Women in Testing: Spotlight on the trailblazing Lerato Mogashoa

Founder of Opulent Prospects and a seasoned professional in the software testing sector, Lerato Mogashoa is renowned for her proficiency in testing methodologies and quality assurance. Professionals seeking to advance their careers and stay on top of the game in the field of software testing will find her insights into the issues and trends facing the industry today to be extremely insightful. In the brief time I've known her, I've had the honor of speaking to her and receiving pearls of wisdom and inspiration. In this weeks Women in Testing feature she talks about her experience and the potential effects of AI on software testing.

How would you describe yourself to someone you've never met before?

I’m a QA Manager with more than a decade of experience in the QA testing industry. I studied Bachelor's in Business Administration and have a Management Development Program certification from GIBS Business school. I’ve held positions with RMB, FNB, EOH and BMW , among other companies. Opulent Prospects is my career coaching business, I’m passionate about helping others, especially young people, so they can fulfill their purpose in life, that and the next generation are the foundations of inspiration for Opulent Prospects. I have a strong sense of family devotion, a deep respect for God, and I adore cooking! I see myself as someone who is committed to success and doing my absolute best in whatever I do. This means that I persevere in the face of hardship and limitation and will make the most of what I have.

When was a time in your career where you were really proud yourself ? What made you proud and why?

A time when our QA testing team was suddenly left without a QA Manager and I stepped in to lead the team. I was a QA Lead at BMW Group IT Hub in October 2019, but I had never overseen a project this size involving more than 12 Test Analysts from various cross-functional teams. My commitment to the project increased significantly, and I was thrilled to accept the challenge of working on a project that would introduce the digital sales platform—an initiative that the BMW Group believed would fundamentally alter the automotive industry. An invention that South Africa had never seen before. I feel really proud knowing that I helped make a customer's ability to purchase a car from the comfort of their phone and have it delivered right to their door possible. Since I witnessed this project through its most trying times and ultimately to its greatest success, my face lights up every time I talk about it. I gained outstanding communication and interpersonal skills from it. January 2020 marked the project's successful launch.

How is your industry likely to change in the next 5 years?

The art of QA testing will change due to the rapid increase of new methodologies and technologies such as AI, Cloud Services, Augmented Reality etc. However not everything can be done by a bot. Software testing will still be in demand. Just like Automation testing, not all applications can fully function with only Automation. Dev Ops Testing. Agile and Scrum Testing as organizations are driving towards agility. Shift left testing Artificial intelligence and Machine learning.

What are the 4 things I you believe you need to do to stay competitive in your field ?

Continuous Learning and Further Education: Differentiating myself with Online learning platforms such as LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, and Pluralsight have become invaluable resources for acquiring new knowledge and staying current with industry advancements. I never stop upskilling. Every quarter I dedicate myself with courses that equip my knowledge and skills.

Developing a digital footprint: Platforms like LinkedIn help me to be able create a digital footprint and creating an online presence for myself. Including my business Opulent Prospects. Your principles, work ethic, and professional objectives are all communicated via a strong personal brand, which also helps you draw in companies whose corporate cultures share your values.

Effective Networking Strategy: We live in such a digital age and there are so many platforms to interact with each other. Being part of QA groups on LinkedIn, attending QA seminars and events helps to keep in touch with individuals who are not only in the same industry as but are like minded and potentially explore new ways of collaborating.

Adaptability and Resilience: For me this means being open minded towards industry changes, continuously seeking out learning opportunities. I'm passionate about QA but being open to other career paths or transitioning should the need arise. I've been a Business Analyst before and an Agile Master even when my passion lies with QA. Building adaptability involves cultivating a growth mindset, where challenges are seen as opportunities to grow rather than insurmountable obstacles.

What do you think the impact of AI will be in software testing (manual and automation) and why?

AI will have a huge impact in the software testing industry, however I don't believe it will scrap out manual testing completely but would be more beneficial to Automation testing. Building applications by machine learning, building tests that will be predictive. AI could analyze requirements using predictive modeling to write test scripts based on those requirements. Predictive Analysis in test case designing. This would enable Automation testing to occur faster as the test scripts will be controlled by predictive modeling. AI will also acquire information and test data.