Q&A with Slalom Build’s Inaugural 2019 Quality Engineering Academy
Sit down with Julia, Zac, Samone, and Liliana as they share their experience attending Slalom Build’s first Quality Engineering Academy
On a rainy and unusually cold morning in late April, a cohort of nine future Quality Engineers walked through the doors of our Chicago Build Center to begin what was to be a 6-week program dubbed the Quality Engineering Academy.
The program promised to be an intense, hands-on, and highly-collaborative learning journey designed to teach the practical skills necessary to succeed as a quality engineer in Slalom Build’s software development teams. It includes modules on everything from Agile development methodology to the latest UI automation frameworks — crafted and facilitated by quality engineering experts from across Slalom Build.
The initial 2019 group came from disparate backgrounds and experience levels — some had higher education degrees while others had honed their skills on the job. None of that mattered. Everyone would be treated the same way. Everyone would complete the same work. Everyone would be challenged.
By the end of the six weeks, each member of the Academy cohort was ready to start working on their first project — most were staffed even before the program officially ended. Some have gone on to lead their own projects, presented brown bags and project spotlights, run high-profile clubs, lead events, and they still find time to catch up and eat lunch together.
We sat down with four of these originals: Julia Adamski, Zac Gallagher, Samone Morris, and Liliana Allen, to hear some stories about their Academy experience.
Let’s start with something simple. How did you hear about the Academy program?
Julia: I was graduating from grad school in a few weeks and had begun job searching. I heard about Slalom’s QE Academy program from my classmate, Zac. He had already applied and encouraged me to do so as well.
Zac: I probably have the most boring answer to this question: I saw it on Slalom’s website and applied.
Samone: I reactivated my LinkedIn profile 2 months prior to being contacted by Catherine (a Slalom recruiter.) 95% of the time I do not respond to LinkedIn messages because most are not legitimate or seemed like spam. It wasn’t until I was doing some inbox cleanup that I stumbled upon Catherine’s message—which was delivered 5 days prior.
Lily: I was a referral, actually. I had shared some of my work stories with a friend who had recently started working at Slalom and a couple of weeks later he shared an invitation to a Meetup event for the Academy. I wasn’t actively looking to make a move at the time, but I figured it couldn’t hurt just to go meet some people. It would be good networking and I had heard from my friend that their new office was beautiful — and it is!
It seems like everybody learned about the program in different ways. Can you elaborate on what convinced you to apply?
Julia: After reading about Slalom and the QE Academy program, I was immediately interested. Slalom’s core values really aligned with what I was looking for in a company and I felt the Academy would be the perfect transition from finishing college to starting my career.
Zac: The idea of the academy sounded like a perfect fit for me because I was just about to graduate college and wanted my first job to be a learning experience. I also had some fears that I think many college students have before graduating. Am I ready to take on responsibilities on real projects? Are my skills good enough to work at a tech company? These fears were a bit overplayed in my head, but I thought a program like this would ease my fears.
Samone: The authenticity of Catherine’s message and my curiosity is what finally motivated me to set up a call to request more information. I honestly believe this opportunity was fate because it fit the exact needs I desired while on my quest for my next career move.
Liliana: I don’t know if I would have applied for the Academy if I had not gone to that meetup event. I met some of the incredible quality engineers who would become my teammates as well as senior leadership. Right off the bat, that proved to me that quality is not an afterthought here. That they would host an event of that size for this program; that senior leaders would take time out of their day to talk to each and every prospective applicant there — that speaks volumes. Sometimes moving from a small company to one the size of Slalom can be jarring, like a kind of culture shock. On that evening I realized that Slalom and the Academy program would give me not only the room to grow my skill set and accelerate my career but would also provide me with the leadership and support to do so.
What did you find challenging about the academy experience? Or what did you struggle with the most?
Julia: Everyone came into the Academy with different backgrounds and levels of experience. A few times we were using a new tool or programming language that others were experienced in, but I had never used it, so I was behind. It was definitely a struggle at times, but thankfully everyone was very helpful and shared their knowledge with each other. This type of situation is definitely something I still encounter, and I know I will for the rest of my life, but I don’t view it as a bad thing. It’s just another opportunity to learn and be pushed out of my comfort zones.
Zac: There were a few times during the Academy when we had to pitch our ideas or present our work to mock clients, and public speaking is not my thing. But, because public speaking is part of your role as a consultant at Slalom, having that skill might be just as important as your tech skills. At the end of the Academy, we had to individually present on any topic we wanted. I was absolutely dreading it. I even tried to get out of it, but I am glad I did for a couple of reasons. First, there are times where I have to be in a position to be a public speaker. I cannot just walk out on a client or large meetings. Second, the Academy was the perfect place to be outside my comfort zone and take in feedback for my presentation skills. It is a rare opportunity to try and maybe fail but learn for the future.
Public speaking is something that I will always struggle with, but I have made improvements. What I learned from the Academy is to stay focused on your topic, explaining why whatever your presenting is valuable and saying less can be more impactful than saying too much.
Samone: Learning new things is a double-edged sword. There is a sense of novelty and enjoyment when you have that exposure to concepts that you may have never heard of or use a tool for the first time. However, one must also ‘have fun’ being uncomfortable since trying new things can be intimidating. I have learned that in order to thrive in my career and master new skills as an engineer, I must continue to put myself in uncomfortable situations. In order to build a successful career, I have learned that the most difficult and smartest decision to make is stepping out of my comfort zone.
Liliana: Like a lot of people in this field, I have a non-traditional background when it comes to quality engineering. I’m self-taught and there can sometimes be some baggage that comes with that. The technical labs were incredibly challenging for me; we were working with frameworks and stacks that I had never been exposed to before. I would look over my shoulder and I was certain that I was the only person struggling with the content — I was in the program with people who had master’s degrees! To say that I had Imposter Syndrome would be an understatement. There were times when I absolutely felt like I did not belong there.
I quickly learned that I was not the only person struggling with the content. And moreover, I was not the only person in the Academy or in the quality engineering practice who was self-taught! I have teammates now who have backgrounds very similar to my own. They shared their stories with me, their experience, and their knowledge. Overcoming Imposter Syndrome is a long-term and fairly personal process, but it’s up to all of us to do our part to create more inclusive communities so that more people do feel like they belong. I can absolutely say that was the case for my experience in the Academy and continues to be the case for the quality engineering practice at Slalom Build.
Do you think the Academy experience made you a better tester or engineer?
Julia: Yes, without a doubt. I came in straight out of college with no automated testing experience, but the QE Academy definitely prepared me to succeed on my first project. Having technical skills is one thing, but what was really valuable to me was learning the way to think and approach problems as a quality engineer.
Zac: Yes, before the Academy I did not have any exposure to automation frameworks. I think this is true for most colleges and universities, but my university’s computer science program did not teach automation. However, many of the technical skills I learned in school still apply when using these frameworks. I still pay attention to efficiency and clean code. The Academy helped frame my technical skills and show why best practices in coding are needed, especially on larger projects. In school, I don’t think I saw the full effect of what happens when a programmer deviates from best practices and starts using anti-patterns.
Samone: The QE Academy experience greatly influenced two major areas in my career. The intensive curriculum provided me with new techniques and exposed me to technologies that I have never utilized before as a software tester. Staying abreast of current industry trends and software testing tools has always been one of my main career ambitions, but I never had the opportunity to gain that exposure in past roles. The Academy also reinforced and refined the capabilities I already acquired. Strengthening the abilities I already possess allowed me to make momentous strides throughout the program and post-graduation when I was assigned to projects. Increasing knowledge and strengthening my talents are two complementary efforts that the QE Academy greatly influenced and shaped me to be a polished quality engineer.
Liliana: Without a doubt. They put us through the wringer! More seriously though, the Academy curriculum was crafted and curated to prepare us for what comes our way with project work: non-stop learning. We were exposed to new techniques or methodologies every day. That is not to say that we are required to change stacks or adopt new methodologies on a daily basis as a part of our jobs now, but the Academy did give us this experience of having to switch gears and learn new things at a quick pace in addition to providing us with a deep reservoir of knowledge that we can now pull from with each new project.
What would you say has been the single most significant lesson you took away from the Academy experience?
Julia: Picking just one thing is tough — I’d say the best thing I learned was to think outside the box about test scenarios and strategies. It’s important to never stop asking questions or considering all the different possibilities.
Zac: This might not be a lesson, but something I took away from the Academy that I did not expect is a sense of community. The program brought in a group of people from different backgrounds, and by the end of it, it felt like we had an Academy family form. This made the transition from college life to work life much smoother. A lot of graduating students think their social life goes downhill after graduating, but my social circle felt like it expanded because of the Academy.
Samone: It does not matter if you are an Engineer who just started on your journey or a Solution Architect with years of experience. Learning never ends; there is always room for growth. The projects that are available at Slalom encourage both professional and personal advancement.
Liliana: Resilience. There will be challenges on every project; disasters on every project; situations that require you to step outside of your comfort zone. The Academy is an entirely unique experience that exposes you to those realities in a supportive environment. Not everything went right, of course. Each lab was carefully put together and then the day of, something would go wrong. We had to present our automation work in front of the entire group and our instructors and even though all the tests were green one second ago, half of them suddenly fail as soon as your screen is being shared. Such as in work and in life! Things happen. You switch gears, you adapt, and you move on. Resilience.
What advice would you give someone who is considering joining a future iteration of this program?
Julia: I would encourage them to chat with a recruiter or a quality engineer at Slalom to learn more and ask any questions. Everyone is super friendly and easy going — feel free to shoot us a message on LinkedIn!
Zac: Apply even if you don’t think your experience 100% aligns with quality engineering. Just be ready to learn!
Samone: Quality Assurance, as a specialty, exposes you to the world of software testing and highlights how significant it can be when building a software application. You will have unlimited access to and the ability to offer you expert knowledge on every moving gear in software development such as User Design and CDS. The great thing about QE Academy is there are plenty of experts in Slalom that have a wealth of knowledge to share. You will have an opportunity to learn so many different concepts and tools to prepare you for real clients and projects. You surely won’t be disappointed!
Liliana: You lose nothing by inquiring or applying — take a leap!
If you are interested in applying to a future Quality Engineering Academy, please contact us through Slalom Build Careers. If you are want to learn more about what it takes to be a quality engineer at Slalom Build, check out the Quality Engineer Learning Roadmap and our Quality Engineering Core Principles.
About Our Interviewees
Juliana Adamski
I’m Julia and I graduated from Loyola University with my master’s in Software Engineering in 2019. I had never taken a quality engineering class and didn’t know much about automated testing prior to joining Slalom. Looking back, this was one of the best decisions I made. I’m continuously learning and growing every day as an engineer, and I couldn’t be happier!
Zac Gallagher
My name is Zac and I graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2019 with a master’s in Software Engineering. In school, I did not learn much about quality engineering, but after attending a quality engineering meetup at Slalom and hearing more about it from employees, I quickly wanted to know more about it. This is my first job after college, and I could not be happier with my decision to join the QE Academy!
Samone Morris
Hello everyone! I am Samone Morris and I have been working in Quality Assurance for the past 5 years. I graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago and obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. I have worked with clients in various industries including Financial, Entertainment, and E-Commerce. I always had a natural affinity for testing software applications. Finding defects in software applications always feels like and adventure and makes QE so much more gratifying than any other role I have had.
Liliana Allen
Hi, I’m Liliana. I graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Japanese of all things! I never — ever — thought that I would end up in this field. I was just another customer support representative at a startup working on a novel when I saw an internal job posting for a Quality Analyst. I took a leap and applied for something I felt wholly unqualified for — and that is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
