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Shaikh Vakeel

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Shaikh Vakeel

Test Analyst at TCS

TCS

Shaikh Vakeel is a member of:

- Expert

Could you tell us briefly about your family background?

I belong to a middle class family, born and brought up in Maharashtra, in an education-focussed environment with supportive mother and father, caring elder brother,lively younger brother and sister. Currently I am living with my loving wife and 1 yr old naughty son in Bradford,UK.

Required Reading

We did not have Software Testing as a subject during our studies but I learnt a lot from TCS Internal trainings as well as testing blogs such as www.softwaretestinghelp.com. The ISTQB material is also an excellent source for detailed study of testing concepts and processes.

Current and Previous Responsibilities

In my current role, I am involved from requirement analysis to test execution phase carried out at various levels like functional, regression etc, which gives me more exposure in the banking domain while my previous role as a Offshore Test Lead in Telecom domain was more about Test management.

Parting thoughts

Most of the IT students are not actually keen to take Testing as a job due to the lack of sufficient knowledge about it. Hence, I feel a need to spread awareness about Testing as a career in colleges/universities. I would like to appreciate SiliconIndia for taking the initiative towards this.

Changes in the industry

Testing used to be the final phase of Software development process, more commmonly treated as extended window for development, but nowadays it has become an integral part of the process with resources and time dedicated to it which it truly deserves.

Essential Advice

A career in QA/Testing provides you an in-depth knowledge of different processes of software engineering and builds a platform from where you can build your career path,as it helps you to enhance your existing skills.Testing is a never-ending sea of opportunities where you can find a pearl of career

Currently working at

Study and analyse the requirements. Understand the scope. Prepare the test plan and test execution schedule.Set up the test data. Track the execution process. Note the results. Raise and manage the defects. Prepare Test Reports. Coordinate with all the teams involved.

Most Important Decisions

I had interest in programming and was looking for a related career path in TCS but when I started in Testing, I took it as an extension of programming role and now I really enjoy my current job as a tester.I am planning to move into Automation testing which I feel would boost up my career

Areas for the Future

As per the current market and technology trends and also the growing awareness of Agile approach to Software development, I feel SOA testing, Security testing and mobile testing would be areas of specialization in near future with increased focus on performance and automation testing.

Degrees that Matter

Testing is a complex area which requires thorough understanding of the SDLC to help provide an well-tested product to the customer. Hence,there is a need to hone the skills and knowledge which can be achieved through certifications. I think ISTQB/CSQA/CSTE are well suited for these requirements

Most Important Lessons

There is nothing as one-man show in IT field, so you need to learn to communicate with different type of people and get the work done effectively.
Love your work.
Always be ready to learn new things.
Honesty and Hardwork have no substitute.
Keep a positive attitude towards life.Keep a smile on face.

A Fine Balance:

Though I am passionate about my work, I am blessed to be married with the love of my life and also blessed with the most loving son. This helps me keep the work stress out of the house which I pick up next day at office.

Tech trends to watch out for

Recent trends in technology that would affect QA/Testing will be Wireless and Mobile application testing, SOA and Security testing.Also, automation of applications will gain more importance in coming future.

The Journey So Far

I started my career as a fresher with TCS in Nov 2007.I intended to be a Java programmer but rolled into Testing when I joined British Telecom as my first project.After working in BT for more than 2 yrs, I moved to Yorkshire Building Society (Banking) project,UK where I am working for nearly 2 years

Plans for the Future

I see myself as a senior member of the testing team with improved technical and interpersonal skills. Also, I would have extended my careers from Manual to Automation area and would be an expert in my specific domain.