What's your job about?
I am a Senior Software Engineer in Capgemini Philippines. Capgemini is a global leader in consulting, technology services and digital transformation. Capgemini is offering a graduate program, which I am currently part of, wherein they give a great opportunity to the graduates to be in charge of their own career. As a Graduate, we will work as part of a project team on one of our business and technology-enabled transformation programs across different industry sectors and be in a wide range of roles over the 18-month program. At the end of the 18-month program, we will be placed in a full-time role in one of the technology areas of our choice. I am currently working on a project as a Quality Assurance Tester. As a tester, I need to identify all defects in a product, make sure to maintain the quality and delivers the best products and services to the client.
What's your background?
I was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. Just like everybody else, I faced my own adversities, shed tears, and experienced pains, but I was able to pull through difficulties and has a healthy attitude towards life. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics with Information Technology in 2018. Upon graduation, I worked for a non-life insurance company for almost three years as a claims assistant where I monitored and evaluated claims and handled loss recoveries to ensure the profitability of the line. After a while, all my tasks became repetitive and bogged me down from doing what I was more passionate about, which are problem-solving and new technology. I thrive on exciting challenges, which Capgemini offers, to further develop my skills. I joined Capgemini in January 2021 as a Capgemini graduate and have been enjoying it since then. I acquired great skills including getting my very first Salesforce Certification.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes. Generally, a bachelor's degree is in a computer-related field but being a QA tester vary, based on the industry. It is possible to learn testing on your own, by taking a QA course, or by learning how to test right in the working process. QA testers are responsible for making sure the code other developers write is up to a certain standard so make sure to learn software development through a coding boot camp, self-study, or college. Develop and refine your soft and technical skills to succeed in this career field. In addition to this, you'll need strong communication and analytical skills.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
I am working in a diverse company wherein I work in a cool team from different parts of the world, and it improved my cultural awareness. Being in a diverse workplace allows for more ideas, increased creativity, and processes. Testing is quite busy, and some amount of overtime can be expected as development deadlines are near and unexpected bugs or technical issues are found but being in a team with a positive attitude, everything will seem lighter. Especially with my team, everyone is approachable and supportive.
Moreover, I am glad that Capgemini is very keen on their learning and development program for their team members.
What are the limitations of your job?
My work schedule is on weekdays only and we rarely have weekend work. Currently, the only limitation that I experienced is that during this pandemic time, it is challenging to find efficient and effective ways to communicate with my team members especially with different time zones, so I need to adjust to their time and do work at late hours.
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