Jumping into a new QA team? It can definitely feel overwhelming! I've been there myself, and I remember feeling completely out of my depth (because the main project was rushed for release and everyone was busy). In this post, I'd like to share some friendly tips from my own experience to help you settle in quickly and feel like you're making a real difference.
Diving In and Asking Questions
My first priority was understanding the team's structure. Here's what I did on day one:
Ask Questions: Don't be shy! Your team lead is there to help. Ask about team structure, processes, expectations, and anything else that's on your mind. If you don't have a team lead, ask the person who's been there the longest.
Understand the Team's Role and Structure: Who does what? Who's the go-to person for specific things? Getting a handle on the team's hierarchy is key.
Communication Channels: How does everyone communicate? Is it Slack? Teams? Or just email? Which one is used for what? Which one is for fun? How about daily stand-ups and meetings? Knowing this will save you a lot of confusion.
Get an Overview of Current Projects: Having the big picture helps you understand where you are. I asked my team lead for a quick rundown of the current projects (which one is the most important, which one is rushed and needs more attention, etc.).
Building Relationships
It's important to remember that you're not just joining a robot team 🤖 - you're joining a group of people. I believe that building relationships is key, so I invited the whole team for a quick coffee break (I was new and in a small team, so it was easy to do). It was a great opportunity to chat, ask casual questions, and start building relationships. Then, I found it easier to start reaching out to the key players on the project. I asked them about their needs and how I could help them.
Understanding Project Needs
Find everything about your project, don't wait for someone to tell you. Be proactive!
I dug into any available documentation. Don't feel weird if the documentation is not up to date or not available at all. If there wasn't much, I recommend checking the bug database (where all the bugs were reported during testing)—it's a gold mine of information. Or look for the test cases, user stories, or any other resources that might can help you understand the project better.
Familiarize Yourself with Tools
Understand the tools that your team is using (like Jira, Google Drive, bug tracking tools, etc.) and how they're being used. If you need to log bugs, make sure you know how to do it (such as the format, the fields to fill, evidence, etc.). Pay close attention to the tools and environments you use, especially as a newcomer, distinguishing between development, sandbox, and production to prevent mistakes.
Write Everything Down
It's a great way to refer back to things when you need to, especially when you're new. I took notes on everything, from the team structure to the project details, or just the things that I found interesting (like the bugs, test cases, etc.).
Seek Feedback and Raise Concerns
Don't be afraid to ask for feedback. It's a great way to know how you're doing and what you can improve.
If you have any concerns, don't hesitate to raise them. Sometimes old team members are so used to the process/tools/features that they don't realize it's not working effectively anymore. It's better to address issues early on than let them fester.
Key Takeaways
- Don't be afraid to ask questions. Seriously, everyone was new once.
- Building relationships is key ❤️
- Be proactive, be resourceful! If you can't find the answers, create them.
- Remember that everyone wants you to succeed (because your success is their success).
- Understand the tools and environments you're using.
- Take notes and write everything down.
- Seek feedback and raise concerns early on.