Even a long pause after graduation isn’t an obstacle on the way toward a new job. A great mom of two beautiful kids combined her family life with her new job. All she needed was a desire to make a change in her life.
When did you graduate?
I was in the second or third group of students at Careerist. I think it was 2019. I hesitated for a very long time whether to try it or not. At that time I was expecting, but Max convinced me to try my hand at the Manual QA course. I’m very grateful for his support.
When did you get your job?
I got the job probably three months ago. The reason I postponed my job search is I had a baby, which meant I had too many family things to do. To be honest, I tried to do some searching last summer, but it was complicated due to pandemic restrictions. After that I had my second child, and that was the beginning of a new pause.
It wasn’t my intention to start searching straightaway. Having two babies, I wasn’t able to learn every word. I was following instructions and watching and reading the learning resources many, many times. I’m very grateful to my career coach, who kept me trying to apply. I thought maybe it’s not my thing, or I’m not cool or smart enough.
Could you tell us a bit about your job? Do you find it difficult?
I have been working there for three months so far. I work in Colorado. It’s also a big company that has many offices around the US. I mostly do API testing and a bit of web testing. I’m one of those lucky graduates who could use their knowledge on API or SQL. I was proud I could show my knowledge to the team. It’s not complicated; on the contrary, I find this job very interesting.
The video Lana provided to us is something hard to find, a unique source of information. I would like to highlight the material on Postman. When I came to work, everyone was happy about my success there.
Can you share about the compensation? How much are they paying you?
It’s $45 per hour, which is around $90,000, and it is awesome. My job is remote; I’m working from home while taking care of two kids. The working hours are flexible. Some people work from the East Coast, others from the West Coast. Everyone is very motivated, which is another bonus.
Basically, it’s a six-month contract. But it doesn’t mean anything, as if they like you they can prolong it another few years.
What is your final word to your mates? What would you like to have heard back then?
The breakthrough happens when you realize you want to make some changes and try doing something.
I already know what I want and I clearly see my goal.
I’m a shy person and not confident at all. It’s something that didn’t help me find the job straightaway, but I continued working on it until I found my offer.
I’m sure you will definitely find a job and a team that perfectly matches you. People who are hiring don’t just look at technical skills. Personality matters too. The ability to learn is also important. In a couple of months, a new approach may be implemented, and you will have to learn something again.
Keep searching. If you can’t find an offer for a very long time, it’s about you, not the company.
Keep looking and going to the interviews because teams are different. And even after getting a job, you shouldn’t give up the search for new opportunities, as with a bit of experience behind your back it’s much easier to get a better position.
And yes, it’s stressful in the beginning. It’s okay to freak out the first day because our job is about curiosity. It helps QA to learn more about the product and its features. A bit of stress is the normal thing to happen on your first day. Overall it’s a good idea to focus on curiosity.
Thanks a lot for joining us. We’re glad to hear you’re doing well, that you’re happy, and that you love your job. Thanks for your motivation and for sharing your story with us.