RE: TW -> QA

["Lisa Wright" <liwright -at- earthlink -dot- net>]

Hi Belinda,
All your other respondents have provided some good suggestions for
evaluating a QA job. I've been down this road a few times, so I'll offer
my perspective, give you a few more questions to ask yourself.

I'm really good at testing software products, finding things out about
them, and ferreting out problems/scenarios that no one else thinks to
look for. My project teams, especially the managers love this.
(Sometimes the software engineers don't love it because I find stuff
they have to fix. Most of the time they think it's cool.) I enjoy this
kind of exploration and it gives me good insight into a product.

But I make a lousy QA person/tester. Why? Because being QA requires
rigid, repeatable structure, planned out in advance, followed through to
completion. My way of working through a software project is very, well,
intuitive and free-form. My mindset, my work style, pretty much my
entire being cannot tolerate working the way QA requires you to work. I
turned down a job because of this. My agency manager likes me to put
"testing" on my resume because it offers an additional avenue into a
project, but I would resist actually taking a job that advertised itself
as "testing" or QA.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, really take a close look at what the job
of testing entails. It's not the same as the work you do now with the
software. It may provide you with some additional job security, true.
But take a look at the longer career direction as well.

Good luck!

Lisa 

-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-53104 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-53104 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com] On Behalf Of Belinda
Kelly
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 4:14 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: TW -> QA



I work as a tech writer for a medium sized company. Our QA manager is
going to be leaving soon and I've been offered the QA position. I've got
an editing/tech writing background, rather than a QA one, but know the
products well. However, I'm a bit concerned that I'll probably have to
keep up my tech writing duties in addition to the QA stuff.  Basically,
I'm after suggestions or advice on this situation.

Thanks!
Belinda



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