Fahad Darwish, Test Engineer @ Nimble Approach.
Joined March 2022
How did you end up joining Nimble?
A friend who was previously employed by Nimble referred me to the role. He expressed many positive points about the working environment and opportunities that Nimble has to offer. This piqued my interest and I decided to look more into what the role had to offer.
What do you enjoy most about working at Nimble?
It’s always daunting to be the new guy. I was a little apprehensive due to the responsibilities it entailed, given my skill set at the time. However, I was eager to learn new technology and systems which was made easier by the friendly atmosphere and the wealth of support available from all my colleagues no matter the hour. With a fun few days at induction, my mind was put at ease.
It’s convenient to be able to work from home, but I welcome the ability to work between the four offices located in Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds and Bristol. It has allowed for me to feel part of a team, meet new people and expand socially outside of the working environment. The company also offers great training opportunities with regular workshops which has allowed for personal growth.
What does a typical day look like for you?
First things first, wake up and have my morning coffee. I then set up at my desk from home with equipment such as monitors and a laptop provided by the company. Our morning stand-up call follows, which allows us to report our progress which in turn helps us all to plan our day. Often, we go separately or within smaller calls to work on the tasks for that day. Whilst working from home can be lonely, it’s made easier with the constant communication within Nimble. Being new I often had to use this platform to gain assistance from my colleagues who are always happy to help. Often, we arrange to meet at least one day per week within the office. We’re able to motivate each other in this working environment, grab lunch due to the convenient Manchester city centre location and often unwind after the working day together. I enjoy this social aspect between my colleagues, and it has allowed me to feel normal again after the changes covid bought for many.
What excites you most about your role?
Nimble have a vast number of clients who all use different technologies and languages. It’s exciting for me to know that after working on this project I could work on another which utilises completely different skills and I’ll be able to learn new skills/languages/approaches, and potentially incorporate knowledge from past projects to benefit the team on a niche technology which I see a lot of potential in to help society. I can see opportunities for growth and development within the company, and having the ability to have a positive mark.
What work you are particularly proud of?
I’m currently working on a project with Nimble for a client. With the support of the company and my consistent hard work, I will soon become the main test engineer on this project proving the level of progression you can achieve in a short amount of time.
In addition, I completed an MPhil at The University of Salford. The aim was to investigate and improve Data Mining Methods and Algorithms, to create a framework in which diabetics can record all their vital health details, in one location, this can be accessed and monitored by the patients’ doctors, in order to prevent the serious and expensive complications that currently threaten to bankrupt the NHS but more importantly the patients’ life. The framework requirements are determined after extensive research into the needs of diabetic patients, medical personnel, and the national health care system. Those needs are then translated into a functional smart device that delivers benefits to all users. Simultaneously the framework can predict treatment plans to the healthcare team by using the Artificial intelligence techniques and algorithms from historical data collected by the framework device. There were a few papers that were published internationally, alongside good feedback received from diabetics and the medical team around the world.
Have you learned anything new since you started?
I have improved upon my programming and testing skills, I’ve recently started working on a new testing tools called Cypress which I believe will be the Next-generation front end testing tool.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
I love listening to Podcasts. Every day I like to go outside and go for a bike ride. I live not far out from Heaton Park and Philips Park in the North side of Manchester and they both have really good mountain bike tracks. I also love squash and have been doing it weekly for almost two years now.
Any top tips for people starting out in a role like yours?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, remember what your goal is and stick to it. Don’t give up.
How did you end up working in tech?
At the young age of 4, my father purchased me a DOS computer, which fuelled my fascination in technology. By the age of 11, I had written my first programme. I realised that my passion and hobby can be turned into a career path later down the line.
What do you love about working in Tech?
The growth of the technology industry is expanding vastly and quickly. There’ll always be something new to pour your mind into. Where there’s demand, there will always be places for you to supply and when it comes to technology, this demand is increasing immensely every day. Working in technology allows me to pursue my passion, with every day being a new learning day. I’ve discovered many ways in which tech can also benefit society, particularly in the healthcare sector, which is what I’ve based my MPhil on. With my passion and drive I hope to continue to expand my skill set and do my best to make differences.
What’s your favourite thing about working at Nimble?
There are so many wonderful things about working for Nimble. My favourite is probably the flexibility I have with working from home or at the office. I also love the company culture and enjoy working with everyone, as everyone is kind and supportive.
What’s your favourite piece of technology?
I’ve always been fascinated by new innovative technology in the testing sector, something that disrupts the entire market.
I’ve recently been using the Cypress automation testing tool, this tool addresses the critical pain that developers, and QA engineers used to face when testing modern applications, E.g., synchronisation issues, the inconsistency of tests due to elements not visible or available.
It’s built on Node.js and comes packaged as an npm module. As its basis is Node.js, it uses JavaScript for writing tests. But 90% of coding can be done using Cypress’ inbuilt commands, which are easy to understand.
What technology are you looking forward to in the future?
I’m really interested in looking forward to Autonomous Test Automation. Autonomous, in terms of automated testing, means the ability to create test cases and execute them without human intervention. AI & ML are the technologies being used to make this a reality. Of course, there will always be a need for humans in testing. Fact!
