Last month we took you to Brazil, now fasten your seat belt because we are going to another continent. We will talk about Impressive history, culture and the oldest civilization known to man, welcome to Egypt. In this month’s AP team story, we’ll introduce you to Khaled Ahmed Mohamed Attia, QA Engineer at Authority Partners.
Khaled will tell us about his early career and how he decided to change his career path and make his dreams come true. He believes that everything happens for a reason, and that little pieces of the puzzle create one bigger picture where you understand the reason for each of your travels. There are situations in life when you feel lost and don’t see value in what you do, trust and seize every chance is the message he would like to send to everyone.
Khaled reveals what would he like to do for the rest of his career, he shared some tips and talks about working in global team and what sparked his interest in applying for a job at Authority Partners.
AP: Tell us something about yourself.
KA: I had a dream to work with programming since I was a child. In that period of life, I used to play video games and fix my friends’ computers. I was a good student and had high grades, which enabled me to join the Petroleum Engineering faculty. Maybe this was not my first choice but not enrolling in this faculty was not an option, mainly since everyone aimed to get higher education.
After graduation, I started working for an oil and gas company. Although I dreamed of living and doing something else, I thought it was too late for a career in the software industry.
Like everyone, we encounter various situations at work, but I can say that this one changed my life. We were given the opportunity to work on an application with more deviant results than expected on one of the projects. At that time, we had limited time and money, but a solution had to be found. This allowed me to step up and employ my skills. I could eliminate bugs with my basic knowledge, so I was a Software QA Engineer before I even knew it. This was a turning point for me, so I decided to go back to Egypt and start my studies for a degree in Software QA.
There are situations in life when you feel lost and don’t see value in what you do. I believe that everything happens for a reason. All these little pieces of the puzzle create one bigger picture where you understand the reason for each of your travels. Trust and seize every chance is the message I would like to send to everyone.
AP: What is the most exciting thing about your country?
KA: Egypt has lots of different stories from different timelines to tell. The diversity in Egypt’s history and culture is impressive, and I could talk for hours since Egyptians are one of the oldest civilizations known to humans. Like the Pyramid of Khufu at Giza, some topics are indispensable to mention, the largest Egyptian pyramid. This incredible structure weighs as much as 16 Empire State buildings! The Nile in Cairo, besides being beautiful, long, and wild, is the primary water source of Egypt and Sudan. The charming Alexandria on the north at the Mediterranean Sea, Luxor and Aswan on the south, The Bedouin Siwa oasis, etc. I would recommend everyone come on a long vacation to Egypt. I firmly believe non will be disappointed.
AP: Growth and Development is one of the Authority Partners’ core values; what does it represent?
KA: At AP, I had the chance to learn new skills, which is somehow a logical sequence when you are surrounded by people with open mindsets. Such a team is an excellent field for creating new ideas and for constant learning. At AP, we like to say we don’t just grow, we grow together. There’s really a lot going into knowledge sharing, and a great example is AP Podcasts accessible to anyone who wants to learn or hear something new. I find AP Podcasts very interesting, and I like that there are many different topics that I can choose to listen to. This way, I, as a QA Engineer, can create an even clearer vision of developers’ work.
AP: What sparked your interest in applying for a job at Authority Partners?
KA: When I thought about applying for a job at AP, I remember thinking that a company that has adopted a remote model of work is advanced and open-minded and will undoubtedly contribute to the enrichment of my skills. And it really happened!
AP: Can you share your experience of working in a global company?
KA: Regardless of the miles that separate us, we are connected on so many levels. At first, we got connected through job opportunities and later shared our life stories, interests and became friends. I especially enjoy the opportunity to hear from colleagues about the countries in which they live.
AP: Why did you choose the QA career path?
KA: I believe QA plays a crucial role in any software development company. The fact that you are part of each phase of building software, starting from client requirements to the software release, is absolutely amazing.
AP: What attributes does someone need to have to be successful in this career path?
KA: As a QA Engineer, you have to be eager to learn constantly. The future goes towards cross-functional teams. So every QA Engineer must be strong in coding, DevOps, and non-functional testing of such performance and security.
AP: What is something you’d be happy doing every day for the rest of your career?
KA: I work with test automation, and it’s really amazing to feel the value of what you do every day. Automating processes and tests saves many hours, and I would love to keep working on it.
AP: How would you describe the AP work environment?
KA: In my previous answer, I mentioned some of the great things about working in a global team. Besides that, based on my experience, I would describe the AP environment as helpful and friendly in two words.
AP: Do you have any tips you’d like to share with those who are planning to apply for a job at AP?
KA: Be prepared to take advantage of working in a global team and be proactive.
AP: Thank you!