On Testing with Ivana Brecherova

Ivi, how are you enjoying ProRocketeers? What are you working on right now?

I am happy with my project because it matches what we discussed during the interview. I work on a project using .NET and Selenium.

And the people at ProRocketeers are really lovely. It has a friendly, almost family-like culture.

Is there anything you would change?

I still miss having a shower and a toilet on the first floor. :D And I think we should have another event soon, like the Christmas party. That was such a great night! :D

(Rocket Campus, where ProRocketeers is based, is still being renovated. The facilities are currently on the second floor; the first-floor toilets are under construction, and showers in the basement are planned for next year. The next big party will be in June 2023.)

How did you get into testing?

I got into testing almost by accident while I was at university in 2016. I told my boyfriend (now my husband) he should apply for a programmer job at a company in Ostrava. Later, when they needed an Android automation tester, he got me a part-time position there. I got hooked on testing and never left. I mainly focus on automation; manual testing is a smaller part of my work.

A lot of women work in testing. Do you think women are naturally suited to the job?

Maybe. I think we are good at concentrating and, if you will forgive me, at being a bit more persistent. :D

Originally, I thought I would become a programmer after school. Unfortunately, university put me off. I do “programming” now, but not at a level where I would call myself a programmer. I know the basic structures, and when I get stuck I look at Google and Stack Overflow or ask someone more experienced.

I would like to thank my colleague Jakub Kleberc, whom I regularly bother with .NET questions.

I have considered Kuba a very good .NET developer for years, and I will always stand by him. I also have a colleague on the customer’s side whom I admire a lot, especially for his patience and hard work. He is always willing to help and is someone we can rely on. His knowledge of testing and our framework is excellent, better than mine, I have to admit.

What about university put you off programming?

The thing that affected me most was the professors’ attitude. I did not feel they wanted to give advice or help. Of course, that was not true of every professor. I was not as good as the other students, and I could have used some guidance. Also, we had programmed in C# throughout all four years of secondary school, so languages like C++, C, and Python came as a shock (I have nothing against those languages; I just never really understood them). JavaScript, for example, one of the most widely used languages, was not taught at all during my bachelor’s degree. That left me feeling like I had no chance of getting a job as a programmer in practice.

What do you enjoy about testing, and what do you dislike?

I definitely enjoy developing new UI tests and learning new things. I am glad when I run into a problem someone has to explain to me, because I come away with new knowledge. I also enjoy discussing tricky work issues and bugs with colleagues and coming up with solutions.

In general, I am not that keen on manual testing anymore. I do not mind returning to it occasionally, but a project consisting only of manual testing would probably burn me out. I feel there is not much room for me to grow in manual testing, so I end up stagnating.

Do you have any advice for other testers?

Above all, do not stand still. There is still a high demand for manual testers, but the field will certainly move more towards automation, so it is important to keep developing your skills. For anyone who wants to try IT, testing is a good starting point that can lead you in different directions. But if you enjoy it, there is nothing wrong with staying. You can build a career in testing and become a respected member of your team!

My second tip: testers should not get stressed by programmers teasing them. Sometimes a programmer’s ego just cannot handle making mistakes. :D

We testers should also admit that we make plenty of mistakes. We are only human! :)

Thanks for the interview. All the best!