Stories from the Trenches – with a Touch of PD

Being a Test Analyst isn’t easy—but it’s a role rich in learning, challenges, and rewarding experiences.

That’s a wrap on the 2025 Tauranga Test Professionals meetup schedule! Our final event of the year ended on a high note, featuring three excellent presentations from newcomers to our community. A big thank you to Zespri International for hosting us in their fantastic Mount Maunganui space.

After a year focused on Test Practices and the way in which Test Teams were equipped and managed, we closed out with a grassroots theme: what Test Analysts are actually doing day-to-day. We explored their projects, tools, delivery methods, challenges, and wins—and the value they bring.

The presenters, all new to the Tauranga Test Professionals network, showed real courage. Imagine attending your first meetup and being asked to present as part of your personal development! Nerves were high, but the outcomes were outstanding. Based on what we saw, the future of testing in Tauranga and Hamilton looks bright.

Nic and Jes – Company-X

Jes, with five years of experience, delivers testing for a Mergers and Acquisitions Management platform for a major US client. Her role spans manual functional testing and non-functional areas like performance, accessibility, and security. Working with a New Zealand and United States based dev team and US product owners, Jes navigates agile sprints, remote collaboration, frequent releases, and a growing regression suite. Key takeaways:

• Build strong relationships with devs and product managers.
• Maintain respect by upholding quality standards.
• Use “before and after” snapshots to highlight impact.

Linda and Carolina – Mercury Energy

Long-time supporters of the Tauranga community, Mercury Energy’s Linda (now Test Manager—congrats!) and Carolina shared insights from a recent Finance System implementation. Carolina, new to the domain and focused on integration testing, brought fresh perspective. Their key learnings:

• Stay calm amid chaos.
• Focus on the purpose of testing—it’s more than just checking.
• Educate others on what testing truly involves.
• Trust your instincts and experience; results will validate your approach.
• Relationships matter—collaborate, communicate, educate.

Their presentation is available here: Charting the Battlefield.

Tina – Tauranga City Council

Tina wrapped up the event with a look at her work on citizen-facing projects. Her talk highlighted non-functional testing areas like data privacy, security, performance, and accessibility. She shared her experience testing kiosk systems with touch screens, focusing on:

• Field testing for physical accessibility.
• Acceptable wait times for screen and process responses.
• Device and browser compatibility.
• Preventing unauthorised data exposure.

Tina’s growth as a Test Analyst was evident throughout her presentation, available here: Testing Experience Presentation.

Final Thoughts

Presenting to peers is tough—especially at your first meetup. That our speakers did so, and used it as a personal development opportunity, is legendary. Huge thanks to our presenters, Zespri International, and the ever-supportive Tauranga Testing Community—our longest-running and consistently very supportive group.