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At Ulam Labs, we have talented people in the right position performing a great job. But today’s story hero combines two different roles in an unusual way.
Let’s meet our QA Specialist and Social Media Manager, Basia!
How long have you worked at Ulam Labs and what do you do here?
Hard to believe, but it’s already been more than 2 years. My main responsibilities are those of a QA specialist, but I also work as a Social Media Manager. I test web and mobile apps and share content on our social media platforms. It’s quite unusual combination, but I’m the one-man-band for everything that needs to be done here. I am voluntarily involved in various activities at Ulam Labs. For example, I often organize events or volunteer at schools to deliver IT workshops for kids. I love the variety of tasks that I’m doing.
How do you manage to combine these two roles?
I am a full-time QA for clients, and this is what I do most of the time. Also, I volunteer to run Social Media and it is my overtime job. I do it simply because I like it. Combining these two roles is not that hard though. All you need is proper planning ahead and cooperation with the Marketing Team.
Do you remember your recruitment process for the QA role?
Yes, I remember that well. It was one of the best recruitments I have ever had. First, I had a telephone interview to test my language skills. It was a nice and normal conversation, like everywhere else. Then I received an invitation for the second (and the last) meeting, this time a personal interview at the office. During the meeting, I had one task to check not only my knowledge but also my communication skills and logical thinking. After this interview, I received an email with the information that I was employed.
What was your development path?
My path is a path of iron consistency in achieving my goals. It started with self-education and gaining experience on uTest. Then I hit under the wings of the Ulam Labs team where I had the opportunity to learn from excellent specialists. We all know that putting new knowledge and skills into practice can be one of the best ways to gain knowledge. With proper specialists on board at Ulam Labs, it was much easier! I was learning Cypress and Java Script for test automation and my first big project was at Mobile Vikings, a client from the Telco industry.
What do you enjoy most about working at Ulam Labs?
I like the fact that there is always room for self-development and upgrading our skills. We have various options here: we share knowledge during our internal Ulam Talks and Blockchain meetups that we organize, we can do certification and courses, or even practice English language during co-financed lessons.
It’s hard to believe but during these two years, I finished five certificates. The most important for me was Certification for Professional Scrum Master I which entitled me to be a professional Scrum Master within our project.
What has been the most interesting project for you so far?
It was an interesting experience to work for Mobile Vikings, a Telco company. At the same time, it was a very demanding project. I improved my knowledge about the development process and discovered new interesting tools for my work.
What skills are the most important for your role as a QA Specialist?
As a QA specialist, I have to keep an eye on details. It’s good to also have a bit of self-confidence and assertiveness. And don’t forget about good communication skills, which are needed both in the QA and Social Marketing work.
What advice would you give others interested in working at Ulam Labs as a QA?
If you are: focused on details and want to gain new knowledge and experience, especially in the blockchain and security branches, Ulam Labs is the place to go. You must be convinced that testing is what you want to do and demonstrate it during the interview. Also, knowledge of basic terms, logical thinking, and precision are the keys to this job. If you want to stand out from the crowd, a good idea is to pass the ISTQB Foundation Level exam, but it’s not necessary. Also, it is nice to have some experience, even not commercial.
Don’t hesitate. Take this job, this might be the best choice in your life :)
