Ioana Brânzei – Software Tester course graduate "Your course was a lesson that changed my life"
January 8, 2019
"Your course was a lesson that changed my life." The message that closed out 2018 here, at the Informal School of IT
"It's a wonderful day for me. 3 months ago I got hired at an IT company, I finished my probation period and I'm moving forward. Your course was a lesson that changed my life! When I started it, I knew nothing and I thought I wouldn't manage. But I really wanted to change something in my professional life.
Thanks to the mentors, over the course of the sessions, I discovered that I really love software testing, that this is what I want to do and that it suits me.
Today I've reached where I wanted to be, and I'm grateful to you”. That's what Ioana Brânzei tells us – QA Complete – Software Testing Course graduate.
In the 1,500 days since the Informal School of IT launched, every 24 hours, 2 graduates got hired in IT
"It was a lesson that changed my life," graduate Ioana Brânzei, who completed the online software testing course, tells us. And with her message in mind, we closed out an exceptional year in December, happy that the Informal School of IT is the place to learn how to write the lines of code that change lives.
We're starting the new year with enthusiasm and with Ioana's story. She got her first computer at 14, she recalls, but she never knew what she wanted to become "when she grew up."
While her friends knew they'd be doctors or police officers, she was sure she'd find a field of her own, one that would bring her joy at work every day. And she found it. At 27, Ioana is a Software Tester, and "I want to stop here," she assures us.
Let's hear her whole story!
I told myself, well, since it's a course I'm paying for…
1. Why IT?
I used to be an Electrical Network Design Engineer, but I felt like I didn't fully enjoy what I was doing, that I could do more. So I decided to make a change. I looked at my options and decided to start the Software Testing course at the Informal School of IT, because this field appealed to me the most.
2. Why the Informal School of IT?
Thanks to reviews I read on social media and success stories from the blog, I found the Informal School of IT. I found people I know who managed to change their career after graduating from the school's courses, which made me trust that it would be a good choice.
Read other success stories too:
Talking with Andreea Plesea, QA Complete Software Testing graduate
Talking with Diana Bordean, QA Complete – Software Testing course graduate
3. What was the selection process at the Informal School of IT like for you?
The selection process surprised me. I told myself, well, since it's a course I'm paying for, then surely the selection won't be rigorous. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that everything is taken seriously.
What impressed me the most was the honesty and frankness, things I appreciate because they're rare. That's another reason I respect and admire your work.
Be honest, be yourself, don't try to be anyone other than who you are
4. Do you still remember your "first day of school"?
With nerves – that's how the first day was. I didn't know anyone, I didn't know what was coming. But the mentor's attitude mattered a lot. She made us relax right away. Ioana's (the mentor's) line from back then: "You're all so well-behaved, you can tell you don't know each other yet."
5. What moment from the Informal School of IT marked your professional growth?
Every software testing class session made me want more and more to leave the field I was working in, just like every new thing I learned and every homework assignment I tackled with great interest. I'm a competitive person, which motivated me.
Everyone can teach you something, and I took the best from everyone I met at school.
Also read: Why take a manual and automated software testing course?
6. What was the job interview like at the company where you work?
There were several stages. The first stage was a getting-to-know-you one, and I can say I connected really well with the interviewer. The second stage focused on technical testing. In the third stage I had a final discussion with the manager.
A piece of advice for everyone who wants to make this career change: when you show up for job interviews, be honest, be yourself, don't try to be anyone other than who you are. I was chosen partly because I fit well with the team, even though technically I wasn't the best of everyone. Proof of that is that I get along really well with all my colleagues today.
Advice from a software tester who does this every day
7. What was the most important lesson you learned that helped you during the company's 3-month probation period?
Not to be arrogant and to be patient with my colleagues. It's funny, because when someone tells you that, you don't realize how important the advice is. You only do once you're faced with situations that you know how to handle because someone who does this every day told you.
8. How did the software testing course mentors influence what you know today?
I want to emphasize: I'm very grateful to the mentors at the Informal School of IT, Ioana Blaga and Codruța Bunea.
Ioana was like a role model for me, a strong, accomplished woman, with professionalism and humor. It's important to me that the person I'm learning from isn't boring and doesn't just recite rows of information. Seeing Ioana's example, I told myself I could do it too. And Codruța was the one who challenged us on the technical side at every step. Thank you to Ioana and Codruța for everything they taught me.
You can always start from scratch
9. What did you learn that's new about yourself and about the software tester profession from your experience as a student?
About myself, I learned that I'm an overthinking person and how to manage that. I didn't expect testing to be so complex, I didn't know anyone who worked exactly in this field, but I learned that a tester also has to think of solutions to bugs.
10. What's the most common misconception someone without the courage to change their career has in mind?
We, as people, love our comfort zone. When you already work in a field, it's comfortable because you know you're doing what you learned to do. That's why we don't look for change. I think it's just a misconception. Instead, we need to do what we love, because only then will we truly be good at it. You can always start from scratch!
Who is the Informal School of IT's accredited Software Testing course for?
The QA Complete – Software Testing online course is your complete solution for a professional transformation. It's designed for everyone who wants a comprehensive training program in Software Testing – Manual Testing and Automated Testing.
Whether you come from a non-IT background and are aiming for a career change, or you're already working in IT and want to improve your skills to secure your job, this course is the perfect solution for you.
The QA Complete – Software Testing curriculum is kept up to date to reflect the job market's dynamic requirements and gives you the tools you need, from A to Z, to adapt to the expectations of employers in IT.
The course is also accredited by the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB), guaranteeing the validity and relevance of your professional training.
QA Complete. Software Testing Course – apply now!
