Maria has created an amazing world for herself, surrounded by things like scented candles, flowers, coffee, tea, books, movies, video games, her pets and the tight-knit circle of family and friends whom she loves.
As a Management and Tourism graduate, you might be surprised to learn that Maria is fascinated by the functioning of the human brain and has an immense interest in Psychology and Neuroscience.
Maria has always had a knack for discovering bugs in the games she played, which made game testing a natural career profession for her. From game testing, she transitioned to other forms of software testing. Because she is a quick learner she adapts to new technologies in no time.
Maria is now a manual tester and is currently studying Python to make a move towards helping Qualitest clients with test automation projects.
Being an avid gamer, starting a career in game testing was an obvious and preferred choice for Maria.
“Any experience gained while working on different test methodologies, test environments, programming languages and the variety of projects that we work on is helpful not only in our career as a tester but also in various aspects of life,” says Maria.
Choosing software testing presented Maria with an opportunity to work in an ever-changing environment, where she could learn and grow.
Maria joined Qualitest about a year ago. “Working at Qualitest has allowed me to advance from game testing to 360-degree software testing and prove that I am capable of learning and adapting very quickly,” she says. “I have developed new skills in a short period, and I am grateful to have been given a chance to work in such a challenging and ever-growing environment.”
To the next generation of testers, Maria offers: “If you are interested in becoming a QA professional, I would advise you to start with game testing to learn about the basics of discovering bugs and the basic idea behind testing processes.”
However, Maria also emphasizes the context of her testing experience by reminding all young testers to “keep in mind that Game Testing is not about playing video games and getting paid for it. In a good game testing environment, you will learn the principles of testing, analyze the requirements, and create test cases and documentation. In my opinion, these are the essentials that you need to experience before starting a career in software quality assurance.”
When Maria is not on the look-out for bugs, she loves playing board games and Dungeons & Dragons. She is also an ardent reader and a baker, but only for those who fall within her small world.
Currently, on her audiobook list you will find ‘The Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom’ Duology by Leigh Bardugo. And she’s enjoying some new podcasts in her downtime.
Maria is a firm believer in striking the work-life balance. She advocates that if you are passionate about something, you must follow it with all you have. Educate yourself and then give it your best shot and success will follow eventually.
“But, while you are at a chase, do not forget to pause and unwind yourself, as striking a balance between dreams and passion gives you a real sense of accomplishment,” adds Maria.
