»I constantly question the ‘why’ behind decisions«

Caspar de Baat shares five significant moments from his career as a Test Specialist.
As a recent graduate with hands-on experience in testing, Caspar de Baat went looking for his first job. Fulfilling his desire to make a positive impact on the world, he quickly found himself walking through our front doors in Delft as a Junior Test Specialist. Now, four years later, he oversees various projects as a Senior Test Specialist. Here, he shares five important moments from his career and the lessons he learned along the way. 

1. Developing a mindset for testing 

At university, I studied Industrial Engineering and Management. A program with a broad focus, where I learned a lot about various business aspects. While studying, I did multiple internships that required me to think about user satisfaction, researching what users liked, would like to see, and what aspects we needed to focus on. Being challenged to think about the current state of things and what users ‘can’ do with the software instead of only thinking of what users ‘should’ do helped me develop the mindset I need for testing. 

2. Making a positive impact on society 

The focus on the public sector immediately drew me to Netcompany. I want to contribute to society, and the projects I work on allow me to fulfil that desire. For instance, my current project, ‘Studielink’, significantly impacts all students in the Netherlands, serving as the platform for higher education application registration.  

»I want to contribute to society, and the projects I work on allow me to fulfil that desire«

3. Taking on responsibility

Developing as a professional also includes dealing with challenges. During my first project, shifts in my team left me without a manager for a while. It was a challenging but crucial time for me. With more expectations and responsibility, I immediately had a crash course into the business. I learned a lot about my work and, more importantly, about myself. I learned to recognise and set my own boundaries while taking on more responsibility.  

The Delft office where Caspar de Baat performs his daily tasks as a Senior Test Specialist.

4. The importance of critical thinking

Critical thinking is the basis for a tester and is invaluable to my work. I constantly question the ‘why’ behind decisions. Ultimately, as a tester, you are a quality controller. Critical thinking is the best skill to have in your toolkit.  

5. Letting go

Letting go can be hard. Transitioning from junior to senior, I needed to learn to delegate and relinquish control. Stepping back from the operational side and entrusting tasks to colleagues required a different mindset, and I’m proud that I managed to learn how to do this and that I actually exceeded my own expectations. Now, I’m in charge of various projects, including setting up new ways of working and assisting my junior colleagues when needed.  I focus on steering projects while providing valuable input to achieve successful results. 

 

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