Being an avid explorer and dynamic spirit are traits that best describe Catherine Carlos, our Lead Test Engineer from Atlanta, Georgia, in the US. Characterized by her congenial energy, Catherine is a nature lover, and she never misses a chance to stay connected with her friends and family who live all over the United States.
Catherine is passionate about music and contemporary arts, and is always eager to dive into the wonders of nature. When she has some free time you’ll probably find her trail running and hiking with her dog, Bowie, exploring new cultures, birdwatching for pelicans and being a good foodie.
With Communication Design and Fine Arts degrees from California State University, Chico, Catherine believes that practical leadership skills come from good networking in school. “Make connections, interact authentically, and show how passionate you are about your work,” she wisely advises.
While there are plenty opportunities for achieving success by learning new skills on the job and advancing as a professional engineer, being able to apply your education to your profession is always a source of satisfaction. “Information Design, the ability to combine words, images and ideas to craft your message, is essential to your success when engaging with the client in a consultant’s role,” Catherine says. “It is satisfying to see theory studied in school in play in the real world.”
“Understanding how people interact is a key competency for great QA. Being detail-oriented combined with my visual design background, made front-end testing a natural fit,” is some good advice.
The diversity and exposure, enabling interaction with varied personalities, are specific aspects that drew Catherine towards software testing.
“Agile software development attracts a broad range of professional personalities from around the world. This allows Qualitesters to be exposed to people with varying skills, interests, and life experiences,” says Catherine.
Catherine joined Qualitest as a front-end manual tester and quickly grew into her current role as Lead Test Engineer by applying her strong communication and leadership skills.
“I quickly developed strong working relationships, building trust with the client and taking every opportunity to elevate Qualitest’s role within the company. I was extremely excited when given an opportunity to build a QA practice from scratch with our client, where I am the current project lead,” she says.
For those who aspire to become a software tester, Catherine emphasizes the importance of learning and communication and the value of establishing a great working relationship with clients.
Catherine offers, “Understanding human connection and how we communicate, in addition to the latest technologies, are vital to a consultant’s success. Projects may come and go, but the skills and relationships you build along the way can last a lifetime.”
When Catherine is not busy assisting her clients, you will find her immersed in artistic findings, exploring nature or spending quality time with her friends and family.
“We love to travel to New York, Boston, New Orleans, and out west to see my family,” says Catherine, a native of Los Angeles. “There is a great big world out there, and it starts in your backyard!”
We have to agree with Catherine on this.
