It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that I got the call offering me a position as a Software Test Engineer at Cisco Systems. Time certainly has gone fast, since I have just recently hit my 90-day mark. Nevertheless, I wanted to share with those of you who are interested what exactly I have been up to since I moved down to Austin, TX. Having a stronger understanding of what my role is now I can properly describe my new Career.
Team - Meeting and interacting with my team was much more relaxed then I thought it would be, I quickly learned that Cisco is a place where you can be yourself as long as you can get the job done. My manager and team mates were very welcoming and gave me ample time to adjust to this big change in my life. Everyone has their own personal talents to contribute to the team in addition to their own features that they work on and test.
Collab Tools - Using the collaboration tools that Cisco offers their employees is imperative to communication and efficiency within the various teams. I remember on my first week after getting my computer and email setup I had over 100 emails, now that seems like a small number to sift through.
Orientation - Since I work at a smaller branch of Cisco I didn’t get to experience the grand orientation that those who were hired in San Jose get to experience, mine was done online with the Webex application.
Learning Path - After completing the NewHire task list I was given a more personalized learning path that geared to the job needs of the Test Team. This included things like refreshing my understanding of Networks, the introduction to Industrial Engineering (IE) protocols, as well as common Test Engineer practices.
Networking - Having already taken many different courses in IT Networking I thought simply a refresher would suffice. Unfortunately most of the knowledge that I had previously gained had been insufficient, luckily there are plenty of seasoned engineers that were happy to push me in the right direction and give me tips on how to succeed.
Testing - When I first started reading the different texts about how the Software Test Engineer should approach and follow through with the process of making sure software is working properly I was a bit intimidated. I have been putting some of those teachings into practice lately and it is not so different than being a customer of the product.
Industrial Engineering - The Cisco Industrial Internet of Things Division has a very specific type of customer base and that is the Manufacturing Environment. Learning about the Industrial Networking architecture has really opened my mind yet again on how networks can operate and help improve overall production in many different environments.
Automation - The future is Automation, there is no way to avoid the advancement of these types of technologies so the only thing you can do is continue to learn and grow to meet the needs of these new systems. Cisco uses a specific type of automation using the Python programming language, I never was very good at coding but now more than ever I have a reason to succeed at doing so.
Month 3
Common Industrial Protocol - The third month I was finally given a goal to focus my efforts towards and that is to learn and be able to test features of CIP. I have learned a lot about the workings of CIP and how many different objects (protocols) operate within the Industrial Plant architecture.
Cisco Test Lab - I spend most of my days in the test lab practicing all the things I can on the physical equipment provided to me by my manager and team members. My goal is to learn something new every day whether it be something to do with networking or python, as long as I keep working hard I know the results will be worth the struggle.
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