This article is an interview with the eWay-CRM Tester, Martin Štefko. Martin explains his work approach and the way new eWay-CRM features are tested.

Hello, how is your day going?

I just finished the hardest testing of the day.

Sounds difficult! What did you do exactly?

I tested the Tasks module.

Tested? I thought that all our new features get tested automatically! 

Yes of course, we do that every time! But I also do the user testing.

That means I test the things users see or the things they can't see due to a problem.

The reason for my work is not only to make it work, but to make it work so that the user is satisfied.

How much time did you spend on testing the Tasks?

Tasks took me a whole month of work when I did almost nothing else!

What does a testing look like?

We are the first guinea pigs, I download a new developer version and I test it by using it as a part of full eWay-CRM.

However, I use a testing database, so we do not risk anything.

When did you start testing?

Three years ago, I became the Tester of eWay-CRM and I have been doing it ever since.

Did you work for eWay-CRM beforehand?

Yes, since 2013.

Back then I was working on KB, the resources for working with eWay-CRM.

What is KB?

That is our Knowledge base. All kinds of documentation concerning eWay-CRM. It's like a systematic library where I search for things I don't know.

As an eWay-CRM employee?

Yes, but mostly as a client who gets lost.

So you have been working for eWay-CRM since 2013 and since 2016 as a Tester. What did you do before? 

I studied economy, but never got so much into it.

I wasn't sure what to do next, but I have always been a passionate writer so I started off as a copywriter for various businesses. I also created my own website where I offered my services.

And where was your office?

I have always done most of my work from home. I do my tasks from eWay-CRM from the comfort of my home as well. We can say I've worked from home for years.

And as a copywriter, I did the first documentation for eWay-CRM Knowledge Base.

When Testers left the company, there was an opportunity to try something new and that has been my world since then. I barely have time to focus on anything else.

Do you enjoy your job?

I do. Sometimes it can be a little repetitive, but each testing brings something new as well. We don't only test in Outlook, but also in Android and iOS as well as in WebAccess.

Regarding your home office, how often do you leave home and come to see the team in person? 

Let's say three, four times a year. I come for important meetings or company events, most of my contact with colleagues is done through e-mail, TeamViewer, or on the phone.

However, it is important that I know everybody well and that makes the communication a lot easier. My job requires using eWay-CRM as much as possible though, to try everything myself, so it is basically ideal to work in peace. I don't actually need my colleagues very much to perform well.

What is your opinion on working from home as a whole? 

It's a great thing, but it depends on the kind of person you are.

I love to get up, have breakfast, and then work until I have finished everything. I don't need to get ready for work or commute.

But I must say this form of work is for a determined, self-disciplined person who plans ahead and always knows what to do. Someone who doesn't need to be supervised because they are independent and hard-working.

Then working from home can be beneficial for both the employee and the employer.

It can get risky though. If you don't possess enough discipline, will you be able to find it?

I have trained myself to be good in this while working as a freelance copywriter and also being a writer. For these jobs, you always need to plan your tasks for the day.

A writer? Are you?

Yes, I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was 15.

So I write and I publish! I have my own little publishing house.

What genre should we imagine?

It's going to be very inaccurate like this, but let's say horror and fantasy. More precisely, my books are action horrors, thrillers. I have been writing for 17 years now, I do it all the time.

My idol is the American classic, Stephen King.

Where do you promote your books? Do you use social media?

Yes, social media can be very helpful while promoting the published stuff.

So, your life is one thriller after another and your work one test after another! 

That's funny when you put it like this! But someone might get the wrong impression that I don't have any peace and comfort. And I do!

We talked to Martin Štefko, eWay-CRM Tester.