fresh start professionally as well. I consider QA as the right career path for me because I am naturally attentive to detail, patient, and a fast learner. Bringing the product up to perfection is my passion and forte. That is why I feel good about bringing value in this respect to your company. In 5 years time, I hope to see myself as a top-notch professional, with excellent skills in automation, in lead position.

[yana_baanana]

* What is your education
I have unfinished degree in Finances from Dnipro National University of Rail transport. On my last year of university I moved to United States. Here I got my AA in General Studies from Valencia College in Orlando.

* What is your work experience
Once I moved to US I start working as a server. I have a wide range of experience working in a different places throughout my serving career. I gained the most knowledge and experience from working at Disney restaurants: Morimoto Asia and The Boathouse in Disney Springs. After working in a serving industry I wanted to change my career path, so I got a job at Sunbelt Rentals as Equipment Rental Specialist. Sunbelt Rentals is equipment rental agency and my branch was working with contractors on a Disney territory. My latest work is at the roofing company Nationwide Roofing and Exteriors. I was an office person responsible for cooperating with insurance companies and moving our clients roof claims forward.

* Why career change (what was wrong with your previous profession)
All previous jobs were (in my opinion) very repetitive and boring to some degree and I did not see any career growth in the future. Commute to work was exhausting and the pay was not even that good.

* Why QA
I feel like in QA industry is always something new to learn and you will never be bored, there are also opportunities to become a developer or do automation instead. In QA field you can work from home plus the salary is very rewarding.

* How you see yourself professionally in 5 years
I see myself working remotely in IT industry, making good money while traveling and exploring the world.

[shevorenkovandrey]

I am Andrey Shevorenkov
1. Graduate degree - University, specialty: “Data Processing Automation”.
2. Experience.
In Russia - software engineer, manager, leader of the implementation team of IT solutions, IT sales manager and product marketing.
In Germany - Manager of the hotel business - regular management plus implementation of ready-made hotel software and consultation of colleagues.
3. “Why career change,,,
Working at the hotel was too monotonous work. Therefore, I lacked the creative side and there was no opportunity to learn and use new technologies.
Especially - taking into account and into comparison with previous IT experience.
4. Why QA?
It's not so far from my previous experience and it’s not catastrophically difficult to learn for it - as I understood. High demand in all parts USA, Canada, Europe.
5. Vision of my perspective in the QA profession in 5 years.
I see myself - first of all - as a QA testing - specialist with increased professional level.
But also, it would be nice – to add education and become specialist of test automation or a QA manager.

[Orzugul83]

My name is Orzugul.

In 1998, I finished high school, and then, I graduated college after studying accountings there in my home country. Then, in 2011, I moved to the US, and here, I finished my Beauty Cosmetology school in 2 years.

I worked at a salon to get a better experience at jobs.

I have a big interest in this type of job, so I want to check myself in this type of career.

A lot of my friends got jobs in QA and they all complimented this type of career, so my interests grew even more after listening to their recommendations. I also want to enjoy this career.

In 5 years, I want to become a QA manager with the different skills that I've picked up.

[MariiaLehkun]

Hello!
My name is Mariia Lehkun.

I graduated from Kyiv Polytechnical University with a master’s degree in the Automation of electromechanical systems.

I have a work experience as a heating engineer in Energy audit for 5 years.
After that, I was engaged in the creation of heating systems for the premium segment of civil engineering as a project manager for 5 years.

The company where I worked not operating now because of the war.
Part of the business processes related to the import of heating equipment could not be supported now.
This is the reason why I am changing my occupation.

I chose QA Engineering because It is a profession that can be done remotely from any place in the world.
Also, I spent a lot of time working with documentation and I have the skill to put my thoughts into words in a clear way.
I have a curiosity, and a special mindset to doubt and double-check everything.

In the next 5 years, I plan to be occupied as QA Automation Engineer in the USA.

[DariNik]

I have bachelor's degree in marketing, worked in banking industry about 10 years before I moved to USA in 2015. Here I worked in retail, entertainment and mortgage. My last work was mortgage processor. Housing market and mortgage industry are slowing down and after maternity leave I decided do not back to work. My friend works QA tester. Knowing my soft skills like organizational, critical thinking and attentional to detail she recommended me to start my career in QA. In the next 5 years I see myself as a Senior QA Engineer with good experience who is loving and enjoying her job and also still develop and grow professional skills.

[Olgabuliyga]

Hi everyone!
My name is Olha, I'm 32 and I am economist/accountant
As for my work experience- my last job was approved manager in IT-dating company.
For now, war in my country, so I prefer to change my life and to get some interesting skills in new profession.
Why QA? I think it's interesting to find some errors and try to get something better.
You know I think I will have best offer in my life and a monitor, which size will be more than 50 inches. If we talk seriously: I want to get offer from famous IT-company, or have my own company, which will study QA in future.

[TetianaD]

Hello,
My name is Tanya Dudchuk.
I have a Bachelor's degree in Management of Ukrainian technical University.
My work experience with customers is more than 10 years. I was working as a customer assistant, office manager, merchandizer, supervisor of promoters, and marketing manager.
Now I'm working as a Market analytic specialist at billing company. I like my job. And I'm feeling like I can do something more difficult. I want to grow. I'm looking for a new knowledge.
I have chose QA, because it looks like it'll take not too much time for to be familiar with this profession.
In five years I would like to be as QA manager.

[Olha Wood]

Hi, my name is Olha Wood.
My education:

• 1995 Junior Specialist (Construction and Management of Buildings and Structures). Ukraine.
• 2009 Bachelor in Marketing (Economics and Enterprise). Ukraine.
• 2011 Master in Marketing, Economist (Marketing). Ukraine.
• 2020 - 2021 Pre-Management. College Business and Innovation, University of Toledo, Ohio. The USA.

My work experience:

• BTL and Trade Marketing Manager (Chocolate, sweet beverages, mineral water). Ukraine.
• Home Health Caregiver. The USA.
• Retail Merchandise Sales Associate. The USA.
• Dental Lab Technician I. The USA.

Why career change:
I have been living in America for 5 years. I started my life from the beginning. New family, new language, new friends, etc. Everything from zero. And I understood that I cannot have the same position in the marketing field as I had in Ukraine for the last 15 years. I would need to spend years on my extra education and improving my English.
Why QA:
I want to make more money than I make now. I heard from other people that the SQA profession is the shorter distance from being a student to earning good money. And also, it looks interesting to me.
How I see myself professionally in 5 years:
In five years, I see myself as maybe an intermediate-level software tester. I like what I am doing, have good work experience, I make very good money and I am looking for a new house to buy in Florida to move from Toledo, Ohio.

[Ekaterina Panasenko]

Hi, my name is Ekaterina.
I have a Master’s degree in Electronics Engineering from Moscow Technological University as well as several Diplomas and Professional Certifications in the field of Human Resources from USA and Russia.

Unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to work as an Engineer in Russia as there was no paid engineering jobs available at the time I have graduated.

I had to change my career and I became a specialist in Human Resources, having vast expertise in this field, such as administration, legal paperwork, employees and managers support, staff training and career development, recruitment and team building, supervision and organization. I worked in a huge international High-Tech Engineering Company in oil and gas industry. I started as a Legal Assistant, then HR Specialist and Area HR Information Systems Supervisor.

I maintained all our information systems (local and international payroll systems and databases). I used to be an SAP Champion (HCM Human Capital Management module), then SAP Supervisor for the country team, performing SAP quality control, maintenance, reporting, projects, and trainings.

Then as our family moved to USA and Latin America, I got some more education, including languages. I worked as a Legal Verification Officer in Mexico.
I have a huge experience in corporate culture sensitivity as well as in communication in different languages (fluent English, Spanish, Russian, and some French).

When we moved to Canada, got a citizenship, I worked in customer services for several months and then opened my own small business: a Tutoring Center for kids from K to 1st year of university. I organized all the processes, hired a team of tutors and an operation manager.

The Center was doing fine before the pandemic. We survived Covid times, but now the things are going very badly economically. We still have a severe lack of clients combined with the growing expenses. As there is no good prospective for the future, I will need to close the business soon.
Now it is time to me to start a new page in my professional life.

So, I have chosen a QA profession. Why?

I like What I do. I wanted to do s professional job that I am able to do well, that would give me a feeling of satisfaction, understanding that I am improving a product or a process. Quality control, maintenance and regular clean-ups of HR information systems and business structure was a part of my job before and I enjoyed it. Plus, I naturally like to work with details and structured things.

I like Where I do it. I wanted to work in the environment of High-Tech, engineers and technical people. I’ve been there before, I grew up and worked among engineers, and I really love this type of culture.

I like How I do it. I wanted to work in a team and feel myself as a helpful member as well as to see the project evaluating and finally being finished by all of us. This brings me happiness.

The job of QA fits really well my expectations and personality.


In future, I see myself as an expert in QA, having a lot of experience with different products and systems, developing and increasing my professional level, and still being satisfied with this profession.

[Grisha]

Hello! My name is Grisha Avanesyan.
I have master's degree in applied physics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology which I've acquired in 2011.
Right after the university I have joined Schlumberger Information Solutions as a Petroleum economics engineer in Moscow, Russia.
Schlumberger Information Solutions was a software division of the largest oil and gas service company in the World - Schlumberger.
I started my career as junior level support engineer in 2011 and finished as Petroleum Economics Solutions Technical Lead in 2021.
My responsibilities during my career were providing different software services to the customers, which include but not limited to:
installation, support, training, customization, testing, enhancement.
And as Team Lead I was also responsible for team management, software marketing and sales activities, managing consulting projects.
In 2021 I have moved with my family to the United States and decided to take a break in my career.
In 2022 I started thinking about resuming my professional career.
One of the fields I could thought of was software testing, since I had experience with software testing and software testers are in high demand in USA.
To structure my knowledge and get a better understanding of a tester profession in USA I have decided to take a course from Mikhail Portnov -
the founder of the first software tester's school in the World.
I have no boundaries or rigid goals to achieve in a certain period of time, I would rather focus on getting as much experience as possible.
As a next step I would look at test automation or team manager position regardless of how much time it will take.

[sergeylollypop]

I'm 23 years old guy.
*Graduated only from High School and self educated in some things like sound engineering and much bored things.
*In the past I was a professional truck driver and worked for few different international companies.
*Situation in the modern world changing everything.
*Because I hate low quality software.
*Being a pro in this business, getting knowledges and making 21st century more secure.

[SvetlanaZimina]

My name is Svetlana.
* Graduated from St. Petersburg State University of Service and Economics
* My last place of work is PJSC Sberbank of Russia in the position of Deputy Head of Branch
* Recently I moved to the USA and there was a need for a new profession
* I consider QA for myself as an opportunity to start earning without being tied to a place, I also hope to improve my English in the process of learning
* In five years, I will become a sought-after specialist in the field of IT