Elvira's small talk

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Travel Rush

Travelling has become a new trend with the growth of social media's influence. Going to a new place can give new emotions, motivation and open new horizons. With seeing new things and compare them with your normal environment can help us to understand ourselves better. Collecting memories and moments are the best way of learning about new countries, cultures and traditions.  It gives us an opportunity to understand the world and people better. For me, each trip is the opportunity, discovery and the triumph of life.

But sometimes I feel the pressure that I need to travel. At the beginning of the social media era, people compared only with selfies. Now they compare how colourful and emotional their life is. Regular travelling can make your life much brighter, make your friends jealous and also leave your pockets empty.  How to be in a balance in your life and explore the word?

It is the big question to me. For me, travels has become an expensive hobby and also has given me a lot of fun and joy. But I decided to limit myself on trips because I don't want to lose other important parts of my life. Such as career, health and family.

After several trips in a row, I felt so exhausted. But I still had a feeling that I need to book something for the future. I reflected on that feeling and  I understood that I don't want to travel only for travel. I decided to concentrate on the important things.

Do I miss the travel? Yes, I do. But I do not make any money from it and do not reach any of my goals with regular trips. That's why I need to put the important things in the first place.

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Studying Python.

Why is learning how to code so hard? Because you need to learn a new language and solve logical problems using it. Also, it is necessary to remember the maths.

I am not very successful yet. Online courses, books, learning videos. I have tried all of them.

Which method is more effective? Which one do I like the most? No magic here. You need to spend time on it. Unfortunately, I am not that kind of person who remembers new information from the first time. Sometimes even the second time doesn't help. So, repetition and repetition for me.

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Stay in shape and keep the routine.

In the "selfie" era, it has become necessary to be in good shape. People compare themselves with social media stars and quite often they lose this competition. It is so trendy working out, that sports style is everywhere! On the streets, we see gyms ads. In the supermarket, a lot of products are for sporty people only. Every clothes brand has a sports collection now. All of this makes this topic even hotter.

In the same time, this trend is positive for people because it can help to live a better life. Be stronger and healthier is possible with a short exercise session every day. It especially makes sense for people who have to sit all day every day.

Everyone understands this. But every year a lot of people buy a gym membership, use it for a few weeks and give up.  It can be very depressing to be regular in a gym and don't see any changes. I would like to write a small how-to for this people.

Rule number one.

Before you start, please set the right goal. The main reason should be a healthy, flexible body and longevity.

Rule number two.

Everything takes time. Results are not coming very quickly. Usually, it takes several months. Be kind to yourself.

Rule number three.

Feed yourself well. Eat enough to stay positive. Add more vegetables, say no to processed food and eat less sugar. Food is the most important element in weight loss. Change your diet step-by-step without stress.

Rule number four.

Keep going. Every person knows what a plateau is. It is a trick which we need to outwit. Change your routine, add something extra to your usual workout. Have a week of rest. After small stress, you will start progressing again.

Rule number five.

Love yourself, your body, be grateful for all the possibilities it could give you.

Find time for relaxation, take a bath with sea salt, a sauna or massages. Appreciate your work and help your body to change.

[elvira-breaking-things-blog]

The Swedish Interview Process

In the last six months, I've been on several different interviews. The one thing that was common between them - all the companies have a business in the IT industry. There were different styles of companies: a consulting company, a product company, a start-up, big and medium companies.

What is the most interesting part of the interview process? You meet new people and understand how they work. It is a good possibility to upgrade your presenting skills, understand the current market better, and highlight your weak and strong parts.

What is different in the Swedish job market?  From my perspective, employers here are very careful, even though a standard probationary period lasts for six months.

As a social-oriented society people in Sweden like to have a lot of interviews with a candidate to be able to discuss and make a decision team wise.

Another interesting detail is that most of the companies like to give an IQ and psychological test before the last interview. To be sure that a candidate will fit the team spirit.

How to be successful in all those steps?

The first tip is to speak Swedish or learn to speak. But not speaking can deprive you of some opportunities.

The second tip is to be patient, nothing is happening quickly. Sometimes it can take months to be in an interview process with one company. And still, you can be rejected at the end.

Linkedin can help a lot. Most of the companies are using an agency's help with hiring new talent. It could help in the first stage because very often they have too many unrelated applications thrown on/at their website and are not very attentive to them.

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Learning programming in Python. Baby steps.

I want to tell you a funny, and sad, story about learning to programme in Python and being a procrastinator at the same time. Nine months ago I started a Python Edx course and was surprised that it lasts for one year.

But I was mistaken, the course doesn't have the end date. If a student studies as scheduled it should at least two or three months. After nine months I didn't finish it. I lost my routine once and couldn't start again. After the pause part of the knowledge was forgotten and I had to start from the beginning again. This is the sad part of the story.

Because of that, I switched to something else.

I selected an easier course on Code Academy.  It helps me to be familiar with the syntax and remember the basic rules of language.

My second step was to start reading a book with exercises.

Now I feel a more comfortable with the language. But still, I need to learn a lot of things to use it with full confidence.

Why is it so difficult to learn something complex as programming in an artificial language? Because it isn't natural for a human, it has strict rules. Every symbol counts. Every line should be in its place. It takes time. With all of those difficulties, a programmer should keep the code clean and clear. All of that makes programming not an easy subject to study.

But I believe that my path will be successful. From my perspective, it is better to do and fail than do nothing.

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Smart is the new sexy, right?

The reasonable question here is why?  The answer is simple. Because study quickly became necessary in our very dynamic world. Everything is changing very fast.

Previously people started with a school, after that they went to a college or a university to learn about the world or to learn a profession. Time changes and today it is possible to study in the best universities from your sofa. Why are universities doing it?

The main reason for universities to make their courses available - because they can kill two birds with one stone. The first one is to increase a university's popularity. The second one is that they can use their courses for their students as well. It means that they can put an effort for recording lectures and use them for a long time after.

Why is it good for people? It is easier to fit an online course to your routine compared to going to a scheduled class. Also, it is nice to improve your knowledge base. And last but not least, it is cool to study something new, you will always have a cool topic to mention at a party.

Which parts are negative?

So many resources exist it becomes difficult to understand which one is better. No one will push you with your self-study. It is always fun to start, but not so much fun when difficult topics appear. A student should have discipline and don't give up halfway. The second thing is a lack of feedback. No grades, so it is difficult to understand how good are you in your study. Without practice, most knowledge will be forgotten. To be able to apply knowledge sometimes can be difficult for people who study online.

For sure it is important to study continuously. It will help to refresh your knowledge. It will keep your brain working and helps to develop new neuron chains.

The one thing I would like to be sure about, time should be spent on the right thing for interesting and exciting study, applying new skills in the future.

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Study hard or study soft?

Every person who works in the IT industry should know that being on the cutting edge is very important for any engineer. It requires continuous self-study and skills refreshment.

Modern tech companies understand that feature of the industry and usually allow their employees to study at work. But it isn't always possible. Sometimes we have a lot of work on projects or personal issues popping up.

How to continue learning and find a work/life balance? How do I do it? My decision it to slice my time into short time slots and do small lessons every day. Do small steps every day, take it easy and be passionate. In a while, you surely will have the first results.

Another interesting fact about learning - learning without positive reinforcement can be painful for a person. While doing something difficult our brain receives pain signals and is trying to outwit us. Those signals are forcing us to switch to something easier. The main reason why our brain does it is simple. It wants to be in the energy saving mode as much as it can.

How to change our behaviour? One way of doing it is to reward yourself for small sessions. Make a habit of a small study lesson. The second step is to create milestones for yourself and celebrate small wins with a short pause. Or do what you like, for example, watch your favourite TV show or chat with a friend.

The third step is to keep your beneficial habits and maintain your regime. It is difficult for me, but I am trying to fit a small study session every day, even if I am on holiday. But maybe for more organised people, it isn't a problem.

Keeping your brain working is one of the sources of health and also a long and happy life. Invest in your career your future. Happy learning!

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Pros and cons of hosting an internal conference.

A professional conference is the ability to build new connections and learn from everyone around you. Internal corporate events can give the opportunity to get closer with your colleagues and share your knowledge.

But why is it challenging to organise an internal conference? Because you will have more responsibilities and you'll need to spend a lot of time to make it happen.

Before taking any action, please think about  the following topics:

- Identify the main goal of the conference. It will help you to reach it and evaluate its success.

- Decide how the conference will help your career development. Sometimes it is necessary to be selfish and select a personal goal which will help you to stay motivated.

- Ask your manager about the budget. Can your company afford it? If not, it is always an option to do it online.

Besides that let's list the benefits for your company from organising an internal event.

1. Improving communication. Having an internal event is a unique opportunity to collect your colleagues together. Spread the spirit of your company and share the company vision. The most important part is to provide valuable time for discussions to build new connections between colleagues that wouldn't be possible online.

2. Employee engagement. Best practices sharing, increasing employees' motivation, highlighting the stars of the company. All of this can be achieved on an internal conference.

3. Improved context and credibility. An event encourages the sharing of a variety of perspectives. Providing a wealth of information on what employees are thinking, what causes them struggles and how they see the future of the company. Feedback is always useful and can serve as a plan for future changes.

4. Productivity raising. By being invited and participating in an internal corporate event, it helps to see that an employer appreciates their employees and are ready to invest in their education and cooperation. Even for the unhappiest employees, an internal event will boost motivation.

If it gives so many positive sides, what are the negative ones?

1. The cost of the conference.

2. Employees time will be spent on non-billable activities as preparation for the event and participation.

3. Sometimes people don't appreciate good things. They will criticise even a free event.

4. After an event, they won't change their habits and routine.

The additional cons of being the organiser of the internal event are that you'll have to spend your own time to get things done. Very often organisational work is under appreciated. You will face the negative sides of your colleagues such as laziness, egoism and only critical judgement.  All of this can be very demotivating. That's why it is very important to answer the first questions before you'll start this project. The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy an event.

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Is It Time To Move On?

How to understand when it is time to change your job?

Does everything look boring at your current workplace? Do you have opportunities to grow professionally? Do you like your colleagues?

All this questions are important to make a decision.

In general, in the IT industry, people change job more often than in others. Everything is changing very fast, technology is getting old in a couple of years, companies are closing.

But is it good to change jobs too often? How will you CV look like in ten years?

From the big picture perspective, our life always consists of choices and opportunities. To not get lost you should understand what you want to achieve. Create a goal and make a plan how to do it.

If your current workplace still can bring you opportunities to progress in your long-term plan, maybe you are not ready yet to go.

If you understand for sure that your workplace became a routine and you don't learn at all, maybe it is time to move on.

Of course, a new job means new challenges, new colleagues and new rules. But it is also fun! During our life, we spend eight hours at work every day and they should be variable and enjoyable hours.

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Is communication the key to being a successful test engineer?

Technical skills, an ability to learn and analytic skills are very important for a test engineer. But from my experience the key to being a successful test engineer is communication. Especially, the ability to ask the right questions, understand a customer or business’s needs and find the truth.  

I am going to explain what I am thinking about communication. Every day test engineers have to ask questions about a user story from the project manager or a customer to understand it better and write test cases or checklists. During the real testing phase, it is necessary to ask questions about a technical part of a story from the developers.  Also, test engineers should be able to explain the exact test conditions when bugs were founded. Also, QAs should be able to reply to all questions about a product behaviour. Because in a team they are supposed to be a knowledge base.

In this case, it is good to know how to communicate with your colleagues effectively.

There are several ideas how to do it.

1. Never blame developers for bugs. They aren't happy to make them in the first place.

2. Keep questions as simple as you can.

3. Always write a note or documentation if you get an answer to your question. No one likes to answer the same question several times. 

4. Different people have different styles of communication.  Don’t push a silent co-worker, respect other's boundaries. 

5. Feedback is important. Positive feedback can be a powerful instrument of communication. It cheers up your college for a good job and two people will be happy.

6. If you do something new and useful always share your knowledge with your team.

In conclusion, we don't have a magic wand while testing a product. But effective communication can make this process easier and more enjoyable. Another thing, social networks always work for you. 

[elvira-breaking-things-blog]

What is Software testing?

It is a way to explore a program using all available instruments and methods. The right way of thinking about testing is thinking about it like an experiment! Kids get information about the world through investigation and experiments. A tester should investigate a software program similarly. It is a way to explore software programs that's why it is wrong to divide testing into manual and automatic. Only scripting is a waste of human resources.

Testing isn't checking only positive scenarios. Testing is about writing and collecting all possible and even weird scenarios. We use all available tools to do it more effectively. We use test design strategies to keep tests necessary and sufficient.

A good tester should be passionate about quality. They have to have the patience to do the same things again and again. They should have good analytic skills to understand software and think about possible problems beforehand. For a tester, it is very important to ask questions and not be ashamed of it. The right questions can highlight future problems and attract a team's attention to it.

Software testing can't find all bugs in software, but it can shine the light with information where to go and how to be better.

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Difficulties of being a test engineer.

Sometimes it is difficult to be a a test engineer. During my work experience, I faced several problems which have made me depressed. 

Bugs are everywhere. No one knows the number of the bugs we have. 

It is difficult to define quality.

It is difficult to believe that there are no bugs in software. 

It is difficult to define how many tests will be enough.

Bad feelings about a bug in production.

What to do to avoid frustration?

In a team, we are responsible for quality, but we aren't gatekeepers. All other team members are responsible for quality equally.

It is better to learn from bugs than to blame ourselves when we have missed them. We should try to get all the information from them and of course, add them to a regression test pack. It will help us to avoid the same mistakes next time. 

What can help us to be a better tester? 

Good communication.

How can we improve it? Give feedback and learn to receive it. Feedback is a really powerful thing. It can keep us motivated and give a reason to improve ourselves. 

Perfect product understanding.

Having as much information as we can, helps us understand better and open a special testers ability to feel where bugs can be.

Prioritisation is a key to a good testing. 

A good balance between time and quality is a very important skill for a tester. 

Stay motivated!

Keep your wins (letters with nice words, thanks from colleagues) in one place for reminding yourself that you are doing a great job!

Being a test engineer is an exciting role, but it can be difficult without team support and self-motivation. But we need to do it if we want to change the world to a better place. 

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A homework for testers or how to learn something new from an interview task.

Very often companies give a test task to prove a candidate's professional skills. My last experience was a few weeks ago. The task was to write automation tests for a native mobile app. I have never implemented an automated test for a mobile app before and I want to remember this experience by creating this post.

The suggested use case was to automated a call via a VoIP application to a random number, including dialling the number and verifying that the call was added to the call log.

My first step in completing this task was to try to write an auto-test for the iPhone 6S because I have it as my personal mobile phone. After some research, I realised that Apple doesn't allow developers to write automation tests for applications from the App Store. I need to have a developer's version of an application.

But it is possible with an Android device. I didn’t have an Android device at home, so I decided to try with a simulator.

I tried to run the ARM simulator version but this version was extremely slow on my laptop. To avoid tried to use the x86 version  of the simulator and it worked much faster! But neither did I have the x86 app version that I could install, nor it was available in the Play Market.

Uploading tests to the AWD Device Farm manually was cumbersome and setting up automated infrastructure to do that required an amount of effort I couldn’t spare. I gave up with simulators.

I borrowed a real device, connected it to my laptop and life start getting better! How I actually made the tests? I found an article on how to execute Python tests on mobile devices.

What was difficult to repeat and what was different in my path?

To make it easier here are the milestones from the article:

1. Appium setup.

2.  Connect to an Android device with a USB cable.

3.  Select an app to test, get its package and activity name.

4.  Use Uiautomatorviewer to find the UI components of the application.

I found out that Uiautomatorviewer has the ability to find an element's name but not all the time the name is unique.

5.  Write a test.

6.  Start and launch the Appium server console.

7.  Run the test.

I discovered that to run the Appium test locally and with Device Farm, you need different capabilities in the test.

8.  View the test result.