Meet a Tester: Azad Husen

, Kristel is Testlio's co-founder.

In Meet a Tester, we feature QA experts from our community who share their love for quality and Testlio. Azad is an awesome tester from Dhaka, Bangladesh who has been with us since 2014.

How did you end up testing for Testlio?

As a full-time freelancer, I always keep an eye on jobs postings in various online marketplaces and apply to those that match my expectations.

The year was 2014 when I saw a job posting by Testlio and submitted my proposal – even though I had been working on various crowdsourced testing platforms since 2011, at the time I didn’t know anything about Testlio. But after applying for the job offer, I created an account on Testlio’s platform and passed a puzzle game about testing. Following that, I received a message from Kristel about working on a project, and the rest is history. Testing is my passion and Testlio gave me an opportunity to grow exponentially as well.

Azad

What was your testing experience before joining Testlio?

After completing my bachelor degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, I started my career as a software tester. You can say I’m a born and bred tester.

Initially, I was doing mobile website testing, then mobile apps testing before I quit my day job back in 2011. When I started to work as a freelancer, most of the times I was the only QA Tester included in those projects. Later that year, I discovered some crowdsourced testing platforms via testing blogs. 

It was a tremendous experience for me, being able to work with other testers around the world. I learned a lot, especially about thinking out of the box. Since then, I have been working for several crowdsourced testing platforms from EU, UK, and USA.

Why did you choose to test for Testlio?

I love to play with mobile devices and Testlio gives me enough projects related to that domain. This is why I have chosen to stay with Testlio. Besides, Testlio’s community is like a family. I never feel as if I’m working remotely because of the active real-time chat.

There is of course some type of competition but no “fights for bugs” as the testers here don’t get paid per bug. In addition to this, task estimation at Testlio is exceptional compared to other crowdsourced testing platforms. Last but not the least, the working hours are flexible which means I can dedicate quality time to family.

What motivates you professionally?

Appreciation, caring and recognition. I want to be a lion in a small company rather than a cat in a big company. Even though money is not always a motivating force, it does play a vital role as well. Getting paid on time is always great.

How do you manage testing and your personal life?

I believe in luck and God’s provision, so when I get an invitation to participate in a testing project, I always try to accept it.

I have an office room and lock the door when I’m working. My family is fully onboard with this as well. I keep my personal and professional life balanced.

All my close friends are studying abroad anyway, and my wife is very supportive of my work. So, if needed I can easily reschedule things in my personal life if something important comes up. Also, I try to stay away from my PC when there are fewer tasks. Converting free time into an enjoyable time is the secret of being recharged.

What are the pros and cons of a distributed workplace?

The pros of remote working are that there are no office politics, no show-offs, no bossing etc to contend with. In addition to that, task assignment is almost perfect in a distributed workplace because it takes into account the average worker’s load. Managers will not pressure you to do extra work just before the end of the day.

On the other hand, the main disadvantage of a virtual workplace is less social activities. Every day, I talk with about 10-15 people but I will never see them. The people near me are valuable but no one is near to me. Sometimes, I feel alone.

How to become a good freelance tester and plan your life?

In my opinion, reading project-related documents are the key habits of a good freelance tester. Here, you have no chance to talk with the developer, so you need to brainstorm a lot based on the project details or mockup documents. Be detailed when it comes to reporting and never hesitate to file bugs. Also, reproducing other issues opens additional windows of opportunity to think about more cases, so try to review as many issues as possible.

Participating in community discussions or following blogs are very helpful to remain up-to-date about technology. Last but not the least, be honest and respect your fellow testers. On a more personal front, plan your life around your family duties first.

How would you convince a friend to join Testlio?

Testlio is a place of testers. In a software company, testers don’t add direct revenue to a project but here it’s the opposite. I have seen firsthand how testing has shifted from in-house QA to independent testing services. Testlio value testers so this can be the right place for a tester.

With that said, being part of Testlio’s team can be challenging because you are competing with the best testers worldwide. So if you want to be part of this trend, Testlio is one of the best platforms to join.

 

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