"Don't be afraid to try something new and don't give up after one failure," — Binura Askarkyzy on starting her career in IT

Binura Askarkyzy, city — Astana, strong junior quality assurance engineer, @binuraaaaa

About Me

In 2023, I graduated with a bachelor's degree in IT management. I received my diploma with honors, and currently, while working, I continue my studies at Astana IT University in the master's program for Digital Public Administration and Services.

About My First Job in IT

I entered the IT field during my final year of undergraduate studies when I was looking for an internship with the possibility of future employment. I succeeded: for over a year now, I have been working as a QA engineer at the international company DataArt.

I started with a three-month internship, during which I was introduced to and trained from scratch on what QA is and what testers do. There was a lot of practice and invaluable help from my mentor. At the end of each month, I and other interns presented our progress on the material covered, answering theoretical and practical questions. After successfully completing the internship, I earned the qualification of junior QA engineer. Then, as I gained knowledge and experience in projects, I advanced to strong junior. A tester's responsibilities include analyzing requirements and other documentation, developing test documentation, writing test cases, conducting testing, communicating with team members, and much more.

I learned about the internship at the company by chance, as I was subscribed to various chats with similar announcements. I was attracted by the fact that DataArt is an international company and that there is an opportunity for future employment here. To apply, it was necessary to fill out an application form in English and send my resume by email.

After my resume was selected from among many other candidates, I went through three stages of online interviews. The first was with HR, where I was asked to tell about myself and what I know about QA, and why I wanted to try this role. The second stage was a test of English language skills in the format of a conversation with a native speaker. The final stage was conducted with my future mentor, who asked more detailed questions about my IT knowledge and other skills, including communication.

The knowledge I gained while studying IT management helped me during the interview with the mentor, as he asked me about development stages and methodologies, as well as practical questions on SQL and other technologies I studied at university. My personal qualities, such as sociability, flexibility, and sincerity, also helped. If I didn't know something, I could say so directly and added that it wouldn't be difficult for me to learn and acquire new knowledge.

About Difficulties

There were difficulties in finding my first job, as candidates without experience or education are rarely considered.

During that period, I applied to many job vacancies and internship announcements, and of course, there were rejections. I did not lose heart, looked for more suitable offers, tried to create a presentable resume, and wrote cover letters.

Since I learned the QA profession from scratch, it was difficult and unusual to work in English, but I quickly got used to it. A big support for me were my colleagues and mentor, who guided me and answered my questions.

3 Tips That Will Help You Find a Job in IT

Despite the fact that it is hard to be a beginner, today there are many internship options where you can gain knowledge and experience to become a competitive specialist. I advise not to be afraid to try something new and not to give up after one failure. I found a job announcement in my university's Telegram channel, but there are many other open sources where you can find great opportunities. The main thing is to keep looking!