I’ve been working with the software development and testing industries for over 17 years.
Over that period of time I’ve been fortunate to work with some very gifted professionals and been a part of many exciting and interesting projects for some amazing clients and brands. Everything that I’ve experienced in my career as a QA professional – the good and the bad – has resulted in my approach, methodologies and execution that I apply today in all my QA engagements. I’m still learning with each client and project that I work with, this is something that is important to me.
I enjoy all aspects of software testing; the management and leadership; the mentoring and education that I can offer my teams, and the opportunities that allow me to continually learn; the planning and project management aspects, and the hands on test execution (even more so now that I’m involved with Information security, penetration testing and ethical hacking).
Being a part of the software testing and development industry has put me in touch with some gifted and talented people, it’s one the main reasons I continue to enjoy this job each day.
I don’t think I’ve ever met a single test professional who decided at a young age that they wanted to be a software tester; every successful test analyst and QA leader that I’ve worked with seems to have fallen into testing; it’s something that we seem to have a natural aptitude for. Back in the day I was a construction surveyor setting out buildings and features on large scale construction projects in London. I grew slightly wary of the industry as it wasn’t the safest place to be – I saw numerous accidents and close calls, so when a friend asked if I wanted to work as a video game tester, I felt it was worth looking into. Being paid to play games? Best job ever! Well, it was the best job up to a point, but when I spent weeks playing the same levels over and over again of a genre I didn’t particularly enjoy, the job lost a little of its attraction. What it did open my eyes to was that I really enjoyed testing software, and learning how it worked. From this point I moved into web testing, then back into games for a few years, this time as lead test/test manager. After this I landed in a position that allowed me to test websites, web applications and video games, and it was here that I really grew as a QA professional and test leader.
Since then I’ve worked in many different industries – still within software testing, and I can’t see myself moving away from it for many years. It was over 6 years ago that I decided to move from the safety of permanent employment into the world of freelance QA, a move that I have never regretted. The sheer amount of knowledge and experience that I’ve acquired since then allows me to offer QA consultancy to a wide range of clients, industries and disciplines whilst still finding that I’m enjoying every project and engagement. Work shouldn’t feel like work, and I find that it rarely does.
I’d love the chance to chat with you about your testing and software delivery requirements, please contact me to kick off those discussions. I can work on-site or remote, I have my own testing hardware, devices and test laboratory, equally I can use your hardware if corporate policy dictates so. I look forward to talking with you.
Paul Nisbett: QA Consultant