Meet Hyra, our new Quality Assurance Consultant

Hyra joined IONA as a Quality Assurance Consultant, working from Mactan Island in the Philippines. As a gatekeeper of quality, her role is to ensure our developer’s code works perfectly.

What led you to become a Quality Assurance Consultant?

As a computer engineering graduate, most universities expect you to become a programmer, so I wasn’t even aware the Quality Assurance Consultant role existed. It wasn’t until after working in my first job that I began to explore different careers and discovered the profession. I’ve always been fascinated by technology. While being a programmer wasn’t for me, being a software test engineer allowed me to pursue my interests in tech.

What do you like about being a tester?

As a Quality Assurance consultant, it’s thrilling to discover bugs in the software. I love the process. Testing is a vital part of the software development process. You need good system or product knowledge to be good at your job as a Quality Assurance consultant.

What’s your process?

I like mapping out and discovering where bugs could be - especially the critical ones. At IONA, we’re ecommerce specialists, and we have a standard structure to test things. In UI testing, you might look at things like ‘Is the button according to specification?’, ‘Is the colour right?’ and ‘Is the language correct?’.

When testing an ecommerce solution, your process should also include functional testing, such as logging in, registering and receiving confirmation emails. ‘If you click that button, does it work how it should?’ ‘What’s the user flow like?’ ‘Is the behaviour according to the specification?’ Non-functional testing is also very important such as load and performance testing. As a software test engineer, it’s important to abide by the specifications given by the client because sometimes it works, but not in the expected way. That’s why you need prior knowledge of how to test these specific systems. Part of my job is recommending what to change to improve performance or quality.

You joined IONA recently. What’s your first impression?

The way the interviewer described IONA and how it is in practice was very consistent. When the interviewer mentioned the role was fully flexible, I was sceptical at first, but now I see how the company truly values honesty, trust and flexibility. When you feel trusted and have the freedom to work flexibly, you want to deliver your best. Instead of having a fixed schedule, I can start any time as long as I deliver. And as it’s 100% remote, I don’t have to spend three hours commuting to Cebu, one of the main islands in the Philippines.

What projects are you working on?

So far, I have worked on six projects. It’s pretty fun and challenging. It’s a fast-paced environment, but I like it. I appreciate that IONA gets me involved in the early stages of the project; as a Quality Assurance Consultant, it’s vital. They say ‘early testing saves time and energy’’. I particularly love projects that involve mobile testing, which, although I’m less experienced with, I’ve been lucky to experience at IONA. I also love working with international clients.

How do you stay inspired inside and outside of work?

I’m quite a family-oriented person, and I have younger siblings. Because I work remotely, I get to see them more often. A strong bond with my friends and family gives me more energy, and my work arrangement facilitates that.

While at work, I separate the boundaries between work and my personal life by having daily habits and rituals. Every morning I have the same routine before starting work: I get up early, play with my cat and make breakfast and iced coffee. While I’m at work, I break up the day. For example, if I know I’m sitting down for a long time, I make a point of walking around the house. I think it’s essential to stick to your schedule, especially if you have a work-from-home setup.