Merlin Fernandes
Inside Track
Portland, OR USA
"I’m a firm believer that you have to try, but if you still don’t get any success, then you have to go back to the drawing board to come up with something new. You have to have the willingness to change."
Career Roadmap
Merlin's work combines: Technology, Engineering, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Management Information Systems, General
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Certification
Scrum Master
Certification
International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB)
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Software Quality Assurance Analysts & Testers:
Bachelor's Degree: Computer Science
Bachelor's Degree: Engineering, General
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Born and raised in Dubai—I came to the U.S. when I was 19 and was the first person in my family to go to another country.
2.
Attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham where I received my bachelor's degree in management information systems.
3.
After graduating, I got my first professional job as a technical writer.
4.
I wanted to become a quality assurance engineer, so I took the ISTQB certifications and voluntarily tested software while working as a technical writer.
5.
Got a job as a QA engineer and absolutely loved the satisfaction of delivering quality products to end users.
6.
As the industry shifted towards an agile methodology, I became a certified scrum master in order to help organizations shift towards faster deliveries in shorter time increments.
7.
I was starting to get bored of the work and I decided to take a three month break from my career to enjoy some time with my kids.
8.
I am now a QA engineer and release manager for Inside Track, an organization that supports students throughout college in order to ensure their success.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
How can you be the leader? You won't be taken seriously.
How I responded:
There have been times in my career where I was in a leadership position, but I was young and I was not taken seriously. It is an added challenge since this industry is male-dominated. It really made me doubt if I wanted to do this work in this industry. I just had to find the right company to work for and it all worked out.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I struggled early on in my career with feeling undervalued and not taken seriously. When I had my kid, I took a break from my career to figure things out.
I was born and raised in Dubai. I was the first person in my family to ever leave and go to another country. I came to the US when I was 19 and I didn't know anyone. It was a huge culture shock.