Mihaela Sfat - Testing Land

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Mihaela Sfat

Finding your way in the fast-paced tech world can be overwhelming and challenging. Through my blog, I share the hard-won lessons I have learned in various companies and roles over the last 16+ years.

Best Ways to Use AI for Interview Preparation

Personal Development Featured

Best Ways to Use AI for Interview Preparation

The past couple of years have significantly transformed the IT industry and the ease of finding a job within it. In the past, if you wanted to switch jobs, it typically took weeks or a couple of months to find a suitable position, provided you had a good set of

Social Interactions for Introverts

Personal Development Featured

Social Interactions for Introverts

Am I an introvert? Am I also an extrovert? If you ask me, I would say I lean more towards being an introvert. However, if you were to ask many people who know me in person, they might describe me as more of an extrovert. This perception arises because I

My 2024 in Pictures

Lifestyle Featured

My 2024 in Pictures

As I prepare to create this new post and change the title from 2023 to 2024, I can't help but reflect on how quickly this year has flown by. It feels like we were celebrating New Year's Eve just yesterday, and now we're ready to welcome a new year once

3 Good Things and 3 Bad Things About Working in Outsourcing Companies

3 Good Things and 3 Bad Things About Working in Outsourcing Companies

I have spent nearly my entire career of 15+ years working for companies that provide professional services or outsourcing. Early on, I looked for roles in these types of organizations because the variety of projects would contribute to my professional growth. If you are not yet familiar with the term

When Your Manager Asks the Right Question: A Journey to Self-Awareness

Personal Development Featured

When Your Manager Asks the Right Question: A Journey to Self-Awareness

Today, my daughter turns 5, so I think it is a good moment for me to take a new leap on my blog and start tackling an important topic: mental health. Over the past few years, I have interacted and spoken with thousands of people who were at a stage

What's Your Blind Spot as A Leader?

Leadership Featured

What's Your Blind Spot as A Leader?

Today, I want to talk about something that we all face but don't always recognise: leadership blind spots. You know, those sneaky little things that can trip us up and hold us back, even when we're giving it our all. As someone who's been leading cross-functional teams in the IT

Unleashing Quality Excellence: A QA Manager's 100-Day Plan 🚀🎯

Leadership Featured

Unleashing Quality Excellence: A QA Manager's 100-Day Plan 🚀🎯

Unlocking Your Team's Potential: A Proven Model for Performance Evaluation

Leadership Featured

Unlocking Your Team's Potential: A Proven Model for Performance Evaluation

Hey there, fellow tech leaders! Today, I want to share with you my go-to model for evaluating the performance of my software development team. It's a game-changer that has helped me identify areas for improvement, set clear goals, and celebrate the successes of my fabulous team members. The skills matrix

Shielding Your Team from Organizational Chaos

Leadership Featured

Shielding Your Team from Organizational Chaos

Have you ever worked on a software project that felt constantly pulled in different directions? Where priorities changed on a whim, deadlines seemed impossible, and no one seemed to be on the same page? That's what I call "organizational chaos." It's a common problem in software development, but you must

Whenever you feel stuck, ask yourself these 17 questions

Personal Development Featured

Whenever you feel stuck, ask yourself these 17 questions

Coaching has become a widely used term in recent times. However, when effective coaching is utilized, it can significantly expand your perspectives. If you can't afford a coach to help you generate ideas and solutions to a problem or challenge, you can learn to ask yourself the right questions. This

Are you a junior manager? Here's my cheat sheet to help you navigate the role's challenges

Leadership Featured

Are you a junior manager? Here's my cheat sheet to help you navigate the role's challenges

Moving from being an individual contributor to a management role can feel like a giant leap. It's like realizing you need a whole new set of skills, and balancing your technical and managerial duties adds even more complexity. When I stepped from a software tester to a management position, I

The Monthly Dose of Testing Land - June 2024

Monthly Dose of Testing Land

The Monthly Dose of Testing Land - June 2024

💡Subscribe to my Monthly Dose of Testing Land ⬇️️‌ ‌Here is your Monthly Dose of Testing Land, a list of what I'm exploring, mulling, and experiencing each month. Twitter content I loved reading Life is too short not to feel joy. Find joy every day. This post is an excellent reminder

Types of Conflicts Between QAs and Other Departments and How To Overcome Them

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Types of Conflicts Between QAs and Other Departments and How To Overcome Them

Conflicts between QA individuals and other departments like development, business analysis, and product management can arise for various reasons, including lack of transparency, communication breakdowns, conflicting priorities, and personality clashes. However, if addressed appropriately, conflict can be beneficial, allowing individuals to grow and learn from it. I've worked in various

The Monthly Dose of Testing Land - April 2024

The Monthly Dose of Testing Land - April 2024

💡Subscribe to my Monthly Dose of Testing Land ⬇️️‌ ‌Here is your Monthly Dose of Testing Land, a list of what I'm exploring, mulling, and experiencing each month. System Design news I digest How Uber Computes ETA at Half a Million Requests per Second. If you're a tech enthusiast and love

Types of Conflicts Between QA Team Members and How To Overcome Them

Software Testing Featured

Types of Conflicts Between QA Team Members and How To Overcome Them

Conflicts within QA teams can arise for various reasons, including differences in perspectives, communication breakdowns, conflicting priorities, and personality clashes. However, conflict can be beneficial if addressed appropriately, allowing individuals to grow and learn from it. I've worked in various roles, such as QA Engineer, QA Lead, and Test Manager,

The Monthly Dose of Testing Land - March 2024

Monthly Dose of Testing Land Featured

The Monthly Dose of Testing Land - March 2024

💡Subscribe to my Monthly Dose of Testing Land ⬇️️‌ ‌Here is your Monthly Dose of Testing Land, a list of what I’m exploring, mulling, and experiencing each month. Book I'm reading The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win. is an insightful book that provides

6 Parenting Mistakes You Should Not Replicate As a Manager🎯

Leadership Featured

6 Parenting Mistakes You Should Not Replicate As a Manager🎯

"As a mother, I am a self-professed ninja when it comes to safeguarding my little one. I have a hawk's eye on her whereabouts and who she spends time with. I am like a CIA agent when it comes to her food intake, because let's be real, there are just

Tenerife With a Toddler

Lifestyle Featured

Tenerife With a Toddler

After ten days of indulging in sangria, I am now back home and pouring myself a cup of warm mint tea as the weather is cold and rainy. And as my memories from our vacation in Tenerife are still fresh in my mind, I begin writing this post. I believe

The Ingredients Of Rediscovering Joy

Personal Development Featured

The Ingredients Of Rediscovering Joy

If you're looking to spice up your mood and find joy or rediscover joy, I think you got to the right place. Of course, there are times in our lives when every day feels like a struggle and we can't seem to escape the blues. But you know what? After

What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming Manager to My Peers

Personal Development Featured

What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming Manager to My Peers

Becoming a manager is not an overnight process. Although your role and job description may change suddenly, I view it as a transformational journey. It's similar to becoming a parent. You become a parent the day your baby is born, but it takes many years of experience to master parenting.

The Monthly Dose of Testing Land - January 2024

Monthly Dose of Testing Land Featured

The Monthly Dose of Testing Land - January 2024

💡Subscribe to my Monthly Dose of Testing Land ⬇️️‌ Here is your Monthly Dose of Testing Land, a list of what I’m exploring, mulling, and experiencing each month. Book I read and stood with me In the past few months, I decided to take a break from reading self-improvement books

How Synthetic Tests and End-to-End Tests Fit Together

Software Testing Featured

How Synthetic Tests and End-to-End Tests Fit Together

I was introducing you in this post to the concept of synthetic testing and why are synthetic tests so useful. As a software tester, you may have encountered the term "end-to-end testing" or heard someone mention the need for such tests. If you're not familiar with end-to-end testing, let me

Best Memoirs I Have Read

Personal Development

Best Memoirs I Have Read

If you love reading memoirs, here are some of my favorites for you to enjoy! When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi 🎖️Rating: 4/5⭐️ Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins 🎖️Rating: 3/5⭐️ Born a Crime by Trevor Noah 🎖️Rating: 4/5⭐️ Educated by Tara Westover 🎖️Rating: 4/5⭐

Synthetic Tests In a Nutshell🐿️ What You Need To Know About Synthetic Testing

Software Testing Featured

Synthetic Tests In a Nutshell🐿️ What You Need To Know About Synthetic Testing

While researching for this post, I came across a humorous definition of synthetic testing. So, let me explain what it means. Synthetic Testing is like having a superhero tester. It's not a real person but a super-efficient, always-ready helper that checks if everything works perfectly before you and other real

The Monthly Dose of Testing Land - November 2023

Monthly Dose of Testing Land

The Monthly Dose of Testing Land - November 2023

💡Subscribe to my Monthly Dose of Testing Land ⬇️️‌ Here is your Monthly Dose of Testing Land, a list of what I’m exploring, mulling, and experiencing each month. What I read I read many fiction books in November, including thrillers, mysteries, and crime novels. I absolutely love this genre of