In honor of putting people first, 3Ci is shining a light on Atlanta’s most talented tech, creative, and digital professionals. Today we’re taking you behind-the-scenes with Faith, who recently accepted a contract position as Senior QA Specialist for one of the largest utility companies in the US.
No industry has been spared from the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic, but if there’s one group particularly well-suited to perform remotely, it’s tech professionals. Faith shares more about her experience getting hired through 3Ci’s virtual staffing process and working with a team she’s never met in person.
Tell me a bit about yourself and your professional background.
I’ve been in software development for about 16 years now. QA has always been my first love, but I’ve also branched out into other project areas and taken on other types of rolls—scrum master, gathering requirements, writing user stories, doing wireframes, managing the implementation and support once a new product goes live, and more.
“I love QA. I love testing something to see if I can break it. I love the organizational part of writing a test plan. I know that sounds completely neurotic and nerdy, but it’s true.”
What initially drew you to software development?
I’ve always been good at math and science, which is what led me to Georgia Tech where I got my degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering. That degree gave me a lot of flexibility as far as the potential jobs I could pursue. I realized during my first job out of college that I was passionate about testing and the organizational aspect of writing a test plan.
What makes you the perfect fit for this work?
To be great at QA, you have to be very detail-oriented. You have to be able to think high-level as well as down in the weeds. This is how my brain naturally works. Working in software development as a QA resource has allowed me the opportunity to impact people’s lives on a much larger scale than I could as an individual. If I do my job well, I make people’s lives better and easier. I take pride in what I do and do it to the best of my ability.
“In QA, you are the advocate for your end-user. It’s your responsibility to think through, How this will impact someone? Will it be a good impact? and Can we make this better?”
Congrats on your new role as Senior QA Specialist! Could you tell us a bit about it?
Thank you! It’s a huge project for a large company. I’ll be part of a big team—I believe there will be 29 of us all working together. It’s a new industry for me, so there’s a ton of terminology I have to learn. It’s going to be a challenge. To me, that’s exciting because I love learning new things.
How did the opportunity come about?
I was looking for a new job and applying to a ton of things online. I got a call from a recruiter at 3Ci who let me know about an open role he was hiring for. He was super easy to talk to. We had really productive and positive conversations. I told him I was interested, and he sent me over some additional information about the role Id’ be applying to and the team he was staffing for.
What did the hiring process look like from there?
A week later, I had an interview with the manager I would be reporting to and the senior dev lead. It was supposed to go for 30 minutes, but we ended up talking for over an hour. It was such a great conversation. An hour or two after that interview, I got a call from 3Ci extending me a verbal offer. I accepted, and that day I got a link via email to fill out my onboarding paperwork and background check. Within two or three days, I was an official 3Ci employee. It was such a quick turnaround.
What’s it been like working with 3Ci?
Awesome. They worked so hard to get things done quickly for me throughout the hiring process. Because of everything that was going on with the pandemic, I was concerned about going three or four weeks without health insurance. The 3Ci team moved my start date and worked quickly and diligently to get the paperwork done so I could qualify. They were so great. I remember getting calls from them at 6:00 or 7:00 at night to follow up with me and ensure I got coverage.
“It’s great to be part of a team that’s staffed with people who are so mature and driven. They really know what they’re doing.”
This process has been completely virtual. What’s that been like?
It wasn’t a huge adjustment for me. I’ve worked from home full-time with previous jobs. I haven’t been into the office yet or met anyone in person. If you’ve never worked remotely before, it can definitely be a challenge. I go on long walks outside every day to stay sane.
COVID-19 has forced organizations to quickly adjust the way they attract, recruit, hire, and onboard employees. It’s also left many talented individuals looking for new job opportunities. Whether you’re looking to hire top talent or looking for a job, 3Ci can help.
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