Behind the scenes of QA

Adrian Kołodziejczyk, QA Engineer at Scalo, is enthusiastic about his role, which goes beyond traditional software testing. Through his experience, we learn how important it is to combine technical knowledge with the ability to collaborate and communicate in teams.

Adrian, who spends his free time discovering innovative technologies and reading specialist literature, demonstrates that QA work is a constant search for new solutions and a constant quest for excellence, both in a professional and personal context.

What do you like most about being a QA and tester?

Clarifying and correcting: QA and testing are two different specializations. The role of the tester is to check that the finished product meets the requirements. On the other hand, we have QA, whose role is to support the whole SDLC process – from how the developers work to make the code as high quality as possible from the start to working with the UI/UX so that the user part is unambiguous, readable, and accessible to everyone who is supposed to use it—even the blind. The testing itself is in there somewhere, but it is in the minority and more automated.

Back to the question – I get to create and develop a product/project from scratch, have a say in every feature of it, and work with a lot of great people.

What personality traits and skills help you in your work?

I would say drive and the ability to plan – most work requires long-term planning, and you have to plan to get the whole project to the finish line.

Tell us about the most difficult challenge you have faced in your QA career and how you overcame it.

The challenges have been many and varied, from projects that were long overdue to projects where no one had cared about quality for years, or where the technology debt was such that it was easier to start from nothing.

I overcame most of them with self-denial—a trait that also helps. Setting achievable milestones, topping up with what else you can do in that time if you can, and planning. And then keep going until you get there—the work is more like a journey than a race.

You are constantly growing in what you do. What are your favorite books/channels on software testing?

I try to educate myself, although I can’t hide the fact that it’s difficult over time – because, on the content side, there aren’t that many sudden changes. There is no one reliable source of information. It used to be meetups, but they declined quite a bit during the pandemic. Since

then, social media such as LinkedIn and Facebook groups about QA are always a fresh source of information.

What software testing conferences or meetups do you attend?

TestWarez: You meet a lot of cool people, and it’s in a different location every year, so you get to see something interesting.
Test Dive: This is a local conference for me. There are lots to choose from – you can get your socks off, too.
KRAQA: It used to be more, but now it is a bit less. Still, there is lots of fresh information.There are many others dedicated to agile, dev, or DevOps – being a QA is not just about testing.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Skiing in the winter, cycling, kayaking, rafting, or hiking in the summer.

What are your favorite places in the mountains?

I don’t have one, just like I don’t have a favorite song—it depends. I don’t like crowded places; I like to discover unfamiliar places and feel like Indiana Jones in the jungle.

Do you prefer the mountains in winter or in summer? Can you tell me why?

Uphill in the summer, downhill in the winter—in the old days (the 90s) when you had to walk through half a meter of snow uphill, it was easier in the summer. Just such a mundane reason.

What are your favorite outdoor activities?

Discovering places that are sometimes close by—but that I’ve never heard of or seen. It’s even better if they’re not well known and it takes a bit of effort to get there—it increases the satisfaction and the number of other people there.

And then there’s what I’ve written about—cycling, canoeing, rafting, and hiking in the mountains (and sometimes valleys).