Not exactly according to plan…

For once I’m going to write about my day job – the one I’m writing my novel in a futile attempt to escape from   When I was at school, I thought about becoming a teacher, and I went to University with every intention of becoming a lawyer. I changed my mind in the very first Law lecture – and immediately afterwards went to change course to study English.

So how did I end up working in a software company?

I shouldn’t say that really, because I actually do enjoy what I do to earn my living. I’m a software tester, and as I always say, my husband Ryan is a software developer. So basically my job consists of finding fault with his work – something I volunteered for on that day thirty something years ago when I said, “I do.”

Most people of my age who are working with computers seem to have drifted into it by accident, and and I am no exception.  Even Ryan worked in several other areas first – although I was surprised when I found his old school reports and the results of an aptitude test which clearly indicated where his talents lay. Of course, he took no notice of what he was advised as a teenager

I’d been interested in the subject for a while.  Ryan and I spent part of our honeymoon working through a course on digital logic that we found in the University library – and then later I did an Open University course on Programming in Pascal. (I still can’t quite believe that my degree actually contains a Maths credit)

When Ryan started his first computer company, I was unwell and only able to work from home. And so I followed up on the Open University course and taught myself how to test software. I did it all by the book – working from examples setting up test cases and test scripts, keeping good documentation.

I also discovered an interest in user interface design – and soon I was designing screens for clients’ databases.

We closed that company down and Ryan went to work in a proper job, and as the Year 2K problem loomed suddenly there was a shortage of software testers, and my quirky self employed job experience was enough to get me a job as a contract system tester. My employer was somewhat concerned that he was taking a chance, as I hadn’t any experience of software testing in a commercial environment.

I have to confess, he was right to be concerned. Their processes were chaotic, and the documentation non existent. With the help of one of their best business analysts, I made some changes

I enjoyed my time working in commercial software testing – but I am happier now that I am working for our own company again. As well as testing, I also get to design the user interfaces, and write the user manuals. There are other parts of the job that I find less satisfying (doing the VAT return and the accounts, for example) – but I do love the variety.

I think the most important lesson I have learned, is that life doesn’t always go according to plan.  The work I have enjoyed the most was not anything that I was directed to by my time at school and University – but came about by accident. The other lesson is it’s never too late to learn something new. There are many opportunities out there, and if, like I did, you make a mistake in your early educational choices – there are many ways you can put it right later.

So remember the old saying, if you want to make God laugh tell him your plans.

Ann

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About Ann Godridge
Ann Godridge has just completed her first crime novel, The Mermaid's Shroud, and has started work on the sequel. Her story the Tree of Knowledge was shortlisted for the Asham Award. She writes about writing and sometimes about textile arts at her blogStraw into Gold. You can find out more about her here - About Ann G.
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