As a mentor in OP's Software Academy, Test Engineer Joanna Mäkinen teaches the fundamentals of testing to those interested in the subject. When she has time to spare from mentoring, she also actively attends courses offered by the Academy.

We had an opportunity to ask about her thoughts on competence development and teaching courses as a new mentor.

1. How was your first year as a mentor and what do you expect in future?

I was asked to join in autumn 2022 and I've now twice been a mentor on the Quality Assurance tower QA Foundations course, which gives an overview of software testing. It's been great to see my personal development as a mentor and I'm already able to independently plan the progress of lessons and to direct discussions. I'm very much looking forward to my third course as a mentor this autumn!

2. How do you use the 10% of the 70:20:10 model for your personal competence development?

I typically use 10% of my hours on mentoring or studying in the Software Academy. Of course, it's possible to spend the time allocated for learning in other ways but for me the easiest method has been to attend courses offered by the Academy. In my personal experience, the Software Academy makes it significantly easier to take up learning new skills. It's easy to forget to look for courses when work keeps you busy, but OP's in-house courses are really simple to enrol in and to attend.

I study whenever I'm not mentoring. For example, the course on test automation was genuinely useful for me as test automation is a big part of my work and its importance is constantly growing. The topic is important for the future and it's great that I've had the opportunity to learn the skill while at OP, with the support of the Software Academy.

3. How has mentoring developed your competence?

Mentoring teaches you a lot about both the topic being studied and about yourself. My most important lesson has been that the best ideas are born out of the discussions in our mentoring group. Thanks to the discussions, I've gained new perspectives on familiar topics and I’ve learned that I can share my knowledge and experience of testing with others.

Mentoring has taken me out of my comfort zone and has helped me to improve my communication skills. The experience has given me the chance to challenge myself and I've been very happy to have been a part of it. It's been great to see that I can do this!

4. What are courses at the Software Academy like in practice?

The Academy offers courses for both beginners and advanced learners on a wide range of topics. It's great that the Software Academy also offers courses that don't require previous knowledge of the topic. For example, the course that I mentor is primarily aimed at people who are not professional testers.

The lessons cover certain themes that participants familiarise themselves with in advance, with a weekly group discussion session. The courses that I've attended as a student or mentor have had a conversational approach to teaching. In the QA Foundations course we've occasionally asked experts to join the sessions and to talk about topics that we mentors aren't familiar with. On these occasions the topic being covered is often more complex and the lesson is more in the style of a lecture, with less group discussion.

5. What is the culture like at the Software Academy?

In my experience, the Software Academy has a professional, relaxed and easily approachable culture. On the courses I've attended or mentored, participants have been able to freely take part in the discussion and everyone has felt accommodated and welcome. The Academy has also hosted get-togethers where students and mentors can meet face-to-face, which has been a fun experience. Participation in the Software Academy's courses is also encouraged, so it's worth giving them a try at least!