Response to an interview

1. What made you choose a career in Test?

I like the responsibility and pressure of being test. Test is like the defender and goal-keeper in the soccer game. When striker or mid-fielder make mistake, defender and goal-keeper will still have chance to save the team; but if defender or goal-keeper makes mistake, the team will lose points. It will be a huge pressure on test when test signoff is required for RTW/RTM. Although people don’t realize the value of defender and goal-keeper in most time, although striker and mid-fielder are under the spotlight and are the heroes in the most time, defender and goal-keeper still need to keep concentrated and do good job. Plus, every time when people find server bugs after release, everyone’s first question is always “why we didn’t find it” (actually, by "we", they mean “testers”). Testers must stay away from feeling frustrated and unprotected. Test also needs to do above and beyond to win people’s respect. PM could say “it’s done” once the functional specification is signed off; development could say “it’s done” once requirements are all implemented. But test could never say “I have found all the bugs”. Theoretically test would never know whether I had done enough testing. But in real practice, test has to make a call on whether the product is good to go. All those require testers great maturity, self-confidence and professionalism. It’s super challenging and I love something challenging.

2. How has Microsoft supported your career development?

Microsoft has huge amount of internal opportunities and operates all over the world. So I can try out different jobs and gain feeling with different cultures without changing employer. It’s particularly important to people who haven’t found his/her real interest. In my first three years in Microsoft, I have tried quite a few different roles: product support engineer, community specialist, training specialist, developer, testing, technical consultant, etc. After that, I found my real interest: test. Then I spend another three years on growing vertically in the testing discipline. It’s quite a luxury. I don’t think there are many companies in the world can offer such kind of opportunities to its employees and be so patient in waiting its talent to figure out the best fit. Plus, some of the experience and skill set that I have gained in the first three years are helping me now, for example, the presentation skill that I learned when I was training specialist and technical consultant; the customer-focus mindset and the skills of setting right expectation to customer and partners, etc.

看图说话:加州八日自助游

五月二日

中午飞机到三番,等取行李的时候打了个电话给Yosemite定了五月四日的Glacier Point Tour。拿到行李和定好的rental car,直接去斯坦福。在University Ave上Citi Bank后院的The Three Season越南餐厅吃午饭。超赞的小餐馆,纯属偶遇,只不过是随手找个停车的地方,然后从车库上来一抬头就看了。午饭后逛斯坦福,胡弗塔。三点左右离开,沿101一直开到金门大桥北岸的vista point,上桥散布。五点左右离开金门大桥,沿Lombard Street到所谓的“九曲花街”,拍张到此一游照。晚饭在Fishman's Wharf随便吃点。晚上住City Center Hostel,超赞超赞,上世纪三十年代的那种老电梯,外面的门是铁栅栏门,里外的门都是要自己动手开得。

五月三日

早上九点到Berkeley的99 Ranch买食物:鸡蛋,油,罐头汤,桶水,面包,奶酪,等等。然后到REI买气罐。当天正好REI搞annual sale,人超多,车超难停。顺路到Northface的Outlet转了一圈,虽然什么都没买。Northface的outlet东西真便宜,打折的鞋子都只要七八十块,最多不超过一百,而类似款式和质地的鞋子在上海都卖一千五。午饭在麦当劳解决,顺便加半缸油,好不容易找到一家每加仑三块九的。

午饭后上路去Yosemite,580转205一路往东,开掉大半缸油后到达Yosemite。近山后看到一家3.99的加油站,就把油又给加满了。刚刚加满上路,往山里开了不到一里路,又看到一家加油站,价格就变成四块五毛七了。五点钟左右到达Hodgdon Meadow Campground,停车,展开帐篷,趁天没黑四下转了圈,捡了一堆木头。然后点火做饭,还烧了点热水一人泡了一杯茶,基本上烧完一个气罐。天变黑的时候生了一堆火,等火烧完就睡觉了,九点不到。

五月四日

五点钟起床,收睡袋、充气垫、帐篷,吃早饭,烧水泡咖啡。一切搞完将近六点二十,开车上路,往Yosemite Valley进发。Early bird就是好:因为出发足够早,没有在中间修路的地方被堵,很顺利,七点半到达Yosemite Lodge,停车也好找。然后到Yosemite Lodge前台换Glacier Point Tour的车票。我们买的是单程票,20块钱一个人,打算搭巴士到Glacier Point以后顺Four Mile Trail下山(单程4.5英里,预计四个小时hiking)。

八点半巴士准时到达,但从司机那里获悉Four Mile Trail关闭了。心里升起一丝不祥的预感,因为除了Four Mile Trail,只有走Panorama Trail了(单程8.5英里,6-8小时),虽然司机说Panorama Trail是"the most spectacular"的。

十点多到达Glacier Point,四下转转,还在一块石头上发现两只苍蝇在交配。十一点半左右开始沿Panorama Trail下山。从Glacier Point到Illilouette Bridge之前都还算顺利,都是下坡,体力消耗不大,太阳虽然很烤,但带着水所谓问题不大。过了Illilouette Bridge后开始上坡,而且开始下雨,走了一段后很快云开雨停,于是一点钟左右停下吃背包里呆着的午饭。半小时后继续上路,又爬了一段上坡后开始下坡,体力消耗不少。三点多到达Nevada Fall。从Nevada Fall折返的时候开始下雨,雨变得很大。到去John Muir Trail路口后发现,John Muir Trail关掉了,这时候心里开始骂shit,只能又回到去Nevada Fall的路上,从一条稍远的路回Yosemite Valley。再次回到Nevada Fall的时候开始下雪,大颗大颗的雪籽,心里大骂fuck。Nevada Fall后面下山的小路超级难走,陡,而且没有pavement,都是大块的乱石,加上雨雪打湿更滑。挣扎一路从Nevada Fall下到Vernal Fall,一路上浑身都被彻底打湿,又是雨水,又是瀑布的水雾。一直到将近六点的时候才回到Yosemite Valley,看到shuttle bus站,有种回到人间的感觉。回去拿了车,开到Upper Pine Campground,拖着一身的疲惫展开帐篷、做饭、洗刷,睡觉。

五月五日

决定不爬山了。睡到九点多起来,太阳大好,晒帐篷,晒昨天被打湿的衣服,打开车门散去车里的各种味道。十一点多去Curry Village租自行车,把Yosemite Valley里面角角落落都转了个遍。中间发现有间商店,何山下的超市一样供应各种食物,包括新鲜的肉类以及木柴。买了牛肉、鸡翅、茄子、土豆、啤酒等,以及烧烤必须工具(夹子,长钎子,等),还买了两箱木柴。当天晚上终于吃到了一顿美味的烧烤,超赞超赞。吃饱喝足,美美的钻进帐篷睡觉。

五月六日

六点起床,下山。一路都是scenic drive,山清水秀的,有几十迈都是沿着Mercede River开的,超赞超赞。一路往西,烧掉大半缸油,中午前后到达Monterey。在Safeway边上的一家小泰国餐厅吃了午饭,很阳光很邻家的小饭店。吃完饭后在Safeway采购晚饭和第二天午饭烧烤的材料,有了第一次的经验,这次更增加了玉米、羊排等食材。买好东西出发上路,一路走走停停看看,五点多到达Kirk Creek Campground

Kirk Creek Campground不愧为America's Most Scenic Campgrounds的Top 1,完全就在海边,从帐篷里出来往西走十米就摔下悬崖掉海里去了。而且一边烧烤一边还有无敌日落,真是超赞超赞。

五月七日

睡到自然醒。然后坐在悬崖边看在西雅图买的《747》。午饭继续还是烧烤。不怕太heavy,回了上海了就吃不到了。

吃过午饭沿着无敌海景Highway 1往回开,路过Carmel的时候花了两个钟头把这个超级精致的海边小镇逛了一圈。五点过后,到Monterey Hostel登记入住。这个旅社有个神奇的规矩:规定每人洗澡时间不能超过八分钟。登记入住的时候每人发两个代币,洗澡的时候投币出水。不过实践下来发现我四分钟就够洗个澡了,发的两个代币一个都没用,因为我投了一个中国的五角硬币,居然也是work的。以后,中国的大学里面的澡堂应该改成这种投币的,节水节能。

五月八日

吃完自己做的pan cake后离开Monterey回三番。中午在Sunnyvale的微软园区吃了顿午饭。在世界各地,只要在微软的办公室或园区里,都总是如家一般:海德拉巴,香港,纽约,旧金山,成都,...

下午在旧金山的购物区购物,晚饭还是在Fishman's Wharf吃,坐在巴台上一边大啖牡蛎一边看马刺对黄蜂的第三场季后赛。如果还有一大杯啤酒就更好了,可惜司机不能喝酒。

晚上仍然住City Center Hostel

五月九日

起床,吃早饭,结账,取车,搬行李,去机场。下午一点四十的飞机回上海。在加州八天七夜,如果不算camping所用的睡袋帐篷等设备,其他的吃、住、行(包括租车和油钱)、门票等,同行三个人共花掉一千两百多(美元)。

关于选位子

从上海搭乘西北的航班往返西雅图或三番,事先在网上选座位的时候,一定要尽量选择靠前的位子。理由如下:

1. 经济舱的前半截比后半截安静很多。之前我还没有体会,最近一次去西雅图,经提醒亲自体验了一下,果然差别巨大。iPod上面放电影看,在后舱把音量开到最大还是听不清对白,只能靠看字幕;而在前半舱则无须把音量开到最大。

2. 西北在日本到西雅图/三番航线上用的A330只有经济舱的前面一半在座位下面有电源,经济舱后半部分的座位下是没有电源的。尤其是从美国回来的时候,十来个钟头不能睡觉,必须靠笔记本、PSP或iPod Video来打发。笔记本是断然坚持不到五六个小时以上的,iPod看Video的话也就七八个钟头最多了,而且还要留够电力用来打法东京到上海的三个钟头。

3. 坐在前面的先下飞机,坐在后面的后下飞机。后下飞机的,在东京转机过安检的时候,就不得不排在长长的队后面。西北在东京转机的时间本来就不多,平均一个小时多一点点,有时候飞机晚点还要耽搁掉一二十分钟,如果再在安检排个长队,那就剩不了多少时间去麦当劳买个汉堡或者逛免税店了。