From Graduate to SDET: What You Need to Know

Joseph Batchelor - Roles and Responsibilities 

In July 2021, I graduated from university with a degree in Computer Game Technology. I had worked hard, I had my degree, and I was ready for the workplace.

I eagerly scanned the job boards, press releases for graduate and entry level opportunities in my field. I started to apply for jobs I was qualified for, and that knew I could do. However, after 4 months of not much progress, I realised  the cold hard truth that education alone was not enough. Typically, entry level roles were asking for 1-2 years of experience on top of the degree… I, of course had zero! 

I was determined not to give up and was really pleased to see nFocus advertising for their Academy. They were looking for graduates to train up as Software Development Engineers in Test (SDET) and then place with their clients so that they could gain that all important experience. I decided to apply and was asked to go to a selection day.

Not Your Average Interview

As I travelled up to Manchester on a dull November day, I wondered what was in store for me and I began to feel a little nervous. This was an important day for me and I wanted it to go well.

I was not sure what to expect but thought that there would be some technical tests maybe and a sit-down interview where I would be asked a bunch of questions about why I thought I was the best fit for the test role but it was not like that at all!

There was a bunch of other hopefuls there, all feeling pretty much the same as I was I guess, not quite knowing what to say or do. But that all changed very quickly as the process kicked off.

The day was filled with a mix of team and solo exercises, followed by 1-2-1 'rapid-fire chats'.

I have been told that I can't say any more about the tasks, as to not tip-off the next intake (sorry!). But what I can tell you is that it was a much more relaxed atmosphere than I was expecting. The nFocus team made us all feel at home, and explained that they wanted to get to know the real us, rather than an artificial version from an overly formal environment.

The next week passed slowly as I awaited the verdict and was thrilled that I was offered a place in the Academy!

From Theory to Practice - Develop Testing

The transition from graduate to employee can be daunting. You’re going from an academic environment to a professional one, with people you’ve never met before. While we were briefed well on the role, you never really know what you are going to be doing or what is expected, until you start!

At the beginning, I was unsure how this would work but things quickly became clear. University had equipped me with a set of skills and with the training of the nFocus SDET Academy, I knew I could become an SDET.

For me, coming from a Games Development background, joining the nFocus SDET Academy allowed me to develop new skills and experience new challenges. I learned about different testing methods and terminology which I hadn’t come across before and was able to apply this new learning in practice.

I found that I was able to quickly get up to speed, partly because of my education but also, to a large degree, because of the quality of the Academy training. The camaraderie amongst the other trainees and the teamwork of the group really helped us all as well. 

Where my degree did come in very useful was in the practical side of automated testing. My degree focused very heavily on programming in C++ & C# and also had focus on an agile workflow. This meant that when it came to programming automated tests, I was able to help other graduates (just as they had helped me with the theory).

Overall, my transition from graduate to SDET has been an enjoyable and positive experience. nFocus' approach from the selection day and throughout my time in the Academy, has ensured that something which could have been nerve-racking was actually a fascinating and informative experience. From the selection day to graduating from the SDET Academy, we were given support and guidance at every step and I  thoroughly enjoyed my time in the nFocus SDET Academy and would recommend it to any fellow graduate.

I am now out working in the real world as an nFocus Academy graduate and working with a development team. Whilst I am enjoying it and it's going really well; it's also very reassuring to know that I have the help and support that I need from the team back at the nFocus base.