Interview of the month

‘I am searching for errors in the best navigation software in the world...’

Dismantling, reassembling, digging deep, analyzing, and searching... These things have always interested the man whose colleagues call him Buda; and being a Senior Quality Assurance Engineer, he continues to do the same things at Nav N Go on a daily basis. As a result of his work, Nav N Go software can only get even better, since if there happens to be any kind of error in the software, he is sure to find it...

Your work, to put it simply, consists of destruction and reconstruction. Which of these two is the one you have chosen this profession for?
The two ideas are closely connected: I dismantle something so that I can reassemble it, reconstruct it, and improve it. I have always been keen on fixing things; I started with toy cars and various other toys when I was very young, then I turned to more ‘serious’ things, such as tape recorders, and finally to computers...

Did your studies lead you in the same direction?
Yes. I took my final exams as a communications technician at Bebrits Lajos Technical Secondary School. However, I dealt with computers prior to and during those years. I started to play around with various software, and later my attention turned to hardware too. After secondary school, I was offered an excellent job as a digital editor for the Kiskunhalas Local Television Company, so I opted to work instead of carrying on with my studies.

Well, that seems a completely different area from the one you were familiar with...
I wanted to gain experience in that area too; and given the fact that the work was closely related to computers, I found the link between my job and my future ideas. I enjoyed my tasks; however, I soon moved to Budapest; and this led me to testing, to my current profession, since I started to work for T-Mobile as a network testing technician. That was exactly what I loved: to see and deal with things from the start till the end. We went around by car, testing the network, the signal strength, and the other services provided by the company, such as mobile internet coverage. I had this job for four and a half years, and I enjoyed it so much...

Then Nav N Go found you and offered you some new challenges....
Yes, an old acquaintance of mine drew my attention to this Hungarian company, one that I had already heard about. Then, in November 2006 I joined the Nav N Go team as a testing technician; and soon I was promoted to Senior Quality Assurance Engineer. I hadn't dealt with navigation software before, so the job proved to be really exciting.

Many may think that testing as a profession is not a creative kind of work. What do you think the beauties of your job are?
When my friends ask me what I do at Nav N Go, I usually say: I am searching for errors in the best navigation software in the world, and I usually find some... I feel that I play an indirect role in making the software better. If I find one or two errors, the developers correct them; and on the whole, the product will improve. It's better if I find the problems before any users do.

Does that mean that you spend your days digging deep into the Nav N Go software that is under development?
Well, not just that. I have been working for this company for quite a long time; I already worked here when there were only a few of us (I was the No. 47 employee; now there are almost 250 of us...); thus, we are supposed to take part in the various working stages. As a result of this, I often carry out a number of tasks that are not directly connected to the testing process. I am a kind of factotum: I often assist the project managers and the support team; and you can sometimes see me grab the soldering iron and fix a device if a button has broken, or things like that. I enjoy these activities as much as I enjoy software ‘hacking’.

Testing has been split into two areas even within Nav N Go. Which testing area do you cover?
I work for the Project QA team. Our task is to test and correct the finished and ‘semi-finished’ software versions. That is, we play an active role in the development process. And there is the Product QA team conducting the other kinds of tests.

What kind of skills do you think are needed to be good in this profession?
Being persistent and able to cope with a busy workload, self-discipline, and keeping well-informed. You have to be up-to-date with everything on a daily basis: with the latest devices and software. You must be open-minded; it is not enough to be good at only a couple of things.

Do you have a lot to do?
I’d rather say we always have something to do; we can never be finished. We were having fun with the guys the other day, and we agreed: even if we spent all day and night in the office, from Monday to Friday, without any sleep at all, we would still have a lot to do. However, things seem to be improving; new team members are arriving all the time, and the workload can be spread out.

How do you think Nav N Go can support you in performing your job?
When I chose Nav N Go, I was positive that I had found ‘the’ job; what will be, will be; I will be loyal because this was the company where I felt I could achieve something, and I could work on the software that is used and loved by many all over the world. This is what I find the most important. As for our daily routine, I find it really positive that the QA team works really well on the whole, we support each other, and we are all able to work together as a team. Naturally, I appreciate the fresh fruit offered every day, and the team-building program, but it is not exactly that which motivates me. What I truly appreciate is when we can see some progress. This is what makes me feel good.

Do you carry on playing around with objects at home; or do you completely separate your job and your private life?
I can not and do not want to separate the two completely. My wife and I have been living together for more than 10 years, and she accepted me for what I am; I think she would feel strange if I didn't sit in front of the PC when I got home but sat in front of the TV set with a beer in my hand, like ‘good’ husbands do. During the weekends, however, my family gets priority; we try to make trips, either to Margaret Island (in the middle of the Danube in central Budapest), or to my parents’ in the country. Although I don't take my PC with me, I always have navigation on board!