Hello, and welcome to the very first blog post on TestWithZina!
I’m beyond excited to kick off this journey with you and share insights, tips, and lessons I’ve learned along the way as a Senior Software Engineer in Test. Starting this blog has been a dream of mine, and now that it’s finally here, I want to dive into a topic close to my heart: my career shift journey from frontend development to test automation.
Why I Left Frontend Development
I began my tech career in frontend development in 2021 after joining a web development bootcamp at WBS Coding School in Berlin during Corona. Afterwards, I started working at an IT consultation company as a junior frontend developer crafting user interfaces and ensuring that every pixel looked perfect. While there’s no denying the creativity and detail involved in frontend work, I quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit for me.
Frontend development required a deep focus on customer-facing details—colors, fonts, alignment, responsiveness—all important elements of a product, but they didn’t excite me. I discovered after working a year implementing UX/UI designs, that I am someone who thrives more on understanding how the pieces of a system fit together rather than the details of how the user interface looked like to the end user. I wanted to see the big picture: the functionality, the architecture, the workflows, and the infrastructure that make applications function seamlessly.
Instead of finding fulfillment, I found myself bogged down by too many customer-specific details. That’s when I knew it was time for a change.
Discovering Test Automation
One day during a sprint review a discussion came up in our team about wanting to automate some tests for our product to run them once every hour to make sure our software is up and running according to the customer’s needs. We also were planning to run those tests after every merge request to make sure newly added features in our software did not affect the functionality of our product. Once I heard there was a need for someone to write those tests, get coached by a test automation expert and become the QA expert in the team I immediately volunteered. It sounded more like something I would enjoy on a daily basis. This was the beginning of my journey diving into this new world of test automation and once I discovered it, everything clicked. It was the perfect blend of technical problem-solving and high-level system thinking. Unlike frontend development, test automation allowed me to dive deep into the infrastructure and workflows of an application. It gave me the holistic view I’d been craving while still allowing me to write code and solve interesting challenges.
Challenges Along the Way
Transitioning from frontend development to test automation wasn’t without its challenges. I had to learn new tools like Cypress and later Playwright, programming paradigms, and best practices. In addition to that I needed to understand DevOps and how to automate those tests so they would run in a pipeline. At times, it felt like starting from scratch. I would often suffer from Imposter Syndrome , feeling that those tasks are too big for me to handle as a career shifter and someone who is new in the field.
Here’s how I navigated those challenges:
Starting Small: I focused on simple test cases to build my confidence before tackling more complex scenarios.
Learning the Right Tools: I chose Cypress and later Playwright as my go-to tools because of their versatility and ease of use. It made the transition smoother and more enjoyable.
Building a Support Network: Engaging with testing communities like the Ministry of Testing and connecting with experienced professionals in a testing conference like testBash helped me gain valuable insights and guidance.
Staying Curious: My love for learning kept me motivated, even when things got tough. I found myself having pair programming sessions with DevOps colleagues to understand how they write the YAML configuration files and how they create the different jobs, write the scripts and schedule the pipelines.
Having a Mentor: There is nothing better than learning best practices from someone who has been doing this profession for a longer time. Without the help and support from my mentor it would have taken me much longer to find the most efficient ways to structure my test files , understand how to generate test data as well as how to best plan the test scenarios and build the infrastructure needed to automate the test runs.
Why Test Automation Matters and How to Know It Is for You ?
Test automation is more than just a career choice—it’s a way to make a meaningful impact. By automating repetitive tasks, we free up time for creative problem-solving and exploratory testing. Ensuring scalability and efficiency helps teams deliver better software, faster.
For me, it’s about contributing to the bigger picture. Automation bridges the gap between development and quality assurance, ensuring that every piece of a system works harmoniously. It’s a role that allows me to see the forest instead of just the trees—and I love every moment of it.
So, how do you know if test automation is the right field for you?
If you are someone who is curious, likes to understand the big picture, and doesn’t shy away from learning tasks from different engineering disciplines—such as coding, DevOps, AI and architecture—this field might be perfect for you. It’s also a great fit for those who enjoy analyzing and solving problems.
Interestingly, some personal traits that might seem like challenges can turn into strengths in this profession. For example, if you’re prone to overthinking or anxiety like myself, often imagining worst-case scenarios, you might have a natural knack for identifying “edge cases” in testing. (QA professionals know these as the rare, tricky scenarios that can break systems!)
Conclusion
Through TestWithZina, I aim to share everything I’ve learned about doing a career shift into test automation, the challenges that we face , what we need to master and learn in an attempt to help others who are starting their own journeys.
Starting this blog is about more than just sharing my experiences—it’s about building a community of like-minded professionals who are passionate about test automation and software quality like me.
If you’re considering a transition to test automation or are already on this path, I’d love to hear from you. What challenges are you facing? What excites you most about test automation? How did you find your way into this field?. Share your thoughts in the comments below or reach out through my Contact Page.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we can learn, grow, and make testing an even more impactful and rewarding field.
Until next time,
Zina
