UKSTAR Speaker Marianne Duijst is next up for Meet the Speaker series.
Marianne will present her track on Tuesday the 28th at 3:30 p.m.
Marianne’s session is called ‘Moving from Tester to Software Engineer – Changing Work Culture‘
How did you get started in software testing?
A friend of mine got me hooked. I love puzzles, riddles and analytics, and so, while talking, he literally pushed a few of his IT-study books my way and said: “I think you’d love this field. Think about it.” I’d majored in English literature and was teaching High School English at the time, but I thought about it, spoke to a few more people in the industry and quickly landed my first job as a developer. A year later, I switched to testing, fell in love and haven’t looked back since. My current role as Software Engineer mixes development and testing, adds some Agile coaching in the mix, and there you have it: a role that challenges my analytical mind, requires and therefore fosters my creativity and allows me to communicate with a large variety of people. IT requires me to think quickly on my feet, learn new skills constantly and dive into things deeply with focus.
Who inspires you?
I get inspired by seeing people dream big and then work like crazy to make their dreams a reality. I’m a Girl Scout and allowing yourself to be challenged is a vital part of scouting. The international scouting community encouraged me from a young age that my thoughts, dreams and vision mattered. Professionally, I am encouraged by Anne-Marie Charrett and Fiona Charles, who walk the talk when it comes to creating diversity at technical conferences and are inspiring speakers themselves. Additionally, I get energy from the vision in Zeger van Hese’s presentations and writings.
What do you see for the future of software testing?
I see the role of tester as a separate function disappear more and more, but the mind-set testers bring grow vitally important. Testers are not (and should not be) quality assurance police at the end of a project, but are increasingly involved throughout the entire software creation process. Critical and creative thinking are vital. Testers are skilled at asking the question ELSE in the Given-when-then construction so prevalent today. This question remains vital in this ever-changing world as it allows us to anticipate and consider the unexpected by raising awareness that other possibilities and outcomes remain. Highlighting the tester mind-set requires us to speak up, tell our stories and listen to our colleagues. Telling stories is a powerful way to market our skills, listen and work together to ensure software quality is shared throughout the whole team.