Software Testing

So one of the things I've been spending most of my time on is my 4o hour/week internship at Bose Corporation. Bose is mostly known for their Home Entertainment division- exciting things like Wave Radios, Acoustic Wave Radios, Sound docks, Lifestyle Systems, and 3-2-1 systems. I spend about forty hours a week testing the new software updates for these systems.

I hadn't known much Software Testing before I started working in the Software Test Integration Group. All I'd heard was that it was boring and you pushed buttons and had no fun. I have to admit, I've found quite the opposite. Though there is a lot of pushing buttons- quite a bit can be learned from that. For me, I didn't know how to use a remote control, let alone hook up a Home Entertainment system. I've gotten much more comfortable with the controls over time, and more at ease with the entire system. It's a lot of good general electronics knowledge that may be helpful later.

Additionally, I've done some work in Test Case Development and learning how to change a Designer's list of requirements into statements that an individual can use to execute a test on a software build. Working in test case development helps demonstrate how important it is to be explicit so you know the proper things are being tested, and also how to make sure a test isn't inefficient.

Past that, Software Test has close ties to a variety of different departments. It's a good place to see how all of the aspects of the company work together. I particularly like learning about software test cycles and how it's important to make sure you're fixing the thing that needs to be fixed without breaking even more software.

It's also a great work environment-
1) People are interesting, friendly, helpful, and engaging
2) Everyone goes out of their way
3) It's easy to ask someone to talk to you about their job: I've talked with people in a variety of different departments about what they do in order to get a more clear idea. A sampling:

X, a usability designer told me about her work on a particular product as well as her general time there. She went out of her way to talk to me for a couple hours and also introduced me to other designers.

Y, another designer also sat and talked with us about her work.

Z, a quality assurance engineer talked to us about project management and explained how he wished things would work.

A, another designer, agreed to have coffee with us. She helped point me in a better direction of how to eventually break into design.

This is just a sampling of all the great individuals that I've gotten to interact with. There are of course people in my department that I love talking to about our products, their history, their trajectory through the career-o-sphere, and where I want to get to in life.

Overall, I really appreciate my time in Software Test. I think it's one of the most valuable experiences I could have had this summer, and I wouldn't trade it for another one.