Samantha Andrews

"My three given personality types fit the work that I do as a Software Tester. Developer - Being creative and inquisitive is so important in Software Testing. We find and fix issues in the code before we let the customer access it. For example, for a website, a Software Tester might test many things: \"Does the website work on different devices like my computer and on my iPhone? Can I click on all of the buttons on the website? Does the website look nice? Does the website have all of the features that the customer asked for?” The answers to these questions will show us the quality of the Software. We always strive for high quality and want to make things better, so if any of these answers are No, then we will make the improvements. Coach - In the world of Software Development, there are many people working together, each with their own special job. I work with all these people. My job is to understand what they want and help them get it, and to make sure the Software we make is the best it can be. Because I find issues with the Software, I have to let the people who wrote the program know and even though finding mistakes is part of my job, it's important to do this in a friendly and compassionate way, so they can fix it without feeling bad!Trainer - I get to work and guide individuals who are starting their journey in engineering - like interns or students on placements. I’m pretty good at this, as I once was an intern myself! Because I've been in their position, I know new things can feel tough sometimes, and I can often guess where they might need a bit of extra help. Everyone learns in their own way, and I use this insight to take complex ideas and explain them in simple ways that make learning easier for them."

"I work as a Senior Software Tester so my main job is to find any issues or 'bugs' in the Software that our team builds before any of our customers use it. I do some manual testing myself, just like you would play a new game to see if there are any glitches or things that don't work right. And I also write instructions for the computer to do some checking automatically. This can be done in different programming languages you might of heard of, like Java.The goal of my work is to make sure that our programs run smoothly, just like when you use an app on your phone or play your favorite video game, and nothing freezes or behaves weirdly.The best part of my job is that I get to be creative. I love thinking outside the box to find weird unexpected bugs, then figuring out how to fix them. When we finally finish testing, and everything has been fixed to work as expected, it's a really good feeling knowing I have contributed to creating a piece of Software that is useful for our customers and of high quality!"

"In school when I started GCSE ICT, I found out it was actually my favourite subject, so I just kept taking it further! I did ICT at A-level then again in University. In my third year of University I did a placement, which is when I first joined Visa as an Software Test Engineer Intern. In my fourth year of University, I finished my degree. Then as a graduate, I went back to Visa, this time as a Software Test Engineer.Two years later, I got promoted to Senior Software Test Engineer."

"I love seeing live music so try to go to as many concerts as possible. I have seen 10 artists this year, my favourite one was Paramore!Apart from that, I have recently started running and try to do a Park Run every Saturday morning. I have been to 6 different parks so far, even one in London that I went to when on holiday!"

"When I arrive to the office in the morning, I will first catch-up on any emails and make notes about what I have to do for the day. At 10.00am, our team has a 15 minute meeting called Stand-up, where we all give an update about what we did yesterday, what we plan to do today and if we need any help with anything.After this, I will spend most of the day diving into the Software we're working on, and test it to expose any bugs. I can test manually, by clicking buttons myself, or I can test automatically, by writing programs or scripts that click the buttons for me. I spend some time writing up these findings - I will document my test cases, how I ran them, and compare the results vs what the expected results were. If there are any bugs, I will relay this information to the Software Developers and pair up with them to help figure out what the fix could be. Throughout the day I usually have a range of different meetings as well, for instance:- Demos: We have sessions where the Engineers will demonstrate when requirements have been completed. If I am presenting, I will share my laptop screen onto the big TV, and do a walkthrough the Software, showing and explaining how it works, then I can answer any questions if there are any.- 1:1s: I have regular meetings with my manager in order to stay on top of my personal development; I get an opportunity to show off any good things I have done, and also am able to ask for help or support if I need it.- Testing Forums: All the testers in our office occasionally come together for fun sessions where we collaborate, share knowledge, talk about latest trends in testing and do fun testing challenges.- Mentoring: I have a mentor, and also mentor two different people who I have regular catch-ups with.- Planning: Every two weeks, we will all plan and prioritise which piece of Software we want to create next"

"I have A-levels in ICT, Technology & Design and Psychology. And in University I got my BSc in 'Computing and Information Technology Incl Professional Experience'"