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<u>my cv is a wiki</u> ...and I think that's pretty cool. Welcome and explore! Hopefully you'll find what you're looking for. 
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{{ContactDetails}}
  
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''It's early days still, but I believe in "do and improve", so there's plenty more things to do. I'd love to hear what you think. [http://dirksonline.net/cvwiki/index.php?title=Talk:Curriculum_Vitae_-_Vincent_Dirks <u>feedback is welcome</u>]''
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== Intro 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 organizational structures so that I can adapt and contribute effectively. I specialize 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.
  
−
{{ContactDetails}}  
+
== Skills ==
 +
=== Testing ===
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
 +
|
 +
* Context Driven Testing
 +
* API Testing
 +
* Testing Native Mobile Apps
 +
* Testing Web Apps
 +
* Testing Firmware/Embedded systems
 +
* Testability Concepts
 +
|
 +
* Observability Concepts
 +
* Exploratory Testing (Session & Thread Based)
 +
* Visual Modelling
 +
* Metrics Driven Development (A/B Testing)
 +
* Accessibility Testing
 +
|}
  
−
{{PersonalIntroduction}} 
+
=== Programming and Automation ===
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
 +
! style="text-align:left"| Javascript
 +
! style="text-align:left"| Java
 +
! style="text-align:left"| Other
 +
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
  
−
{{SummarySkillsMatrix}}
+
|
−
 
+
* Node.js, npm
−
{{Work Experience}}  
+
* Express.js
 +
* React
 +
* Jest
 +
* Cypress.io
 +
* Webdriver.io
 +
* mermaid.js
 +
|
 +
* Cucumber (BDD)
 +
* Maven
 +
* Tidal. Wave UI automation library
 +
* Selenium
 +
* REST-assured
 +
* JUnit, TestNG
 +
* LeJOS (Lego mindstorm) Robotics
 +
|
 +
* Appium
 +
* XCUITest
 +
* C#: Specflow (BDD)
 +
* SQL & [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL_Server_Management_Studio SSMS]
 +
* GraphQL
 +
* C++: Arduino, ESP32
 +
|}
  
−
{{References}}
+
=== Tools ===
−
+
{| class="wikitable"
−
{{Volunteering}} 
+
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
−
 
+
|
−
{{CoursesConferencesWorkshopsMeetings}}
+
* Splunk (log aggregation & analysis)
 +
* Postman, Newman
 +
* VS Code, IntelliJ, Visual Studio
 +
* Github, Bitbucket
 +
* Docker, Linux
 +
|
 +
* Fiddler, Charles Proxy
 +
* Jenkins, Azure Devops (TFS), Google Cloud Platform
 +
* Bash & Powershell scripting
 +
* Atlassian, Confluence
 +
* SoapUI, ReadyAPI
 +
|}
  
−
{{Education}}  
+
=== General ===
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
 +
|
 +
* Banking and finance sector
 +
* AML/CFT Solutions
 +
* Online Auction Platforms
 +
* Vehicle Leasing systems
 +
* Platform Engineering
 +
* Staff Mentoring & Induction
 +
|
 +
* Agile Squad Master
 +
* Micro-services architecture
 +
* Manufacturing Resource Planning - Logistics Manager
 +
* Physics - Weather Radar Systems, Lasers, Fibre-optics
 +
* Electrical & Electronic Engineering
 +
* Dinghy Sailing
 +
|}
  
−
{{Presentations}}
+
== Work Experience ==
 +
At the moment I am taking a break from work to give myself some time for self-care after some difficult periods over the last couple of years.
  
−
==Blogs I've Written==
+
=== [[Water Services Reform, Dept of Internal Affairs (NZ Govt) - Senior Test Automation Engineer]] (Nov-2023 - Jan-2024) ===
−
:2016
+
: Contracting through [https://ttcglobal.com TTC Global]. 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
−
:*[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/exploratory-testing-automated-auckland-presentation-vincent-dirks Exploratory Automation - Using dynamic data in automation]  
 
−
:*[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-agile-helps-you-spend-less-time-regression-testing-vincent-dirks How agile helps you spend less time regression testing]
 
−
:*[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/processes-my-passion-vincent-dirks Processes are my Passion]
 
−
:*[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/agile-developers-need-speed-when-fast-too-vincent-dirks Agile developers' need for speed - When is fast too fast?]
 
  
−
:2014
+
=== [[Westpac NZ - Senior Automation Quality Engineer]] (Apr-2021 - Nov-2023) ===
−
:*[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140923105352-202766587-oh-what-fun-it-is-to-do-a-little-coding Oh what fun it is to do a little coding...]
+
: 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 visualizing test environments (Node.js, React, mermaid.js).
−
:*[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140914032250-202766587-testers-mind-the-developers-ego Testers: mind the developer's ego!]
 
  
−
==What I'm reading...watching...listening==
+
=== [[FirstAML - Test Analyst]] (Oct-2020 - Mar-2021) ===
−
:''Regular Podcasts & publications''
+
: 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.
−
:*TestTalks by Joe Colantonio (link TBD)
 
−
:*Testing Trapeze (link TBD)
 
  
−
:''in progress or on the to do list''
+
=== [[Weather Radar NZ limited - Weather Radar Systems Engineer]] (Jun-2020 - Oct-2020) ===
−
:*[https://leanpub.com/selenium-webdriver-book Selenium WebDriver, From Foundations To Framework, by Alex Collins and Yujun Liang] (Book Selenium Automation)
+
: 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.
−
:*[http://momtestbook.com/ The Mom Test, by Rob Fitzpatrick, How to talk to customers and learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you.] (Book, Lean Startups)
 
−
:*[https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness-Fragility/dp/081297381X The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. by Nassim Nicholas Taleb] (Book)
 
−
:*[https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Learned-Software-Testing-Context-Driven/dp/0471081124/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1477450378&sr=1-8&keywords=software+testing Lessons Learned in Software Testing: A Context-Driven Approach. by Cem Kaner, James Bach, Bret Pettichord] (Book, Testing)
 
−
:*[https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Machine-Learning-and-Data-Sciences-Conference/Data-Science-Summit-2016/K001/player Opening Keynote Session with Dr. Joseph Sirosh: Azure - the Cloud Supercomputer for AI]
 
−
:*[http://www.software-testing-tutorials-automation.com/2014/02/selenium-webdriver-difference-between.html Selenium WebDriver : Difference Between findElement and findElements with example]
 
−
:*[https://youtu.be/TUX7ntXlVkc Cucumber with Selenium] (Automation, series of videos)
 
  
−
:''Nov 2016''
+
=== [[Grappler- Agile Quality Analyst]] (Jun-2020 - Oct-2020) ===
−
:*[http://socialleancanvas.com/the-canvas/ Social Lean Canvas] a tool to help social entrepreneurs apply the rigours of Lean Startup to ventures that have social or environmental goals
+
: 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.
  
−
:''Oct 2016''
+
=== [[Fiserv Auckland - Intermediate Software Test Engineer]] (Jan-2017 - Apr-2020) ===
−
:*[https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/kenj/2014/05/19/the-future-of-quality-is-easy-with-eaasy-and-mvq/ The future of quality is easy with EaaSy and Minimum Viable Quality blog by R.K.Johnston] (Agile Testing)
+
: 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.
−
:*[https://vimeo.com/44133409 Functional Automated Testing Best Practices with Selenium WebDriver by Ben Burton] (Video, Testing, Automation)
 
−
:*[http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000043.html The Joel Test: 12 Steps to Better Code by Joel Spolsky] (Blog)
 
−
:*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_triviality Parkinson's law of triviality (aka Bike-shedding)] (Wikipedia)
 
−
:*[https://zxsecurity.co.nz/presentations/201607_Unrestcon-ZXSecurity_GPSSpoofing.pdf, You are not where you think you are - GPS Spoofing How to by David Robinson/Karit (@nzkarit) – ZX Security, Unrestcon 2016]
 
−
:*[https://solavirtusinvicta.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/heuristic-testing-dice/ Heuristic Testng Dice] (Testing)
 
−
:*[http://techbeacon.com/uncle-bob-martin-agile-manifesto-15-years-later Uncle Bob Martin: The Agile Manifesto, 15 years later] (Agile)
 
−
:*[https://youtu.be/ZK3jSXYBNak?list=UUcyq283he07B7_KUX07mmtA 4 essential body language tips from a world champion public speaker] (Presenting)
 
−
:*[http://www.testingtrapezemagazine.com/magazine/october-2016/ Testing Trapeze Magazine - October 2016] (Testing)
 
−
:*[https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2016/10/07/platform-as-a-service-team-takes-even-handed-approach-to-meetings/ Hand Signals at meetings to reduce interruptions] (Agile)
 
  
−
==New things I'm learning and trying out==
+
=== [[Engel Consulting - Contracting]] (Sep 2016 - Dec 2016) ===
−
:''Dec 2016''
 
−
:*I am starting on [[Katrina Clokie's Mobile Testing Pathway]]  
 
  
−
:''Nov 2016''
+
=== [[Trade Me - Senior Software Test Analyst]] (Dec-2014 - Aug-2016) ===
−
:*I did a [[W3C tutorial on XPATH]]. I'll give it a go next time I write some web automation scripts.
+
: 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.
−
:*Made a [[Protractor and node.js automation suite for Crimson Login Page]]
 
−
:*Made a [[Selenium automation suite for www.provokesolutions.com]]
 
  
−
:''Oct 2016''
+
=== [[Pre-2014 Roles]] ===
−
:*bootcamp@elementalselenium.com
+
: [[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]]
−
:*''Selenium'' - setting it up on my mac with Maven. Exploring it with ole.saintkentigern.com.
 
−
:*''Bootstrap'' - writing a static page showing 10 iFrames to show on a mobile - no joy so far
 
−
:*''HTML'' - showing 10 iFrames side by side horizontally, one for each subject my son has at school.
 
  
−
:''Sep 2016''  
+
== Related wiki pages ==
−
:*''WikiMedia'' - using the wikipedia engine to set up this cvwiki and other wiki's
+
=== [[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]]
 +
 
 +
=== [[Volunteering]] ===
 +
: Laingholm & Districts Community Association, [[Ministry of Testing - Auckland Branch|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)
 +
 
 +
=== [[Presentations, Posts, and blogs]] ===
 +
 
 +
----
 +
----
 +
 
 +
==What I'm reading, watching, listening, learning, and trying out in 2024==
 +
=== Test Community Events ===
 +
* Registered to go to the [https://nztestingconf.nz/ NZTestingConf 2024] in Wellington to listen to
 +
** 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
 +
:''== Watch this space for conference notes ==''
 +
 
 +
===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]]'''===
 +
* [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>
 +
:I want to learn the difference between these technologies to see how it might apply to my [[Observability Project]]
 +
 
 +
* Setting up Docker Desktop at home to run the [https://github.com/Splunk/docker-Splunk Docker Splunk Image]
 +
 
 +
===[[Archive What I'm Reading, Watching, Listing, Learning, and Trying Out|Archive]]===
 +
:Old pre-2024 entries
 +
 
 +
----
 +
----
 +
 
 +
[[#Intro Vincent Dirks - Software Quality Engineer|Back to Top]], Send [http://dirksonline.net/cvwiki/index.php?title=Talk:Curriculum_Vitae_-_Vincent_Dirks <u>feedback</u>]

Latest revision as of 01:18, 9 May 2024

Name Vincent Dirks
e-mail vincent@dirksonline.net
Mob 021-0269-6216
LinkedIn nz.linkedin.com
Location Beautiful Parau, West Auckland

Contents

Intro 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 organizational structures so that I can adapt and contribute effectively. I specialize 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

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

Programming and Automation

Javascript Java Other
  • Node.js, npm
  • Express.js
  • React
  • Jest
  • Cypress.io
  • Webdriver.io
  • mermaid.js
  • Cucumber (BDD)
  • Maven
  • Tidal. Wave UI automation library
  • Selenium
  • REST-assured
  • JUnit, TestNG
  • LeJOS (Lego mindstorm) Robotics
  • Appium
  • XCUITest
  • C#: Specflow (BDD)
  • SQL & SSMS
  • GraphQL
  • C++: Arduino, ESP32

Tools

  • Splunk (log aggregation & analysis)
  • Postman, Newman
  • VS Code, IntelliJ, Visual Studio
  • Github, Bitbucket
  • Docker, Linux
  • Fiddler, Charles Proxy
  • Jenkins, Azure Devops (TFS), Google Cloud Platform
  • Bash & Powershell scripting
  • Atlassian, Confluence
  • SoapUI, ReadyAPI

General

  • Banking and finance sector
  • AML/CFT Solutions
  • Online Auction Platforms
  • Vehicle Leasing systems
  • Platform Engineering
  • Staff Mentoring & Induction
  • Agile Squad Master
  • Micro-services architecture
  • Manufacturing Resource Planning - Logistics Manager
  • Physics - Weather Radar Systems, Lasers, Fibre-optics
  • Electrical & Electronic Engineering
  • Dinghy Sailing

Work Experience

At the moment I am taking a break from work to give myself some time for self-care after some difficult periods over the last couple of years.

Water Services Reform, Dept of Internal Affairs (NZ Govt) - Senior Test Automation Engineer (Nov-2023 - Jan-2024)

Contracting through TTC Global. Part of the Test Automation team for the 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)

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 visualizing test environments (Node.js, React, mermaid.js).

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.

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.

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

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)

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)

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.

Pre-2014 Roles

Logistics Manager, Caregiver, Software Engineer, Development & Support Engineer, Production Scheduler, Physics Tutor

Related wiki pages

References

TTC, Westpac , Fiserv , Trade Me Motors

Volunteering

Laingholm & Districts Community 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)

Presentations, Posts, and blogs

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

Test Community Events

  • Registered to go to the NZTestingConf 2024 in Wellington to listen to
    • 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
== Watch this space for conference notes ==

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".

My Observability Project

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

Archive

Old pre-2024 entries

Back to Top, Send feedback

Retrieved from ‘https://dirksonline.net/cvwiki/index.php?title=Curriculum_Vitae_-_Vincent_Dirks&oldid=899’
Last modified on 9 May 2024, at 01:18