First of all, I have to say that I absolutely love being a Quality Engineer, something that I have been doing for a living for the last 11 years of my life! During these 11 years, I have had the pleasure (yes, pleasure!) of being tossed around, torn to pieces and thrown at a lot of scary and difficult situations in the world of software testing!

Armed only with a strong desire to learn and excel at my profession, I have seen, heard and gone through a multitude of experiences, challenges, and opportunities. Have I ever been scared shitless or doubted my decision to become a Quality Engineer? Heck yeah! Have I ever felt like the dumbest person in the companies I have worked on? The answer to that question is a resounding “yes!” Have I ever cried? You can bet your bottom dollar I have!

But it has been an amazing journey so far, with rewards (and I’m not talking about monetary rewards only) too numerous to count, and plenty of learning opportunities. Let’s just say that there has never been a dull moment in these last 11 years and there is nothing that I would trade for all of these experiences! So this past October, thanks to the support and encouragement from friends and family, I set out to put down on paper all about some of these situations and experiences. The process of writing a book, my first, is something that I should probably turn into a separate post, but what I can say right now is that, once I started, I just kept on going! I guess that writing about something that you really like and enjoy may have helped?

So after a few months, between periods of intense writing late into the night and work-related activities, I finally published my book (paperback and kindle on Amazon) where I share how I have turned some of my experiences into life and career lessons.

Through these “tales,” I hope to inspire a new generation of Quality Engineers and guide them through some of the challenges that one is bound to come across when starting out on a new career.

Lastly, for those who also like me, have been working on this field: I hope you’ll relate to some of my tales, perhaps sharing a laugh or a tear as you remember how you too may have faced a similar situation, and how you (hopefully) overcame it.