Curriculum Vitae - Vincent Dirks: Difference between revisions

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{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px;"
! Name
| Vincent Dirks
|-
! e-mail
| [mailto:vincent@dirksonline.net?Subject=Enquiry%20from%20CV%20Wiki vincent@dirksonline.net]
|-
! Mob
| 021-0269-6216
|-
! LinkedIn
| [https://nz.linkedin.com/in/vincent-dirks-937aa557 nz.linkedin.com]
|-
! Location
| [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parau Parau], West Auckland
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! Download
| [https://dirksonline.net/CV/2024%20Curriculum%20Vitae%20-%20Vincent%20Dirks%20-%202%20Page%20-%2028-Aug-2024.pdf Curriculum Vitae (2 pages)]<br/>[https://dirksonline.net/CV/2024%20Curriculum%20Vitae%20-%20Vincent%20Dirks%20-%20Long%20Form%20-%2028-Aug-2024.pdf Curriculum Vitae (Long Form)]
|}


== Intro Vincent Dirks - Software Quality Engineer ==
== Vincent Dirks - [[What's in a title?|Software Quality Engineer]] ==
As a versatile Software Quality Engineer, I aim to understand the nuances of the product, team dynamics, technological landscapes, and organizational structures so that I can adapt and contribute effectively. My approach extends beyond traditional testing methodologies; I consider the design of the whole ecosystem that facilitates excellence and efficiency in software development.
As a versatile Software Quality Engineer, I aim to understand the nuances of the product, team dynamics, technological landscapes, and organisational structures so that I can adapt and contribute effectively. I specialise in adapting to diverse contexts, and look beyond traditional testing methodologies to consider the design of the whole quality ecosystem necessary for delivering quality software solutions efficiently.


I specialize in adapting to diverse contexts to deliver high-quality software solutions efficiently, and I'm passionate about testing and tool development, they are both critical to driving software excellence and maintaining delivery speed.
== [[Skills]] ==
 
=== [[Skills#Testing|Testing Skills]] ===
== Skills Summary ==
=== Testing Skills ===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
Line 16: Line 36:
* Testing Web Apps  
* Testing Web Apps  
* Testing Firmware/Embedded systems
* Testing Firmware/Embedded systems
* Testability Concepts
* Data Privacy
|  
|  
* Observability Concepts
* Testability & Observability Concepts
* Exploratory Testing (Session & Thread Based)
* Exploratory Testing (Session & Thread Based)
* Visual Modelling
* Visual Modelling
Line 25: Line 45:
|}
|}


=== Programming and Automation Skills ===
=== [[Skills#Automation & Programming|Programming and Automation Skills]] ===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align:left"| Javascript
! style="text-align:left"| [[Skills#JavaScript|JavaScript]]
! style="text-align:left"| Java
! style="text-align:left"| [[Skills#Java|Java]]
! style="text-align:left"| Other
! style="text-align:left"| [[Skills#Other Automation & Programming|Other]]
|-
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
 
|
|
* Node.js
* Node.js, npm
* Express.js
* Express.js
* React.js
* React
* Jest
* Jest
* Cypress.io
* Cypress.io
* Webdriver.io
* Webdriver.io
|
|
* Cucumber (BDD)
* [https://maven.apache.org/ Maven], [https://junit.org/ JUnit], [https://testng.org/ TestNG]
* Tidal Wave UI automation library
* [https://cucumber.io/ Cucumber] ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavior-driven_development BDD])
* Selenium
* [https://rest-assured.io/ REST-assured]
* REST Assured
* [https://www.selenium.dev/ Selenium]
* JUnit, TestNG
* [https://www.selenium.dev/documentation/test_practices/encouraged/page_object_models/ Page Object Models] (POMs)
* LeJOS (Lego mindstorm) Robotics
* [https://wave.tidalcode.dev/ Tidal. Wave]
|
|
* C#, Specflow (BDD)
* SQL & [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL_Server_Management_Studio SSMS]
* Appium
* Appium
* XCUITest
* XCUITest
* C#: Specflow (BDD)
* SQL
* GraphQL
* GraphQL
* C++: Arduino, ESP32
* C++: Arduino, ESP32
|-
|}
!colspan="3" style="text-align:left"| Tools
 
|-
=== Tools & Technologies Experience ===
|colspan="3"|
{| class="wikitable"
* Splunk (log aggregation & analysis)
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|
* [https://www.splunk.com/ Splunk]
* Postman, Newman
* Postman, Newman
* Github/Bitbucket
* VS Code, IntelliJ, Visual Studio
* Jenkins, Azure Devops, TFS, Google Cloud Platform
* Github, Bitbucket
* Bash & Powershell scripting
* Docker, Linux
* SoapUI & ReadyAPI
|
* [https://www.telerik.com/fiddler Fiddler], [https://www.charlesproxy.com/ Charles Proxy], [https://www.wireshark.org/ Wireshark]
* Jenkins, Azure DevOps (TFS), Google Cloud Platform
* Bash & [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/ PowerShell] scripting
* [https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira Jira], [https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence Confluence], [https://smartbear.com/test-management/zephyr-scale/ Zephyr Scale], [https://xmind.app/ XMind]
* [https://www.soapui.org/ SoapUI], [https://smartbear.com/product/ready-api/ ReadyAPI]
|}
|}


=== General Skills ===
=== Domain Experience ===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|
|
* Banking and Finance Sector
* AML/CFT Sector
* Online Auction Platforms
* Vehicle Leasing systems
* Platform Engineering
* Platform Engineering
* Staff Mentoring & Induction
* Staff Mentoring & Induction
* Agile Squad Master
|
* Agile (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, Squad Master)
* Microservices Architecture
* Manufacturing Resource Planning - Logistics Manager
* Manufacturing Resource Planning - Logistics Manager
* Physics - Weather Radar Systems, Lasers, Fibre-optics
* Physics - Weather Radar Systems, Lasers, Fibre-optics
Line 78: Line 112:


== Work Experience ==  
== Work Experience ==  
I am currently on a [[Mental Health and Wellbeing Break]] (Jan-2024 - Present) to give myself time for self-care and recovery following significant life events in recent years.
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: -40px"
| [[Skills|skills]]
|}
=== [[Upskilling & Community Roles 2024]] (May-2024 - Current) ===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: -10px"
| [[Skills#Playwright|Playwright]], Splunk, Docker, Node.js, Cloudlets, Wikimedia, <br/>Meetup Organising, IoT & ESP32 embedded programing
|}
: Whilst looking for work and updating my online CV Wiki, I’m also leading the efforts to bring back a regular schedule of events for the [https://www.meetup.com/Ministry-of-Testing-Auckland Ministry of Testing in Auckland]. I’m pursuing personal projects with Playwright, Splunk, Docker, Node.js to setup an online publicly accessible testing hub, initially for testing my CV Wiki through [https://cloudlets.com.au Cloudlets]. I’m also dabbling in some IoT with some embedded programming of an ESP32 to send data to Splunk, such as measuring temperature and humidity around my home.


=== [[TTC - Dept. of Internal Affairs - Senior Test Automation Engineer]] (Nov-2023 - Jan-2023) ===
=== [[Water Services Reform, DIA - Senior Test Automation Engineer]] (Nov-2023 - Jan-2024) ===
Contracting. Part of the Test Automation team for the Three Waters Project, developing a UI Automation suite in Java using the [https://wave.tidalcode.dev/ Tidal. wave] Selenium automation library
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: -10px"
| [[Skills#Java|Java]], [[Skills#Maven|Maven]], [[Skills#Selenium|Selenium]], [[Skills#Page Object Models|POM's]], [[Skills#Tidal. Wave|Tidal. Wave]], [[Skills#IntelliJ|IntelliJ]], <br/>[[Skills#Web App Testing|Web App Testing]], [[Skills#Azure DevOps (TFS)|Azure DevOps]]
|}
: Contracting through [https://ttcglobal.com TTC Global]. Test Automation team, Three Waters Project, developing a UI Automation suite in Java using the [https://wave.tidalcode.dev/ Tidal. wave] Selenium automation library


=== [[Westpac NZ - Senior Automation Quality Engineer]] (Apr-2021 - Nov-2023) ===
=== [[Westpac NZ - Senior Automation Quality Engineer]] (Apr-2021 - Nov-2023) ===
Served as a Roving Automation Quality Engineer, bridging testing and automation gaps across multiple teams. Tested and automated mobile apps (Appium & XCUITest), a D365 web UI (Java, Selenium, POM's), and various APIs (Java, REST Assured). Also undertook a secondment as a platform engineer supporting Splunk, and later developed a ReactJS web app for viewing the test environment landscape.
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: -10px"
| [[Skills#Banking and Finance Sector|Banking]], [[Skills#API Testing|API's]], [[Skills#Native Mobile App Testing|Mobile]], [[Skills#Web App Testing|Web]], [[Skills#Observability Concepts|Observability]], [[Skills#Accessibility Testing|Accessibility]], [[Skills#Microservices Architecture|Microservices]], [[Skills#Java|Java]], <br />[[Skills#Cucumber (BDD)|Cucumber]], [[Skills#TestNG|TestNG]], [[Skills#REST-assured|REST-assured]], [[Skills#Selenium|Selenium]], [[Skills#Page Object Models|POM's]], [[Skills#JavaScript|JavaScript]], [[Skills#React|React]], <br />[[Skills#Jest|Jest]], [[Skills#Linux|Linux]], [[Skills#Docker|Docker]], [[Skills#Kafka & Azure Event Queues|Event Queues]], [[Skills#Appium & XCUITest|Appium, XCUITest]], [[Skills#Fiddler, Charles Proxy, Wireshark|Charles Proxy]], <br />[[Skills#Jira, Confluence|Jira, Confluence, Zephyr]], [[Skills#Splunk|Splunk]], [[Skills#Platform Engineering|Platform Engineering]], [[Skills#Jenkins, Azure Devops (TFS), Google Cloud Platform|Jenkins, Azure Devops]]
|}
 
: Served as a roving Automation Quality Engineer, addressing testing and automation needs across multiple teams. Conducted testing and automation for mobile apps (Appium & XCUITest), a D365 web UI (Java, Selenium, POM's), and various APIs (Java, REST Assured). Also contributed as a platform engineer supporting Splunk, and developed a React web app for visualising test environments (Node.js, React, mermaid.js).


=== [[FirstAML - Test Analyst]] (Oct-2020 - Mar-2021) ===
=== [[FirstAML - Test Analyst]] (Oct-2020 - Mar-2021) ===
Served as a quality coach for a startup company developing a ReactJS Web App for the AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering/Countering Financing of Terrorism) industry.
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: -10px"
| [[Skills#Postman, Newman|Postman]], [[Skills#AML/CFT Sector|AML/CFT]], [[Skills#Accessibility Testing|Accessibility]], [[Skills#Data Privacy|Data Privacy]], [[Skills#GraphQL|GraphQL]], AWS
|}
: Served as a quality coach for a startup company developing a ReactJS Web App for the AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering/Countering Financing of Terrorism) sector.


=== [[Weather Radar NZ limited - Weather Radar Systems Engineer]] (Jun-2020 - Oct-2020) ===
=== [[Weather Radar NZ limited - Weather Radar Systems Engineer]] (Jun-2020 - Oct-2020) ===
Contracting 4 days/week. Helping modify legacy weather radars with some embedded Arduino micro controllers. Designing new electronics, PCB's, maintaining power waveguide systems, and performing signal analysis.
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: -10px"
| [[Skills#Physics - Weather Radar Systems, Lasers, Fibre-optics|Weather Radar Systems]], [[Skills#Electrical & Electronic Engineering|Electronics]], <br />[[Skills#Firmware & Embedded System Testing|Embedded Testing]], [[Skills#C++, Arduino, ESP32|Arduino]]
|}
: Contracting 4 days/week. Retrofitting legacy weather radars with embedded Arduino micro controllers. Designing new electronics, PCB's, maintaining power waveguide systems, and performing signal analysis.


=== [[Grappler- Agile Quality Analyst]] (Jun-2020 - Oct-2020) ===
=== [[Grappler- Agile Quality Analyst]] (Jun-2020 - Oct-2020) ===
Contracting 1 day/week. Developed a Postman collection to test the API and implemented a node in Google Cloud Platform to execute the collection using Newman, and a simple Web UI (Node.js, Express.js) to trigger test runs and display HTML test reports. The Web UI implemented access restrictions for whitelisted IPs and authenticated users.
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: -10px"
| [[Skills#Postman, Newman|Postman, Newman]], [[Skills#Jenkins, Azure Devops (TFS), Google Cloud Platform|Google Cloud Platform]], <br />[[Skills#JavaScript|JavaScript]], [[Skills#Node.js|Node.js]], [[Skills#Express.js|Express.js]]
|}
: Contracting 1 day/week. Developed a small solution to run a Postman collection in Google Cloud Platform and a simple Web UI (Node.js, Express.js) to trigger test runs and display HTML test reports.


=== [[Fiserv Auckland - Intermediate Software Test Engineer]] (Jan-2017 - Apr-2020) ===
=== [[Fiserv Auckland - Intermediate Software Test Engineer]] (Jan-2017 - Apr-2020) ===
Native Mobile App functional and accessibility testing. API testing and automation. Using Postman/Newman, Specflow with C#, Javascript(Postman/Node.js/Express.js), Splunk for dashboards, TFS & Powershell for System deployment automation. Created a [[Postman Testrunner Framework]] for automated API integration checks and environment health monitoring.
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: -10px"
| [[Skills#Banking and Finance Sector|Banking]], [[Skills#Programming & Automation|Automation]], [[Skills#API Testing|API Testing]], [[Skills#Native Mobile App Testing|Mobile Testing]], [[Skills#Accessibility Testing|Accessibility]], [[Skills#Observability Concepts|Observability]], <br />[[Skills#Postman, Newman|Postman]], [[Skills#Splunk|Splunk]], [[Skills#JavaScript|JavaScript]], [[Skills#Node.js|Node.js]], [[Skills#Express.js|Express.js]], [[Skills#C#, Specflow (BDD)|C#, Specflow (BDD)]], <br />[[Skills#SQL & SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)|SQL & SSMS]], [[Skills#Fiddler, Charles Proxy, Wireshark|Fiddler]], [[Skills#Jira, Confluence|Jira, Confluence]], [[Skills#Jenkins, Azure Devops (TFS), Google Cloud Platform|Microsoft Test Manager]], [[Skills#Jenkins, Azure Devops (TFS), Google Cloud Platform|TFS]], [[Skills#Bash & PowerShell scripting|PowerShell]]
|}
 
: Native Mobile App functional and accessibility testing. API testing and automation, using Postman/Newman, Specflow with C#, JavaScript (Postman, Node.js, Express.js), Splunk for dashboards, TFS & Powershell for System deployment automation. Created the Postman Testrunner Framework (PTF) for automated API integration checks and environment health monitoring.


=== [[Engel Consulting - Contracting]] (Sep 2016 - Dec 2016) ===
=== [[Trade Me - Senior Software Test Analyst]] (Dec-2014 - Aug-2016) ===
=== [[Trade Me - Senior Software Test Analyst]] (Dec-2014 - Aug-2016) ===
Part of a small squad at Trade Me, I conducted context-driven exploratory testing for software changes to the iconic website. My responsibilities included testing DBs, UIs, APIs, and mobile apps, leading deployments, conducting test planning and peer reviews, utilizing BDD and visual test tools. I gained experience with implementing agile methods, Splunk, ReadyAPI, XMind, Jira, and Confluence. I also enjoyed onboarding new staff and contributing to the test and agile guilds.
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: -10px"
| [[Skills#Context Driven Testing|Context Driven Testing]], [[Skills#Exploratory Testing (Session & Thread Based)|Exploratory Testing]], [[Skills#Agile Squad Master|Agile]], [[Skills#Testability Concepts|Testability]], [[Skills#Accessibility Testing|Accessibility]], <br />[[Skills#Observability Concepts|Observability]], [[Skills#Jira, Confluence|Jira, Confluence]], DB, [[Skills#Web App Testing|Web App]], [[Skills#Native Mobile App Testing|Mobile]], [[Skills#API Testing|API Testing]], [[Skills#Bash & PowerShell scripting|PowerShell]], <br />[[Skills#Splunk|Splunk]], [[Skills#SoapUI, ReadyAPI|ReadyAPI]], [[Skills#Metrics Driven Development (A/B Testing)|A/B Testing]], [[Skills#XMind|XMind]], [[Skills#Staff Mentoring & Induction|Onboarding]], [[Skills#SQL & SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)|SQL & SSMS]]
|}
: Context-driven exploratory testing for software changes to the iconic [https://www.trademe.co.nz/ Trade Me] website, focussing on the [https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors Motors] page & features. My responsibilities included testing DBs, UIs, APIs, and mobile apps, leading deployments, conducting test planning and peer reviews, utilising BDD and visual test tools. I gained experience with implementing agile methods, Splunk, ReadyAPI, XMind, Jira, and Confluence. I also enjoyed onboarding new staff and contributing to the test and agile guilds.


=== [[LeasePlan NZ - Software Tester]] (Apr 2013 - Dec 2014) ===
=== [[Pre-2014 Roles]] ===
=== [[Pre-2013 Roles]] ===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: -10px"
| [[Skills#Risk Based Testing|Risk Based Testing]], VB, [[Skills#Firmware & Embedded System Testing|Embedded Dev & Test]], [[Skills#Manufacturing Resource Planning|MRP II]], [[Skills#Electrical & Electronic Engineering|Electronics]], Logistics, Networking, [[Skills#Teaching & Tutoring|Training & Tutoring]], <br />[[Skills#C++, Arduino, ESP32|C++]], Customer & Tech Support, Production Planning, Documentation, Specifications, Sales Forecasting
|}
: [[Pre-2014 Roles#LeasePlan NZ - Software Tester (Apr-2013 - Dec-2014)|Software Tester]], [[Pre-2014 Roles#Monitor Business Machines NZ Ltd - Logistics Manager (Aug-2005 - Aug-2009)|Logistics Manager]], [[Pre-2014 Roles#Primary Caregiver (Sep-2003 - Jul-2005)|Caregiver]], [[Pre-2014 Roles#Bioengineering Institute - Software Engineer (Sep 2002 - Aug 2003)|Software Engineer]], [[Pre-2014 Roles#Monitor Business Machines NZ Ltd - Development & Support Engineer (Aug 1997 - Nov 2001)|Development & Support Engineer]], [[Pre-2014 Roles#Carter Holt Harvey(Tissue Group) - Production Scheduler (1994 - 1996)|Production Scheduler]], [[Pre-2014 Roles#University of Auckland - Lab Coordinator & Physics Tutor (Sep-2003 - Jul-2005 part time)|Physics Tutor]]


== Related wiki pages ==
== Related wiki pages ==
=== [[References_-_Full_List|References]] ===
=== [[References_-_Full_List|References]] ===
:[[References_-_Full_List#Dept. of Internal Affairs (TTC)| TTC]], [[References_-_Full_List#Westpac| Westpac ]], [[References_-_Full_List#Fiserv| Fiserv ]], [[References_-_Full_List#| Trade Me Motors]]
=== GitHub Profile ===
: [[My GitHub Projects]]
=== [[Volunteering]] ===
=== [[Volunteering]] ===
: [https://www.neighbourly.co.nz/organisation/laingholm-district-citizens-association Laingholm & Districts Citizens Association], [[Ministry of Testing - Auckland Branch|Ministry of Testing]], Eastern Suburbs AFC, Glendowie Boating Club, MOTAT, Eastern Suburbs Montessori Primary School
=== [[Professional Development]] ===
=== [[Professional Development]] ===
: Conferences, workshops, meetups etc.


=== [[Education]] ===
=== [[Education]] ===
: University of Auckland: ME(Elec) 1993
=== [[Presentations, Posts, and blogs]] ===
=== [[Presentations, Posts, and blogs]] ===
----
----


==What I'm reading, watching, listening, learning, and trying out in 2024==
==What I'm reading, watching, listening, learning, and trying out in 2024==
===Interesting Reads===
* '''[https://www.satisfice.com/download/a-context-driven-approach-to-automation-in-testing A Context Driven Approach to Automation in Testing]''' By James Bach and Michael Bolton
:Quote: ''"dynamically evaluating context and selecting, designing, or adjusting our actions to solve the problems that we encounter."''
* '''[https://www.satisfice.com/blog/archives/4947 Round Earth Test Strategy]''' by James Bach
:Interesting alternative to the ''"Test Automation Pyramid"''.
:Quote: ''There are testing problems to consider at every level, "Quality above requires quality below".''


===My '''[[Observability Project]]'''===
===Learning===
* [https://www.udemy.com/course/playwright-from-zero-to-hero Udemy Playwright: Web Automation Testing From Zero to Hero]
: I'm going to try use this to test some of my CV Wiki site.
: See [[Udemy Playwright: Web Automation Testing From Zero to Hero|my notes]] as well as GitHub [https://github.com/VincentDirks/Playwright-Udemy-Course repo #1], and [https://github.com/VincentDirks/Playwright-Udemy-Course-2 repo #2]
 
===My Personal [[Observability Project]]===
* [https://expressjs.com/en/starter/hello-world.html Express.js basic hello world] and my [https://github.com/VincentDirks/node.js-in-the-cloud node.js-in-the-cloud] repo
* [https://expressjs.com/en/starter/hello-world.html Express.js basic hello world] and my [https://github.com/VincentDirks/node.js-in-the-cloud node.js-in-the-cloud] repo
* [https://www.atlassian.com/microservices/microservices-architecture/kubernetes-vs-docker Kubernetes vs. Docker] by Josh Campbell at Atlassian <br>
* [https://www.atlassian.com/microservices/microservices-architecture/kubernetes-vs-docker Kubernetes vs. Docker] by Josh Campbell at Atlassian <br>
Line 128: Line 206:
* Setting up Docker Desktop at home to run the [https://github.com/Splunk/docker-Splunk Docker Splunk Image]
* Setting up Docker Desktop at home to run the [https://github.com/Splunk/docker-Splunk Docker Splunk Image]


<br>
=== Test Community Events ===
'''[[Archive What I'm Reading, Watching, Listing, Learning, and Trying Out|Archive of pre-2024 entries]]'''
* Attended [https://nztestingconf.nz/ NZTestingConf 2024] in Wellington. Presentations:
** Shay Naiki, QA Manager @ Alphero: Creating a collaborative culture in the testing world: lessons from life in a digital agency
** Nevetha Mani, Product Human @ Hectre: Off the beaten path: rethinking quality in the startup world
** Emma Procter & Jonathan Shirley, @ PikPok: Finding the fun: researching and playtesting games at PikPok
** Patricio Miner, Content Creator @ Free Range Testers: ETL: the testing niche you've never thought of
** Toby Martin, QA Practice Lead @ Pushpay: Stop automating, start investigating: a guide to slowing down to speed up
** Ryan Bevens, QA Community Manager @ Potentia: Diary of a reluctant recruiter: your value as a tester
 
===Interesting Reads===
* '''[https://www.satisfice.com/download/a-context-driven-approach-to-automation-in-testing A Context Driven Approach to Automation in Testing]''' By James Bach and Michael Bolton
:Quote: ''"dynamically evaluating context and selecting, designing, or adjusting our actions to solve the problems that we encounter."''
* '''[https://www.satisfice.com/blog/archives/4947 Round Earth Test Strategy]''' by James Bach
:Interesting alternative to the ''"Test Automation Pyramid"''.
:Quote: ''There are testing problems to consider at every level, "Quality above requires quality below".''


== <end> ==
===[[Archive What I'm Reading, Watching, Listing, Learning, and Trying Out|Archive]]===
Send [http://dirksonline.net/cvwiki/index.php?title=Talk:Curriculum_Vitae_-_Vincent_Dirks <u>feedback</u>]
:Old pre-2024 entries

Latest revision as of 21:51, 27 August 2024

Back to the Top

Name Vincent Dirks
e-mail vincent@dirksonline.net
Mob 021-0269-6216
LinkedIn nz.linkedin.com
Location Parau, West Auckland
Download Curriculum Vitae (2 pages)
Curriculum Vitae (Long Form)

Vincent Dirks - Software Quality Engineer

As a versatile Software Quality Engineer, I aim to understand the nuances of the product, team dynamics, technological landscapes, and organisational structures so that I can adapt and contribute effectively. I specialise in adapting to diverse contexts, and look beyond traditional testing methodologies to consider the design of the whole quality ecosystem necessary for delivering quality software solutions efficiently.

Skills

Testing Skills

  • Context Driven Testing
  • API Testing
  • Testing Native Mobile Apps
  • Testing Web Apps
  • Testing Firmware/Embedded systems
  • Data Privacy
  • Testability & Observability Concepts
  • Exploratory Testing (Session & Thread Based)
  • Visual Modelling
  • Metrics Driven Development (A/B Testing)
  • Accessibility Testing

Programming and Automation Skills

JavaScript Java Other
  • Node.js, npm
  • Express.js
  • React
  • Jest
  • Cypress.io
  • Webdriver.io
  • C#, Specflow (BDD)
  • SQL & SSMS
  • Appium
  • XCUITest
  • GraphQL
  • C++: Arduino, ESP32

Tools & Technologies Experience

  • Splunk
  • Postman, Newman
  • VS Code, IntelliJ, Visual Studio
  • Github, Bitbucket
  • Docker, Linux

Domain Experience

  • Banking and Finance Sector
  • AML/CFT Sector
  • Online Auction Platforms
  • Vehicle Leasing systems
  • Platform Engineering
  • Staff Mentoring & Induction
  • Agile (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, Squad Master)
  • Microservices Architecture
  • Manufacturing Resource Planning - Logistics Manager
  • Physics - Weather Radar Systems, Lasers, Fibre-optics
  • Electrical & Electronic Engineering

Work Experience

skills

Upskilling & Community Roles 2024 (May-2024 - Current)

Playwright, Splunk, Docker, Node.js, Cloudlets, Wikimedia,
Meetup Organising, IoT & ESP32 embedded programing
Whilst looking for work and updating my online CV Wiki, I’m also leading the efforts to bring back a regular schedule of events for the Ministry of Testing in Auckland. I’m pursuing personal projects with Playwright, Splunk, Docker, Node.js to setup an online publicly accessible testing hub, initially for testing my CV Wiki through Cloudlets. I’m also dabbling in some IoT with some embedded programming of an ESP32 to send data to Splunk, such as measuring temperature and humidity around my home.

Water Services Reform, DIA - Senior Test Automation Engineer (Nov-2023 - Jan-2024)

Java, Maven, Selenium, POM's, Tidal. Wave, IntelliJ,
Web App Testing, Azure DevOps
Contracting through TTC Global. Test Automation team, Three Waters Project, developing a UI Automation suite in Java using the Tidal. wave Selenium automation library

Westpac NZ - Senior Automation Quality Engineer (Apr-2021 - Nov-2023)

Banking, API's, Mobile, Web, Observability, Accessibility, Microservices, Java,
Cucumber, TestNG, REST-assured, Selenium, POM's, JavaScript, React,
Jest, Linux, Docker, Event Queues, Appium, XCUITest, Charles Proxy,
Jira, Confluence, Zephyr, Splunk, Platform Engineering, Jenkins, Azure Devops
Served as a roving Automation Quality Engineer, addressing testing and automation needs across multiple teams. Conducted testing and automation for mobile apps (Appium & XCUITest), a D365 web UI (Java, Selenium, POM's), and various APIs (Java, REST Assured). Also contributed as a platform engineer supporting Splunk, and developed a React web app for visualising test environments (Node.js, React, mermaid.js).

FirstAML - Test Analyst (Oct-2020 - Mar-2021)

Postman, AML/CFT, Accessibility, Data Privacy, GraphQL, AWS
Served as a quality coach for a startup company developing a ReactJS Web App for the AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering/Countering Financing of Terrorism) sector.

Weather Radar NZ limited - Weather Radar Systems Engineer (Jun-2020 - Oct-2020)

Weather Radar Systems, Electronics,
Embedded Testing, Arduino
Contracting 4 days/week. Retrofitting legacy weather radars with embedded Arduino micro controllers. Designing new electronics, PCB's, maintaining power waveguide systems, and performing signal analysis.

Grappler- Agile Quality Analyst (Jun-2020 - Oct-2020)

Postman, Newman, Google Cloud Platform,
JavaScript, Node.js, Express.js
Contracting 1 day/week. Developed a small solution to run a Postman collection in Google Cloud Platform and a simple Web UI (Node.js, Express.js) to trigger test runs and display HTML test reports.

Fiserv Auckland - Intermediate Software Test Engineer (Jan-2017 - Apr-2020)

Banking, Automation, API Testing, Mobile Testing, Accessibility, Observability,
Postman, Splunk, JavaScript, Node.js, Express.js, C#, Specflow (BDD),
SQL & SSMS, Fiddler, Jira, Confluence, Microsoft Test Manager, TFS, PowerShell
Native Mobile App functional and accessibility testing. API testing and automation, using Postman/Newman, Specflow with C#, JavaScript (Postman, Node.js, Express.js), Splunk for dashboards, TFS & Powershell for System deployment automation. Created the Postman Testrunner Framework (PTF) for automated API integration checks and environment health monitoring.

Trade Me - Senior Software Test Analyst (Dec-2014 - Aug-2016)

Context Driven Testing, Exploratory Testing, Agile, Testability, Accessibility,
Observability, Jira, Confluence, DB, Web App, Mobile, API Testing, PowerShell,
Splunk, ReadyAPI, A/B Testing, XMind, Onboarding, SQL & SSMS
Context-driven exploratory testing for software changes to the iconic Trade Me website, focussing on the Motors page & features. My responsibilities included testing DBs, UIs, APIs, and mobile apps, leading deployments, conducting test planning and peer reviews, utilising BDD and visual test tools. I gained experience with implementing agile methods, Splunk, ReadyAPI, XMind, Jira, and Confluence. I also enjoyed onboarding new staff and contributing to the test and agile guilds.

Pre-2014 Roles

Risk Based Testing, VB, Embedded Dev & Test, MRP II, Electronics, Logistics, Networking, Training & Tutoring,
C++, Customer & Tech Support, Production Planning, Documentation, Specifications, Sales Forecasting
Software Tester, Logistics Manager, Caregiver, Software Engineer, Development & Support Engineer, Production Scheduler, Physics Tutor

Related wiki pages

References

TTC, Westpac , Fiserv , Trade Me Motors

GitHub Profile

My GitHub Projects

Volunteering

Laingholm & Districts Citizens Association, Ministry of Testing, Eastern Suburbs AFC, Glendowie Boating Club, MOTAT, Eastern Suburbs Montessori Primary School

Professional Development

Conferences, workshops, meetups etc.

Education

University of Auckland: ME(Elec) 1993

Presentations, Posts, and blogs

What I'm reading, watching, listening, learning, and trying out in 2024

Learning

I'm going to try use this to test some of my CV Wiki site.
See my notes as well as GitHub repo #1, and repo #2

My Personal Observability Project

I want to learn the difference between these technologies to see how it might apply to my Observability Project

Test Community Events

  • Attended NZTestingConf 2024 in Wellington. Presentations:
    • Shay Naiki, QA Manager @ Alphero: Creating a collaborative culture in the testing world: lessons from life in a digital agency
    • Nevetha Mani, Product Human @ Hectre: Off the beaten path: rethinking quality in the startup world
    • Emma Procter & Jonathan Shirley, @ PikPok: Finding the fun: researching and playtesting games at PikPok
    • Patricio Miner, Content Creator @ Free Range Testers: ETL: the testing niche you've never thought of
    • Toby Martin, QA Practice Lead @ Pushpay: Stop automating, start investigating: a guide to slowing down to speed up
    • Ryan Bevens, QA Community Manager @ Potentia: Diary of a reluctant recruiter: your value as a tester

Interesting Reads

Quote: "dynamically evaluating context and selecting, designing, or adjusting our actions to solve the problems that we encounter."
Interesting alternative to the "Test Automation Pyramid".
Quote: There are testing problems to consider at every level, "Quality above requires quality below".

Archive

Old pre-2024 entries
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