QA to dev

It's been a while since I wrote something here.. lots has changed.

I used to be a QA.

I'm a dev now.

Transition is still going on, in my head and skills. In IT there is no such thing as successful stagnation. You have to keep on going, or you'll be left behind. That can be scary, but brings exciting opportunities. You can reinvent yourself, learn, grow, shift roles, move between jobs.

Talking to people that would like to make a career switch I often hear that it is all so overwhelming. All the myths of the genius dev, sitting at the computer on his own, away from people... that's not how most devs are, and it's not how you have to be to land a job in IT.

Being a QA is to be observant, understanding, inquisitive, always looking for loopholes.

Being a DEV is to keep a lot of moving parts in your head, looking for best+fastest solutions, working hard and being helpful.

Actually, you can switch the definitions around and they will still be true. Working in different technical roles in IT requires similar skills, with more emphasis on a particular technical part or a specific angle of looking at a given challenge.

There is place for all different types of people, different backgrounds and forte. You are welcome to join, there is space.