By Reema M Raj
My journey of a decade in IT has evolved from being a manual tester when I started out to now being an automation test lead. I have picked up a lot of learnings along the way. Every project that I have worked on, every person that I have worked with, has taught me something about myself. Here, I am writing about some of the experiences that have impacted my professional life eventually shaping up the woman I am today.
Confidence is a learned skill
When I started out, I had zero confidence while speaking on client calls. Maybe it was my low self-esteem at that time; I just couldn’t get through a single sentence without awkward silences in between. I quickly realized I needed to get better at it. I then started writing down whatever I needed to speak in the status call beforehand. That helped me stay calm and I eventually overcame my fear of public speaking. Today, the most positive feedback I get about my work is my communication. I feel every skillset can be learned; we just need to give our 100% and believe in ourselves!
Be a lifelong student
My studies and work have little to do with each other. I learned on the job. In an ever-evolving industry, if we don’t update ourselves to the latest technology/skillset, our career would become stagnant. Keeping an open mind about new technologies has helped me navigate my work better.
Standup for what you think is right
I joined a new project as an SAP manual tester. My teammates were extremely skilled at SAP but lacked verbal and written communication skills. Hence, I quickly became the person who would help them with their emails and coordinate between various teams.
Our onsite lead was a tough task master and had been with that client for a long time. She was responsible for providing the test data as she was working at the client location. Before I joined the project, the team had been working all weekends as they were unable to meet targets, not due to their incompetency but because the data provided was incorrect and had to be changed/corrected multiple times.
She would daily scream at the team. It would really bother me as they were doing their best. I asked them to stand up for themselves as it wasn’t their fault. My teammates told me that as they were new to the organization and were on probation, they didn’t want to say anything. I kept quiet as she wasn’t speaking badly to me.
One day, on a call with the entire team, she simply started screaming at the testing team again to hide her own mistakes. She was just being a bully. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I politely corrected her and stood up for my team. That absolutely shut her up. I felt better and so did my teammates. She started being careful post that call with them and started almost being polite. They finally pushed back on weekend work as well. Small victories!!!
Everyone is a teacher
A manager of mine was very difficult to work with. He would frequently criticize all team members and his feedback made people feel incompetent. I would genuinely start sulking when he would assign me some additional work like creating a PPT. He wouldn’t give me any pointers but just would ask me to create something. When I would go back with draft versions, he would pick on the content to no end.
Additionally, I had a problem with the way he gave feedback. I felt like he was harsh and rude. I was cribbing about it to my best friend who gave me amazing advice. She asked me to separate my feelings from the feedback. It took me a while to grasp that. I had to learn to ignore my dislike for him and keep my feelings separate from my task at hand. I eventually understood that he knew better about what the client needed to be presented with than I did. Also, creating a PPT was a skillset I needed to develop. When I learned to keep my ego aside and take criticism constructively, the result ended up being something good. Don’t get me wrong, I still stood my ground regarding disagreements about automation as that is my forte. I just learned to choose my battles wisely and our working relationship became smoother post that.
I never considered him my mentor, but he ended up teaching me a lot about myself and my work.
I recently read ‘Becoming’ by Michele Obama. She talked about how she didn’t like her teacher. Her mother offered her advice saying “You don’t have to like your teacher, but that woman has got the kind of math in her head that you need in yours. Focus on that and ignore the rest.” Words to live by.
Remember to have fun
Sometimes, we come across a group of people who start out as colleagues but quickly become close friends. The experience of working on a project (especially a bad one) bonds you for life! Such people are hard to come by, but when they do, we must hold on to that friendship even after the project ends. 😊
Onwards and Upwards
The most important thing I feel is that everyone should focus on their mental health. Only when we take care of ourselves, can we care for others. We must strive for completeness within. Only then, can we be good at maintaining our personal and professional lives. Introspection and inner growth are two things that will take us on a higher path.
Also, as a woman I feel, it’s mandatory to have a tribe of women as friends who have your back, provide constructive feedback and are happy for your success. This African proverb sums it up for me ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ 😊
By Reema M Raj
I really enjoyed your journey of a decade in IT..