Meet a Tester: Brandon

Josepha Miltony Martšuk , Managing Editor, Testlio

June 28th, 2019

In Meet a Tester, we feature QA experts from our community who share their love for quality and Testlio. Brandon is a lifelong tech enthusiast from the United States.

What can you tell us about yourself?

I’m a 31-year-old from Northern California with a deep fascination for technology, breaking it, and putting it back together (most of the time).

What is your educational background?

Currently, I have my Associate’s Degree in Information Technology and am always looking to obtain more knowledge. I’ve come to find technology as my strongest learning tool since visual learning has always helped me quickly advance in new skills.

How did you end up testing for Testlio?

I stumbled upon Testlio while exploring the remote job market by finding a post somewhere within the world of Reddit mentioning the platform. On the first few projects, I felt lost and in a strange new world, but asking Team Members and Leads questions helped me find the right path. I feel like I’ve progressed so much since the first few projects. Working remotely for Testlio has truly improved my quality of life. This is the type of work I find enjoyable, a dream job for those truly fascinated with the world of technology.

How does Testlio’s pay compare to your market rate?

The pay is great and offers an opportunity for growth. Testlio’s pay compares to me in other ways than just the dollar value. The experience I’ve gained and the things I’ve learned in the first 6-7 months with Testlio have been incomparable. I’ve worked a lot of frustrating dead-end retail/ tech support/ sales jobs, crawling back every day to collect a sad paycheck and beg for the opportunity to do it again or get overtime. Hah! Now I have the freedom of working with Testlio to manage my own path.

How do you manage your workload?

By creating a schedule to make sure that I can set time aside to give each project my full attention. When something seems difficult, step back and ask your team members when something doesn’t make sense. There are many obstacles to overcome in QA testing, but having the ability to test different variables and find unusual outcomes is a strong asset!

What motivates you professionally?

The opportunity to gain new knowledge and take guidance from others. We all seek the guidance of our Leaders who have climbed the obstacles before us, and I’ve met some of the most intelligent individuals from the most interesting backgrounds using Testlio. Each and every person has treated me with kindness and holds an exciting spirit toward the tech world!

What’s an interesting fact about yourself?

I love Comedy skits/ films and anything video production related. Editing with green screen effects/ animations has been something I’ve been experimenting with recently. I find myself inspired by professional productions and make amateur attempts to imitate them, haha!! I love learning new songs on guitar or just jamming out what I’m feeling at the moment. Music is a huge inspiration as well, I used to shred in a metal band in my earlier years. 🙂

What are some apps you recommend?

HitFilm Express for MAC/Windows and Kdenlive for my rare Linux user friends are both really awesome freeware video editing tools. I’ve been also recommended Grammarly a few times by my fellow testers, it does a pretty great job of pointing out all the errors I make while writing! 

How would you convince a friend to join Testlio?

It’s a dream type of workplace with lots of fun & curious minds. I’d say look at me, I’m able to create my own path and goals and feel value from the dedication I show to my job as I’m constantly challenged and rewarded. I couldn’t be more proud to be involved in such an amazing company!

Are you interested in software testing? Join our community of testers today!