How to improve as you go: wisdom and Espresso from a Test Automation Engineer
Meet Andrew, a senior test automation engineer at VEON. We had an awesome conversation with him and want to share his insights on how to get ahead on the road to greatness.
To get on a path to success, sometimes you just have to jump into the game. After graduating from National Aviation University in Kyiv, Ukraine, that’s what Andrew did.
“Through a friend, I got an interview for a job as a software tester,” Andrew recalls. “I didn’t know anything about software testing, so I read a book about it. I got the job!”
The lesson here is: If you spot an opportunity, do what it takes to grab it. Now, let’s hear some more insights like this from Andrew.
1. Go where you can shine (and possibly where the sun shines, too)
When Andrew first started doing work in test automation, he wasn’t in some office. He was in Ko Samui, Thailand. Yes, he was laying low in a warm paradise and still making magic happen.
“I would go to the local market for breakfast and then swim. I would work in the afternoon, spend time on the beach after dinner, and work some at night,” describes Andrew. “It was a peaceful experience — and it was there that I became much better at test automation.”
As you see, finding success may depend on being in the right place. In the future, if you want, you may even be able to telecommute from Mars (if that’s where you’ll do your best work). After all, a colony on Mars looks like it’s going to actually happen soon.
“Just be sure you don’t become stale. You have to continually challenge yourself. It’s the only way to make breakthroughs.”
“I decided to come to the Netherlands because I was turning into a very happy jellyfish in Thailand,” jokes Andrew. “I didn’t want to become complacent. I took an offer at LeaseWeb because it was a great chance to build upon what I had been doing in Ko Samui.”
It’s precisely that need to be an environment which supports growth that drove Andrew to VEON. He was excited about the chance to help VEON build a global platform and improve the lives of over 235 million customers.
“In addition to the scale, the chance to work on mobile application testing attracted me here,” notes Andrew. “Also, the culture here gives you freedom and space to research and develop new ideas.
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2. Row your boat!
Perhaps you’ve heard the famous children’s song, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” It’s a gem.
Anyway, the point here is that you can achieve great success and life can be merry if you row your boat in the right direction. Grab a paddle and start.
Andrew’s career path has been not just about grabbing opportunities that come, but also making sure what he’s doing is building towards something greater. He’s trying to row that boat to a wonderful destination.
“After working my first job as a software tester, I joined Cogniance, where I learned test automation. Then, I came to Amsterdam and now find myself with VEON,” says Andrew. “Each move has been strategic, as I choose the roles where I feel I can learn the most.”
Andrew hopes all his work experiences will help him become a full-stack automation developer, which is no easy task. But he’s steering his ship correctly. With some more hard work, Andrew will be there soon. And then he’ll be even more equipped to make great things happen.
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3. It’s the questions that are important// Learn from Voltaire
Voltaire, the famous French writer and philosopher, famously said, “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.”
Voltaire’s words indicate that those who ask the right questions find the right answers. Andrew and his team run on this idea (because it yields better solutions). Sure, you may have to be nitpicky at times, but it’s for the greater good!
At VEON, our goal is to build a global ecosystem that delivers a seamless, enjoyable experience for our customers, which requires that our applications run without flaws and interruption. Literally, we want our app to be as reliable as the sun rising.
So, Andrew must constantly analyze how the testing framework we’re using is working. Looking for issues is the first step to improvement.
Since working with different platforms, like iOS and Android, and devices, is a unique challenge in mobile testing (in comparison to web testing), Andrew and his team first addressed this question. This is why they’ve chosen to use Appium, as it’s a testing framework that works across numerous platforms.
“Appium has enabled us to automate many of the tasks concerning main functionality, which guarantees continuously delivery of those functions,” states Andrew. “Still, there’s also the challenge of 12 operating countries (opcos).”
To handle the issue of different customers across the world using different devices and operators, Andrew and his team have created test configuration files to mimic common devices. Even still, Andrew notes there’s more work to do to truly automate testing across the board.
After Andrew addresses one issue, he’s on to the next problem. Follow this model — and keep in mind Voltaire’s quote. It will help you consistently improve.
4. Defend against punches
Mike Tyson, one of the greatest boxers ever, has said a lot of things over the years (from the insane to the enlightening). He does have one quote that connects to anybody’s professional life, which is:
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
Andrew keeps the operation on its toes because he understands the deeper meaning behind this quote. You can plan and create, but if you don’t test constantly, you won’t be able to defend against a ‘punch in the face’ (which would really hurt from Tyson).
For instance, while testing functions in detail with Appium, Andrew and the team encountered lots of cases where they actually had to communicate between two devices. This required them to run front end testing sequentially, which wasn’t efficient.
“So, we’ve started using Java ExecutorService to run multiple tasks concurrently,” explains Andrew.
Continual testing is at the core of what Andrew and his team do. It’s the only way to see what solutions are actually best. The team has come to the realization that they need to split responsibilities, as a blend of testing frameworks is the answer.
“We won’t just settle on one method. We’re constantly updating,” notes Andrew. “For instance, for Android devices, we’re using the Espresso framework. It was made specifically by Google and enables us to test both positive and negative scenarios for any screen very quickly.”
Clearly, Andrew has built a culture of testing here at VEON. It’s the only way to stop a punch in the face and stay on the path to continuous delivery of our app.
5. Take time to smell the flowers (or play video games)
To stay on a continuous path of improvement, you have to stop and check out the scenery (or just simply take your mind off work). It will keep you in the right mindset.
“I love video games and photography (did you check his Instagram account?),” exclaims Andrew. “I also like cooking, watching TV, and reading. But I must admit that I sometimes fall asleep when I read. So, I guess like sleep, too.”
Now, that’s a good recipe for relaxation — one that will make you more efficient when you get back at it.
Your path to greatness awaits!
Improving as you go is the way to achieve your dreams. Andrew has shown you how it’s done. The only thing that’s left for you to do is execute. Just watch an episode of Adam Ruins Everything first (Andrew recommended it).
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