Bertold Kolics delves into techniques and practices used to create multiple funnels for finding qualified candidates and to reduce the time for bringing in the best talent to your team. Presentation at Test Leadership Congress 2018.
http://testleadershipcongress-ny.com/
Finding qualified test engineers is a constant challenge for hiring managers. Higher educational institutions also add to the problem by offering few options for preparing students for QA positions. The talk will delve into techniques that I have used to create multiple funnels for finding qualified candidates and to reduce the time for bringing in the best talent to your team. Benefits of internship as well as apprenticeship programs, best ways to use college career fairs, organizing or supporting local tech events and meetups, how to use prospecting, posting openings on non-traditional forums (such as Craigslist, Hacker News, etc) and using social media will be covered in this presentation.
Calling all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows: do you want to be a university faculty member? This presentation offers advice on how to secure an academic job, and even advice on whether this is right for you. The picture of the black book half way through? That's the book you bring with you to the interview with questions for each meeting, research and teaching plans, and other notes to get you through the interview process confidently.
The presentation was given in fall 2014 at the University of Waterloo, organized and hosted by Co-operative Education & Career Action (CECA).
Finding qualified test engineers is a constant challenge for hiring managers. Higher educational institutions also add to the problem by offering few options for preparing students for QA positions. The talk will delve into techniques that I have used to create multiple funnels for finding qualified candidates and to reduce the time for bringing in the best talent to your team. Benefits of internship as well as apprenticeship programs, best ways to use college career fairs, organizing or supporting local tech events and meetups, how to use prospecting, posting openings on non-traditional forums (such as Craigslist, Hacker News, etc) and using social media will be covered in this presentation.
Calling all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows: do you want to be a university faculty member? This presentation offers advice on how to secure an academic job, and even advice on whether this is right for you. The picture of the black book half way through? That's the book you bring with you to the interview with questions for each meeting, research and teaching plans, and other notes to get you through the interview process confidently.
The presentation was given in fall 2014 at the University of Waterloo, organized and hosted by Co-operative Education & Career Action (CECA).
Less than a year ago, we introduced time-boxed (2-hour) session based tests at ESO Solutions to reduce the number of defects escaping into production, to cross-train the quality assurance engineers as well as provide our support team (frontline support, sustaining engineering) a way to test new features prior to rollout to production. The format and execution of these sessions have evolved over time based on feedback from participants. They have become tremendously popular in the organization.
This talk will go into details about the goals, motivation of these events - called bug bashes -, explain the lessons learned and both the expected and unexpected benefits. The presentation will describe how the bug bashes were setup, the specific roles, the rules that the participants followed as well as how the event was gamified. In addition to the positive impact on product quality, the talk will go into detail on non-technical gains as well such as bringing down organizational silos and creating an atmosphere that software test and development engineers and non-engineering staff enjoy and look forward to.
Michigan State University (MSU) | College of Education | Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning (IRTL) Doctoral Student Support | Megan Drangstveit presentation on Grant Proposal Writing | March 2015
Michigan State University (MSU) - College of Education (CoEd) - Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning (IRTL) Doctoral Student Support - Grants and Fellowships presentation - Educational Administration (EAD) - March 2015
IRTL Grants & Fellowships Workshop Series - Part 1: Introduction to Grants & Fellowships.
September 2014
Michigan State University - College of Education - Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning - Doctoral Student Research Support - Qiana Green
IRTL Grants & Fellowships Workshop Series - Part 1: Introduction to Grants & Fellowships.
September 2014
Michigan State University - College of Education - Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning - Doctoral Student Research Support - Megan Drangstveit
Slides from the Jobsearch Masterclass held at La Trobe University on 18 July 2013. Topics covered include researching job opportunities, resume writing, interviews, psychometric testing, networking
TLC2018 Dwayne Green: Let's Get Deliberate - for ManagersAnna Royzman
Dwayne Green presents Deliberate Practice techniques to Test Leaders who are coaching testers and working on improving the skills of the individuals on their team. Presentation at Test Leadership Congress 2018.
http://testleadershipcongress-ny.com
Less than a year ago, we introduced time-boxed (2-hour) session based tests at ESO Solutions to reduce the number of defects escaping into production, to cross-train the quality assurance engineers as well as provide our support team (frontline support, sustaining engineering) a way to test new features prior to rollout to production. The format and execution of these sessions have evolved over time based on feedback from participants. They have become tremendously popular in the organization.
This talk will go into details about the goals, motivation of these events - called bug bashes -, explain the lessons learned and both the expected and unexpected benefits. The presentation will describe how the bug bashes were setup, the specific roles, the rules that the participants followed as well as how the event was gamified. In addition to the positive impact on product quality, the talk will go into detail on non-technical gains as well such as bringing down organizational silos and creating an atmosphere that software test and development engineers and non-engineering staff enjoy and look forward to.
Michigan State University (MSU) | College of Education | Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning (IRTL) Doctoral Student Support | Megan Drangstveit presentation on Grant Proposal Writing | March 2015
Michigan State University (MSU) - College of Education (CoEd) - Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning (IRTL) Doctoral Student Support - Grants and Fellowships presentation - Educational Administration (EAD) - March 2015
IRTL Grants & Fellowships Workshop Series - Part 1: Introduction to Grants & Fellowships.
September 2014
Michigan State University - College of Education - Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning - Doctoral Student Research Support - Qiana Green
IRTL Grants & Fellowships Workshop Series - Part 1: Introduction to Grants & Fellowships.
September 2014
Michigan State University - College of Education - Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning - Doctoral Student Research Support - Megan Drangstveit
Slides from the Jobsearch Masterclass held at La Trobe University on 18 July 2013. Topics covered include researching job opportunities, resume writing, interviews, psychometric testing, networking
TLC2018 Dwayne Green: Let's Get Deliberate - for ManagersAnna Royzman
Dwayne Green presents Deliberate Practice techniques to Test Leaders who are coaching testers and working on improving the skills of the individuals on their team. Presentation at Test Leadership Congress 2018.
http://testleadershipcongress-ny.com
Gitte Klitgaard explores imposter syndrome and suggests ways to fight it. Many high-achieving people suffer from the imposter syndrome. It stops us from following our dreams. Presentation at Test Leadership Congress 2018.
http://testleadershipcongress-ny.com
Justin Ison covers different visual testing techniques; and discusses how visual test automation can increase quality, efficiency, and reduce development bottlenecks.
TLC2018 Melissa Tondi: Finding Efficiencies in Software TestingAnna Royzman
Melissa Tondi talks about the five areas that may be causing inefficiencies in your overall approach - to include test planning and duplication of testing to the left of QE. Presentation at Test Leadership Congress 2018.
http://testleadershipcongress-ny.com
Shyam Sunder discusses how his team changed their testing approach to align with the overall Project Activation timeline and came up with the Lego Test method. Presentation at Test Leadership Congress 2018.
http://testleadershipcongress-ny.com
TLC2018 Tanya Kravtsov: 10 Steps to CI, Testing and DeliveryAnna Royzman
Tanya Kravtsov shares tools and methods that will help organizations to improve productivity by eliminating bottlenecks to Continuous Delivery. The presentation at Test Leadership Congress 2018.
http://testleadershipcongress-ny.com
TLC2018 Thomas Haver: The Automation Firehose - Be Strategic and TacticalAnna Royzman
Thomas Haver teaches how to automate both strategically and tactically to maximize the benefits of automation - at Test Leadership Congress 2018.
http://testleadershipcongress-ny.com
TLC2018 Thomas Haver: The Science of TestingAnna Royzman
Thomas Haver discusses lessons learned from a career in research science that can be applied to QA, with parallels to industry product quality models. Testing techniques and product delivery processes from research science will aid not just testers but the entire team in delivering quality software. Presentation at Test Leadership Congress 2018.
http://testleadershipcongress-ny.com
TLC2018 Thomas Haver: Transform with Enterprise AutomationAnna Royzman
Thomas Haver explains how to build a robust automation solution across the Enterprise to improve application quality, testing efficiency, and lower operational costs. He shows how to leverage all current resources to achieve this goal without affecting project delivery time at Test Leadership Congress 2018.
http://testleadershipcongress-ny.com
TLC2018 Valeriy Burmistrov: Testing Leaders in 5-10 yearsAnna Royzman
Valeriy Burmistrov leads the discussion on the future of the role of Managers and Leaders in Testing at Test Leadership Congress 2018.
http://testleadershipcongress-ny.com
The Three Pillars of Successful Test Leadership: Driving Projects, Process an...Anna Royzman
This webinar is designed for the modern test leader. Whether you are responsible for establishing a testing practice in your organization, managing test processes or people, defining testing strategies for your team, coaching testing or influencing your co-workers to adopt successful quality practices, this presentation will provide you the foundations and knowledge to succeed in your endeavor.
The Team Member and Guest Experience - Lead and Take Care of your restaurant team. They are the people closest to and delivering Hospitality to your paying Guests!
Make the call, and we can assist you.
408-784-7371
Foodservice Consulting + Design
Oprah Winfrey: A Leader in Media, Philanthropy, and Empowerment | CIO Women M...CIOWomenMagazine
This person is none other than Oprah Winfrey, a highly influential figure whose impact extends beyond television. This article will delve into the remarkable life and lasting legacy of Oprah. Her story serves as a reminder of the importance of perseverance, compassion, and firm determination.
Senior Project and Engineering Leader Jim Smith.pdfJim Smith
I am a Project and Engineering Leader with extensive experience as a Business Operations Leader, Technical Project Manager, Engineering Manager and Operations Experience for Domestic and International companies such as Electrolux, Carrier, and Deutz. I have developed new products using Stage Gate development/MS Project/JIRA, for the pro-duction of Medical Equipment, Large Commercial Refrigeration Systems, Appliances, HVAC, and Diesel engines.
My experience includes:
Managed customized engineered refrigeration system projects with high voltage power panels from quote to ship, coordinating actions between electrical engineering, mechanical design and application engineering, purchasing, production, test, quality assurance and field installation. Managed projects $25k to $1M per project; 4-8 per month. (Hussmann refrigeration)
Successfully developed the $15-20M yearly corporate capital strategy for manufacturing, with the Executive Team and key stakeholders. Created project scope and specifications, business case, ROI, managed project plans with key personnel for nine consumer product manufacturing and distribution sites; to support the company’s strategic sales plan.
Over 15 years of experience managing and developing cost improvement projects with key Stakeholders, site Manufacturing Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Maintenance, and facility support personnel to optimize pro-duction operations, safety, EHS, and new product development. (BioLab, Deutz, Caire)
Experience working as a Technical Manager developing new products with chemical engineers and packaging engineers to enhance and reduce the cost of retail products. I have led the activities of multiple engineering groups with diverse backgrounds.
Great experience managing the product development of products which utilize complex electrical controls, high voltage power panels, product testing, and commissioning.
Created project scope, business case, ROI for multiple capital projects to support electrotechnical assembly and CPG goods. Identified project cost, risk, success criteria, and performed equipment qualifications. (Carrier, Electrolux, Biolab, Price, Hussmann)
Created detailed projects plans using MS Project, Gant charts in excel, and updated new product development in Jira for stakeholders and project team members including critical path.
Great knowledge of ISO9001, NFPA, OSHA regulations.
User level knowledge of MRP/SAP, MS Project, Powerpoint, Visio, Mastercontrol, JIRA, Power BI and Tableau.
I appreciate your consideration, and look forward to discussing this role with you, and how I can lead your company’s growth and profitability. I can be contacted via LinkedIn via phone or E Mail.
Jim Smith
678-993-7195
jimsmith30024@gmail.com
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities to radically reinvent the way we do business. This study explores how CEOs and top decision makers around the world are responding to the transformative potential of AI.
The case study discusses the potential of drone delivery and the challenges that need to be addressed before it becomes widespread.
Key takeaways:
Drone delivery is in its early stages: Amazon's trial in the UK demonstrates the potential for faster deliveries, but it's still limited by regulations and technology.
Regulations are a major hurdle: Safety concerns around drone collisions with airplanes and people have led to restrictions on flight height and location.
Other challenges exist: Who will use drone delivery the most? Is it cost-effective compared to traditional delivery trucks?
Discussion questions:
Managerial challenges: Integrating drones requires planning for new infrastructure, training staff, and navigating regulations. There are also marketing and recruitment considerations specific to this technology.
External forces vary by country: Regulations, consumer acceptance, and infrastructure all differ between countries.
Demographics matter: Younger generations might be more receptive to drone delivery, while older populations might have concerns.
Stakeholders for Amazon: Customers, regulators, aviation authorities, and competitors are all stakeholders. Regulators likely hold the greatest influence as they determine the feasibility of drone delivery.
TLC2018 Bertold Kolics: Funnels of Hiring Test Engineers
1. A P R E S E N T A T I O N B Y E S O
Funnels of Hiring Test Engineers
A P R E S E N T A T I O N B Y E S O
2. T H E E S O M I S S I O N
Make a Difference
Improve Community Health and Safety
Through the Power of Data
3. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Challenges
• Software testing in education
• Few colleges in US prepare students for career in quality assurance
• Flawed perception
• Subservient to development
• Stepping stone (transitional role)
• Compensation
4. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Hiring Principles
• Hire slow …
• Strike a good balance between soft and technical skills
• Teamwork
• Don’t hire a bad apple
• https://www.thisamericanlife.org/370/ruining-it-for-the-rest-of-us
• Communication skills
• More important than in development
• Verbal/non-verbal
• Articulate, clear, concise
5. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Hiring Principles – cont’d
• Attitude
• Naturally curios
• Continuous learner – a knowledge worker
• Self-starter, go-getter
• Motivated to become product expert
• System-level view vs. low-level details
• Strives to understand end-user needs
• Open minded
• Team player
• Salesman
• Advocacy
• Research of worst possible scenarios
6. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Hiring Principles – cont’d
• Diversity
• Different points of view, different ways to break product
• Build a diverse team
• Race
• Age
• Gender
• Culture
7. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Hiring Funnel
Prospect
Candidate
Hired
Minimize width – quality candidates
Minimize
time & effort
8. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Recruitment Agencies
• Timeline: short
• Cost: 15-20% annual salary
• Limit the number – ideally, work with one
• Make them work for you
• Pre-screening
• Treat them well
• Respond timely, treat them with respect
• Remember: in hot markets, they have lot of options
• Caveat
• Top engineers may not work with recruiters
9. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Job Boards
• Timeline: short
• Cost is less than recruiters
• You get what you pay for
• Examples:
• Indeed
• Glassdoor
• College recruiting sites
• Not much success
• Too many unqualified candidates
• No pre-filtering – lot of work
10. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Non-traditional Sources
• Timeline: short/medium
• Cost: varies
• Tailor the message to the audience to maximize responses
11. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Non-traditional Sources - Craigslist
• Cheap
• Gigs, full-time
12. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Non-traditional Sources – Hacker News
• Free
• Ask HN: who is hiring?
thread on 1st of each
month
13. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Non-traditional Sources – Stack Overflow
• Cost is higher
• Large audience
• Many QA jobs
14. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Bootcamps
• Timeline: medium
• Specialized on Quality Assurance
• Focused, short-term training
• Not a 4-year college degree
15. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Bootcamps – Veterans4Quality
• 12-week program
• For veterans
• Strict attendance requirement
• Final exam
• Curriculum revised regularly,
taught by experts
16. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Professional Networking Events
• Timeline: medium
• Attend on a regular basis
• Many look for jobs
• Opportunity to speak unfiltered
• Even better if you need name recognition …
• Host a meetup or sponsor talks
• Opportunity to attract engineer
• To your technology
• To your culture
• To your space
17. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Professional Networking Events – Cont’d
• Sponsored talk at Austin Java Users Group
• Sponsorship cost: $1,000
• Chief Architect presentation (4 hours prep/presentation): $1,000
• Hired senior QA engineer in 2 weeks
• Placement fee through recruiter would have been: $20k
• Plus – received advertisement on group’s site
18. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Professional Networking Event at ESO
• Austin Automation
Professionals meetup hosted
at ESO
• Several inquiries about job
openings
• Good location
• Active participation from ESO
team
• Relevant
19. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Internships
• Timeline: long
• Huge fan and advocate
• Options to weigh
• Full-time vs. part-time
• Remote vs. local
• Paid vs. unpaid
• Assistance
• Colleges to target
20. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Internships - benefits
• For your team
• Mentorship opportunity
• Work on small projects that you never get to
• “Try before you buy”
• For the intern
• Get to work on a real project – not just classroom exercise
• Advice from senior engineers
21. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Internships – cont’d
• Establish a program
• Considerations:
• Sourcing
• Summer versus during school year
• Remote versus local students
• Recruit with the help of
• Career fairs
• College social media (Facebook, Twitter)
• Your site, social media
• College boards
22. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Internships - tips
• Ideal students for internships
• In junior year for Summer
• In senior year for part-time
• Full exposure
• Integrate them into your team
• Immerse them in your processes, culture
• Arrange meetings with executives and employees outside your group
• Provide lot of feedback
• Survey
• Get feedback at the end
• Use it for future recruitment efforts
23. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Apprenticeships
• Timeline: long-term
• Not as popular in the US as in Europe
• Not just for blue-collar jobs anymore
• Helps offset college costs
• Federal/local funding may be available
24. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Externship – job shadowing
• Timeline: long-term
• Targeted for freshman students
• Limited duration (1-2 days)
• Little / no preparation
• Typically no cost
• Helps build name recognition
• If hired
• Can round out more senior interns
25. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Externship at ESO
• Computer Science freshman from Rice University in January
• Spent 1 day at ESO
• Got overview of the inner workings of a software company
• Shadowed 3 different roles during the day
• Team lunch
• Benefits
• For ESO:
• Team fit was evaluated during the day by 3 different employees
• Identified as good future intern candidate
• For her:
• Learning
• Feeling comfortable and wanting to apply for internship at ESO
26. Proprietary and Confidential
Do Not Copy or Distribute
Test Leadership Congress
June 4th – 6th 2018, New York City, NY
Closing Thoughts
• Diversify your hiring strategy
• Consider
• Avenues to pursue
• Timelines
• Cost
