Its been more than two year since I am in Netherlands, working for a company named CIMSOLUTIONS as a QA Test Engineer. I was offered to work in here, and my passion to meet the "NEW" helped me to make my decision.
Two year is not a very long time to have a deep understanding and learning about something, but again long enough to have a good overview. Like I cant speak dutch in a very good level, but I can call for a decent small talk :). And it same goes with my experience in Software Industry here in Netherlands and how the trends and systems going around.
My first and yet impression about Netherlands is - its a very organized, clean and a beautiful country. But my impression regarding Software Testing Industry is not so high, and one of the biggest reason is trend of "CERTIFICATION".
When I was giving interview for this position from Dhaka, Bangladesh - I was asked whether I have any certification in Testing (some of the traditional ones - not going to mention the names) or not. I was surprised to hear those names, coz back days some of the organizations tried to bring those in Bangladesh but couldn't succeed much due to SQABD. And also from our (me and along with members in SQABD) testing experience we already knew how far those certifications curriculum are lacking behind. There are enough writings in internet from very good Testers and Test Mentors (including few recent dutch guys too) why those certifications are not a good way to create a tester, and how those are backdated. But point is even after explaining those in the interview I was told that "Clients" want to see those certifications, and my curious mind started to wonder "WHY?"
But when I got here in Netherlands, and started working for the clients of CIM, and also started looking here and there to see how is the job market here, I got my answer of "WHY?". When I look at the client requests for a Test Engineer, or even the job advertisements over internet, I can hardly find any company who wants a Test Engineer with a resume/CV without mentioning those "CERTIFICATIONS" as their primary criteria. And eventually I even had to do two of those common Test Engineer certification later (and I am really not happy about it) to fulfill client's need (though the client now I am working for - they didn't ask for it, but I had intakes for some clients where the specifically mentioned it).
Its getting long though I have lot to write. But I am going to finish it up with a very recent experience that I had.
For the client I work now, I was the only Test Engineer working in the center of different development teams driven by Agile Scrum. My work pressure went too high when both app (iOS & Android) and Portal was at their final stage. So they recruited another Test Engineer to help me out (he is not from CIM). He eventually higher level than me and has a huge number of "CERTIFICATIONS" done. Right after joining, he started finding bug in the every working process, rather finding bug in the product. And later we came to know, he doesn't even know some basic SDLC structures such as bug flow & tracking system, system testing concept etc, and let alone very basic understanding of Scrum. Yet he was giving a lot arguments with everyone about all the faults (he thinks!) in our working process. And one day - he drew the historical "V MODEL" - and the very basic one ( infact this basic one is the base model for one of the very common Testing Certifications here - and still it is!) on the board to show us how the testing should be along with progress of SDLC! Before others seeing it - I asked him why the model he drew doesnt have any transitional phase? Is transitional phase not needed to be covered in SDLC? Then I asked him about RUP, he dragged me to the "Water Fall" :(.
One of problem of mine is when I do discussions verbally I forget to mention all the things. Else I could just give him the following link, which would eventually save me some times :)
BTW, apart from him, there are Test Engineers in NL I worked with in other project who are good, and they were not happy about those certifications either.
Two year is not a very long time to have a deep understanding and learning about something, but again long enough to have a good overview. Like I cant speak dutch in a very good level, but I can call for a decent small talk :). And it same goes with my experience in Software Industry here in Netherlands and how the trends and systems going around.
My first and yet impression about Netherlands is - its a very organized, clean and a beautiful country. But my impression regarding Software Testing Industry is not so high, and one of the biggest reason is trend of "CERTIFICATION".
When I was giving interview for this position from Dhaka, Bangladesh - I was asked whether I have any certification in Testing (some of the traditional ones - not going to mention the names) or not. I was surprised to hear those names, coz back days some of the organizations tried to bring those in Bangladesh but couldn't succeed much due to SQABD. And also from our (me and along with members in SQABD) testing experience we already knew how far those certifications curriculum are lacking behind. There are enough writings in internet from very good Testers and Test Mentors (including few recent dutch guys too) why those certifications are not a good way to create a tester, and how those are backdated. But point is even after explaining those in the interview I was told that "Clients" want to see those certifications, and my curious mind started to wonder "WHY?"
But when I got here in Netherlands, and started working for the clients of CIM, and also started looking here and there to see how is the job market here, I got my answer of "WHY?". When I look at the client requests for a Test Engineer, or even the job advertisements over internet, I can hardly find any company who wants a Test Engineer with a resume/CV without mentioning those "CERTIFICATIONS" as their primary criteria. And eventually I even had to do two of those common Test Engineer certification later (and I am really not happy about it) to fulfill client's need (though the client now I am working for - they didn't ask for it, but I had intakes for some clients where the specifically mentioned it).
Its getting long though I have lot to write. But I am going to finish it up with a very recent experience that I had.
For the client I work now, I was the only Test Engineer working in the center of different development teams driven by Agile Scrum. My work pressure went too high when both app (iOS & Android) and Portal was at their final stage. So they recruited another Test Engineer to help me out (he is not from CIM). He eventually higher level than me and has a huge number of "CERTIFICATIONS" done. Right after joining, he started finding bug in the every working process, rather finding bug in the product. And later we came to know, he doesn't even know some basic SDLC structures such as bug flow & tracking system, system testing concept etc, and let alone very basic understanding of Scrum. Yet he was giving a lot arguments with everyone about all the faults (he thinks!) in our working process. And one day - he drew the historical "V MODEL" - and the very basic one ( infact this basic one is the base model for one of the very common Testing Certifications here - and still it is!) on the board to show us how the testing should be along with progress of SDLC! Before others seeing it - I asked him why the model he drew doesnt have any transitional phase? Is transitional phase not needed to be covered in SDLC? Then I asked him about RUP, he dragged me to the "Water Fall" :(.
One of problem of mine is when I do discussions verbally I forget to mention all the things. Else I could just give him the following link, which would eventually save me some times :)
| The Death of the V-Model |
BTW, apart from him, there are Test Engineers in NL I worked with in other project who are good, and they were not happy about those certifications either.
Thank you :)
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