Oksana Hubchyk, Junior QA Manual: “It’s nice to have the opportunity to do your favorite things — Innovecs encourages and supports it”

Who did you dream of being as a child?

I dreamed of being a musician. We had a piano in our house that my great-grandfather played. I entered music school, graduated from it. And then I realized that I stopped liking music. With the onset of puberty, the desire to connect my life with music gradually faded. Around this time, I turned my attention to computer games, and my interest finally shifted to information technology.

How important is it to have family support in becoming a person and a professional?

I had no support. It is important to strike a balance in this matter. Constant indulgence in children’s whims, as a rule, does not lead to anything good. On the other hand, taboo provokes protest, which can lead a person off base. It is desirable to gently guide the search so that the child does not wander all over the place, and at the same time, does not feel coerced.

What qualities are paramount in your profession?

In my opinion, the most important thing in my profession is flexibility. On the other hand, the work involves routine tasks, and here systematicity and consistency are important. You need to be able to choose the right methodologies for specific projects and technologies.

What does your workday look like?

It all starts with checking mail and reviewing the tasks assigned to me. Then I plan my day and set priorities. During daily meetings, there are often nuances that need to be considered. Then I proceed to the scheduled tests.

What challenges do you encounter in your daily work?

From time to time we have to study new technologies. New mobile operating systems are being rolled out, which I have to test. I need to understand what has changed and how our program is behaving. The biggest challenge for the entire product team is customer requirements.

Have you had any burnouts?

Yes, it happened. I once allowed myself to work two or three months with overtime. I did not rest even on weekends. The result of such a regime is a sense that everything that happens does not make any sense. I saw no other option but to go on a long vacation.

How did you recover?

I needed to do two things: rest well and change the workplace. By the time I joined Innovecs, I was completely in shape. I came to the conclusion that in no case can you bring yourself to such states and deprive yourself of the opportunity to replenish your strength. Today I prevent burnout with the help of exercise — I have been practicing yoga for seven years. In the future, I would like to practice on the climbing wall.

What is the most difficult part of your job?

Emergencies are always difficult. Sometimes the deadline looms over you, and you find a bug that will be fixed all day today. This means you will have to stay at work longer than usual. When it comes to deadlines, there is inevitably a fear of missing something out.

What is the most interesting in your work?

I like to look for bugs with some interesting steps. Not just to press a button that doesn’t work, but to define certain conditions under which the bug appears. Understanding the bug, and the sequence is perhaps the most interesting.

Can you speak openly about your mistakes?

Yes of course. Six months ago, I missed a fairly obvious bug, which then saw the client. Of course, everyone was dissatisfied: both the client and me. Mistakes are common to everyone, you need to work with them properly — be able to recognize and prevent them. After this situation, I added this test to my checklist, and there have been no mistakes since then.

How do you assess the cohesion of the team?

We have a very close-knit team. Our lead is a friendly person who constantly organizes interesting joint activities. We often play board games and the Mafia. Such initiatives have a positive effect on work because, in a friendly atmosphere, any challenges are not so scary. Nobody is leaving anybody: we all overcome all issues together.

How do you feel about remote mode?

I like that in Innovecs I have the ability to combine work modes. I mostly work in the office. But nothing prevents me from going to Zaporizhzhia, where my parents live, and work there.

How to start mastering your profession?

First and foremost, via taking courses by QATestLab. They are available to absolutely everyone because training is free. The courses give an idea of ​​what the tester does and whether one needs to become one. With the acquired knowledge you can already apply for a Trainee position.

What tools help you stay effective?

The main tool is Jira, where I send bug reports. As for other tools, it all depends on the project I’m working on. In general, there’s nothing specific.

How will technology change your profession?

It all comes down to the fact that many things will be automated. I’m gradually using languages ​​and tools for automation today.

Have you explored new activities upon joining Innovecs?

I was very happy with the availability of the yoga community and immediately joined it. It is good that you can attend classes without leaving the office. It is nice that there is an opportunity to do your favorite things — here it is encouraged and supported. As for the new activities, I joined the Mindfulness community, where we hold discussions and practice meditation.

Is there a balance between work and life outside of it?

I don’t have a clear demarcation — I’m always in touch at Slack. This is my personal choice. At the same time, the weekend belongs to me only, so no one bothers anyone.

What does a perfect weekend look like?

You can’t get away from household chores, one of the weekends will have to be dedicated to them. The rest of the time I like to devote to walking. In summer I prefer to enjoy the wooded area. In winter I can take a long walk around the city. In this case, it does not matter where I go. I like the process itself.

Where do you look for inspiration?

In any new person. In general, I am very inspired by communication.

Which of the Innovecs corporate culture do you like the most?

I like that our hobbies are encouraged, and everyone can join the community of interest.

What makes you happy?

Happiness is an illusory thing that cannot be described. The job itself is not enough for happiness. You need inner enrichment, taken from family, friends, hobbies, general physical and mental condition.