Czech Gaming Industry Again and They are HIRING!!!!
This is the question I asked Matěj Schlitzenbauer, a QA Lead at Koch Media Czechia/Deep Silver QA Labs in the Czech Republic. Matej does not have a degree in computer science. He worked his way up to a QA Lead from an avid gamer and later publisher and localization QA. Now he takes part in hiring QA Engineers/Software Testers. So he really knows “WhatsUp” when it comes to the necessity of tech degrees for QA Engineers/Software Testers.
Wanna know? Then read on…
Hello Matej, thank you for accepting my interview! Your input is very valuable for people who are changing their careers, like tech, and don’t have a tech degree. As I saw in your LinkedIn, you don’t have a tech background.
Was it hard for you to become a QA Engineer/Software Tester? Can you please describe your journey for us?
Hey Helena! Thanks for having me. That’s correct, no tech degree in sight. My journey, so to speak, began when I first played the original DOOM when I was 3. Fast forward a few years and video games basically consumed my life. Since there wasn’t really any localization for console titles at the time and I was mainly a console player, I’ve been slowly learning English without even realizing it.
Fast forward a bit more than just a few years, I was trying to choose my university degree and what I wanted to do for a living. I always wanted to work in the videogame industry, but at that point I didn’t even know it would be even an option for me. I started working on my translatology degree because my English level was around C2 then.
During my studies, a friend of mine who worked at EA told me that they’re looking for Czech localization testers and that I should try applying. I was super nervous during the interview and the test that came with it, mostly because I really wanted the position and to be successful. I was and that’s how I got into the industry.
Have you ever felt disadvantaged at your job because you did not have a degree in computer science?
I never really felt disadvantaged per se, since I took the publisher QA side of things. It is more focused on the end-user experience rather than Dev QA, which is much more in-depth and technical. I would say that publisher QA and localization are the perfect starting points actually since the requirements are almost minimal.
Now you work as a QA Lead so I suppose you are participating in hiring new QA talents. Do you feel that it is hard to find good quality QA Engineers/Software Testers in the Czech Republic? And if so, why?
If you’re looking for experienced QA people, then it might be a bit hard, Czechia is not really a tech hub in this sense yet. Definitely becoming one very quickly though, but experience is not crucial in my opinion. It’s one of those things that are nice to have, but I think the most important thing is the mindset, the rest is just training. We got people that started with no prior experience and quickly became key members of our team. I don’t know what I would do without them, to be honest.
What kind of personality are you looking for in a QA Engineer/Software Tester usually? What personality types make a good QA Engineer/Software Tester in your opinion?
The most important skills a good QA person should have are: curiosity, creativity, adaptability/being able to think on the fly, thinking outside the box and independence. This is the bare minimum. Safe to say that without at least some proficiency in English, you’re gonna have a hard time.
I like to think that if you were the kind of kid that asked a lot of questions about everything, liked to take apart their toys, or tinker with stuff, you will probably be a good tester.
Do you have good experience with QA Engineers/Software Tester applicants with a non-technical background? For example, I believe that my broader background allows me to look at the product more holistically as a QA (from UX, legal, and business perspective to name a few). In your opinion, are there any pros and cons to having a more versatile work experience when applying for a QA position?
Yeah, as I said before, some of our best specialists have no technical background. It really comes down to if the person is willing to acquire new skills and to learn. Now, since I work in QA, I know all too well that there are always cons. But I can’t really think of any con of having broader expertise. There might always be an issue of hyper-focusing on what you know the best, missing other important things in the process. That happens to everyone, not only in QA and not only to people with broader experience.
Is there a big difference in technical skills between QA Engineer/Software Tester with technical and non-technical background?
People with a technical background might pick up technical skills right away, but every person is different. Not having any technical background doesn’t mean you’re automatically a slow learner. On the other hand, having a technical background doesn’t automatically mean you’re a quick learner. So, think of technical background and experience as a headstart in a race. The initial difference might be big, but there’s no assurance it will stay that way for long.
Is there a way to recognize whether a person without a tech background will have a hard time learning technical skills? Could you check that in the interview?
The only thing you can go off is asking people the right questions. You can try and gauge how they approach issues and how they apply their own solutions. If they’re curious if they can think on their own if they’re creative. That kind of thing. If they are all of those things, they will probably be eager to learn new skills. And that’s the most important thing.
Do you feel like having a testing certification helps to become a successful QA Engineer/Software Tester when not having a tech background? If so which one?
I have yet to meet someone with certification. I believe it’s one of those things that will help you get your foot into the door so to speak. Sometimes it can help you get a position you want if the recruiter can’t decide between you and another candidate. I don’t personally believe they’re really needed for an entry-level position. And by the time you’re not applying for entry-level positions, you have enough experience to outweigh the certificate. So, yeah, it’s really nice to have, but not having it is not detrimental at all.
What is the one thing (if there is one) that the QA Engineer/Software Tester candidate should not mention in the interview? For example, I heard that some candidates said that they just wanted to try testing or they wanted to do testing only to become developers etc. Would that make an influence on how you decide about such a candidate?
Whenever I get a stack of resumes on my table, I throw away half of it without even looking at it. I don’t want unlucky people to work in my department. Just joking, of course, couldn’t really bring myself to pass the chance to make this joke. Now for the real answer.
Never, ever, tell me you can’t think of anything. When I give you a hypothetical issue during the interview and ask for a solution, I expect even just brainstorming. Or please ask the right questions rather than just saying “there’s nothing I can do”. I once asked a person what they would do if the build they received kept constantly crashing. Their answer was “I’ll take the rest of the day off since there’s no work for me.” And they weren’t joking, they said that in all seriousness. Keeping a straight face when I heard that was hard.
To answer the second part. I don’t believe having an end goal, like becoming a dev or acquiring experience, and mentioning it is an issue. Unless it’s “I have nothing better to do so might as well” or “I’ll just be playing videogames all day”.
Is there anything else you would like to add that could help prospective QA candidates without tech background when looking for a software testing job?
This will sound like a load of cliches, but never give up, keep learning. Don’t get put off by being rejected. Perseverance is key and will be helpful even when you get the job. It’s all about passion.
I will also do a humble plug and mention that we’re looking for new specialists for our team in Olomouc. There are still some open entry-level QA specialist positions left, but they’re filling up quickly. The team is a real pleasure to work with and I’m very proud to be one of their Leads. I should also mention that most of them have absolutely no technical background to give you some perspective. So if you want to find out for yourself and try your luck, check us out. If you end up applying, we will most probably meet during the interview.
Thank you so much for making time to answer these questions. I believe that your input will help a lot of people!!!
Comments are closed.