Niall joined the Apptaura development team on the Kickstart scheme three months ago. Coming in as a Kickstart QA tester he’s been getting the hang of office life (even though we’re all still working remotely) and is now taking on the responsibility for dealing with client queries alongside his testing and bug hunting responsibilities. This is his Kickstart Diary, and what he’s been up to (and learned) over the last three months.
Month 3 – halfway reflection point
Think of 5 words to describe your experience with Apptaura over the last 4 weeks
Positive. Focused. Determined. Fun. Challenging. I would say that the main difference I’ve noticed is how motivated I’ve been to constantly improve. Determination is the name of the game – and that drive is helping me build up my confidence.
What have you been working on this month?
I’ve been working on note-taking. That sounds pretty dull, but it’s based off some great advice from the team and has really helped me boost my organisation skills. I was finding it difficult to take in and retain all the information flying at me and getting into the habit of taking notes is really helping.
Tell us something new you have learned this month
I’ve been speaking to our clients more – so I’ve been getting to grips with that balance between being professional and at the same time approachable and chatty. I’ve been getting some advice from our sales specialist… so highlighting the positives during a negative conversation or responding in different ways in different customer support situations.
Share something that you have found difficult or tricky over the last month
I’ve sometimes found it tough to keep on top of deadlines and committed dates, so the increased note-taking has been even more vital. It’s been my go-to tool for combatting the difficulty.
What goals have you met so far?
I have been testing at a more efficient rate, and am able to keep up with the flow of new releases and feature testing.
What goals do you still need to meet?
I need to improve my organisation skills, and my ability to update our support system more accurately and effectively.
Have any of your goals changed?
Not really, with the exception of my goal to improve my ability to juggle multiple tasks and keep on top of the organisation and retention of information.
What has surprised you about your role?
I was originally surprised with the amount of customer contact that would be required from the role, I guess I didn’t really join the dots between working as a tester and interacting with our clients. I’ve actually grown accustomed to it very quickly and now enjoy that contact… particularly as I’m mostly working from home so am missing out on some of the office high-jinks.
Have you had an argument with the printer yet?
Thankfully not, luckily we have a nice printer at home so it isn’t an issue.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
I’d probably say something by Green Day, but I haven’t been to karaoke in years!
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