International Women’s Day: Celebrating Women in Technology.
Menna has been with IntelliSense.io for over four years and has been kind enough to share her story that spans over a decade in the software industry. Menna realised early on that her passion was QA and Testing, a vital role in software success. We are so grateful for your leadership in this area Menna, our products and our customers experience are richer for it.
We are sharing stories of our colleagues because we are passionate about International Women’s Day (IWD) and proud of its mission to “celebrate digital advancement and champion the women forging innovation through technology”.
Tell us a little bit about your educational & career background so far
My educational background is in Computer Science, culminating with a 4-year degree from the Ain Shams University in Egypt. Most of my degree work focused on development, but more than halfway through I realized that I have software testing skills!
In my third year, I started to do research and studies on ‘Testing’ and it formed the focus of my final project. I came to know that Testing was the discipline I was most interested in and I realised that I wanted to find a career in this area.
I looked for a job in Testing, but it was very difficult to find one, despite good grades in my courses and in my final project.
I enrolled in many online courses and certifications and did many hours of self-study in the meantime. I also started to do training, giving lectures, as a volunteer, with an organization. Through this work, I enhanced my presentation skills and gained a lot more confidence.
I then got my first job with a company where I learned new tools and new processes. This company started as a small team that grew and as a result, I had a chance to manage the team and support them. After two years with my first company, I moved on to a few other companies, all in Egypt, and learned new businesses, backgrounds, tools and environments.
Why did you choose IntelliSense.io?
When I moved from Egypt to the UK, I again found it was difficult to find a job in Testing. I did more self-study and certification courses and then I found IntelliSense.io.
During my four years at IntelliSense.io, I have been able to build a team and build the structures for the team. Although it’s been a challenge because I don’t have a background in the mining industry, I haven’t let that stop me and I can say it’s been extremely rewarding.
What do you like about your role?
What I especially enjoy about working at IntelliSense.io is the flexibility. It allows me to think about the future and the future of my career, where I want to go, what I want to do.
At IntelliSense.io you are given opportunities and you are able to think about what fits you and fits the team and the company. You can challenge yourself that way and challenge others.
What does the future hold for you?
What I am looking forward to in the future, is having a bigger team that will allow us to do more testing and support other aspects of the business.
As we get bigger and generate even more success stories, I’d like us to have a consultation department so that we can be an expert in this field and support other companies.
What advice would you give others following your path?
What ‘advice’ would I offer for women either working or seeking to work in the tech space? I’d say, don’t give up, don’t get discouraged, keep learning, studying and keep engaging in the work.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/menna-wael-182a9a1b/
#BreakTheBias #IWD2022
