My Smart Life: Bebhinn Arthurs, Workday Test Consultant
Hi, I'm Bebhinn (in Irish a 'BH' makes a V sound think Kevin with a B!). I joined Kainos in 2019 as a Graduate Test Consultant in the Workday Practice. I am a music lover, a mediocre water sports enthusiast and a self-proclaimed social butterfly - this last attribute I believe has made me a great fit in the Kainos culture.
I graduated from Queens University Belfast in the summer of 2019 with a BSc in Business Management and, I will admit, no former knowledge of Workday. When I joined the company in October 2019, I had two weeks of internal training, before two weeks of Workday training in Amsterdam with a group of other graduates. Then I returned to Belfast to meet my team. I immediately felt at ease with the level of support I received. I was encouraged to ask questions and reach out to people, regardless of their seniority. The comradery and encouragement from my team continue to be one of the things I love most about my job.
Within the Workday Practice, I work in the Smart team. In a nutshell, Smart is a tool used to automate the testing of a Workday system. My role as part of the Onboarding team is to be the first touchpoint for clients as they begin to utilise Smart. After discussing with the client and analysing their Workday System, I design and build bespoke automated test scenarios that thoroughly test their configuration.
A Day in the life
Every day starts with a catch-up team meeting. This is an opportunity to discuss any issues or wins we are having during the week. It also provides a chance to learn what is going on in each other's lives now we're all working from home. Next, I sort through my emails. My current client is Warner Brothers (West Coast and eight hours behind Belfast) meaning a lot of my correspondence comes through when I am offline. Following this, I pick up my build work and continue to develop my test packs. This involves writing scripts and troubleshooting any issues, ensuring my tests are as robust as possible.
Then its lunchtime and a quick zoom Yoga session planned by our Social Committee. Throughout the pandemic, the committee has been working hard to make everyone feel connected by organising virtual events and activities.
My afternoons generally consist of client calls, be it status reports on how the project is progressing or scoping calls where I present Smart's capabilities to the client and we discuss the best course of action to meet their needs. Throughout the day I chat with my colleagues regularly, troubleshooting build issues as a team and working logically through any problems.
Every day I encounter some form of challenge within my job. To some, this may be a negative, but it is genuinely a highlight of my work. Logically solving different problems, utilising my knowledge and being creative in finding unique solutions to ensure the best possible service for my clients is what motivates me.
What I've learnt and my advice for future Grads
Writing this blog and reminiscing on my days as a Graduate has got me thinking about what advice I would offer my past self. I remember doing my Workday training and thinking 'I'll never know all this!' and then shadowing on my first project and doubting my abilities, to then having the responsibility of managing a client engagement end to end.
My advice is to believe in yourself and enjoy the learning experience - look at how far you have come at each small milestone. Utilise each opportunity to develop your skillset and maximise your career!
Learn more about careers at Kainos here.