Kemi's Journey to becoming a Tester at the Met Office
Kemi has been with the Met Office since 2015, initially as a contractor and has recently become a permanent members of staff. Kemi works on a variety of projects at Met Office HQ.
What attracted you to the Met Office?
The link between science and technology was what drew me to the Met Office; how technology could support and facilitate what the office does in forecasting and science.
How did you start working at the Met Office?
I started on a short-term contract in IT and recently joined the Testing Team as a permanent employee.
What kind of training and development opportunities have you had at the Met Office?
I’ve had the opportunity to learn on the job as I knew the theory of how to test software systems but didn’t have any experience before joining the Met Office. I was able to learn whilst working with different teams across Technology. It was also a great way to learn more about what we do, the services we provide and meeting other colleagues!
What experience have you gained while at the Met Office?
I have been able to test software services across different sectors; this has allowed me to learn about an application’s lifecycle start to focus on the technical aspects of testing. There are so many different teams involved in getting an application from an idea to fruition; my role allows me to interact with a number of those teams.
How did you get into your current role?
I really enjoyed being at the office so when a permanent job became available, I applied for it and was successful.
What sort of things have you been doing in the last 12 months?
I have worked on services that we provide for aviation, road and renewable energy services so it’s been really varied.
What do you get up to day to day?
My day is made up of creating the test strategy that a service needs; this includes planning the testing, understanding the requirements for the service and how it is built. The testing can be conducted either manually or automated. I then provide a report based on my results.
What does the role involve that people might not expect?
Breaking software!
How do you think your career might progress at the Met Office?
My primary focus is to become a better Tester so I would like to learn as much as I can.
What does the Met Office give you that you feel you couldn’t get elsewhere?
I think the variety of services and products that I have been able to work on and contribute to could not have happened anywhere else. The atmosphere in the office is also something that I really like and I don’t think you can get it elsewhere, certainly in the South West.