Spotlight on Alison Fletcher…on 21 years as a Test Analyst, writing an exam question for a certification and her love for Harry Potter 

March 26, 2021

Meet Alison Fletcher, a Lead Test Analyst in PIB’s Business Change team. She shares insight into her 21 year career and enjoying the challenge of ‘breaking things’ as a sign of success, her experience of joining PIB and spending time with her family as well as ‘pottering’ around the house. Over to you Alison… 

Tell us a bit about yourself? 

I live in a small village on the outskirts of Gloucester with my husband and 10 year old daughter. I have been a Test Analyst for 21 years and it’s something I’m very passionate about. As with most people the profession of testing found me, rather that it being my life long dream. I was originally working at the Cheltenham & Gloucester Building Society (C&G) when Lloyds TSB Bank bought out the company. I was asked to be involved in a project to support the transition and processes onto a new IT system. From that moment on I haven’t looked back. I’ve moved through various roles from User Acceptance Testing as part of business teams through to System, Unit and Performance testing roles within IT teams. I enjoy the challenge of trying to break something. If my test cases do not uncover a defect or issue, then my test cases are not good enough!

What attracted you to PIB as a career destination?

I joined PIB in October 2018 on a temporary contract has led to a permanent role! PIB has been the first contract role where I really felt like I was at home. I have really enjoyed my work and found it both challenging and rewarding and I have worked with a great team of people. I was therefore absolutely delighted to be offered a permanent role with the Group. 

What does your role entail?

My role is a Lead Test Analyst. This involves reviewing business requirements and/or system specifications and writing a series of test cases or scripts to ensure the new product or system is fit for purpose and meets all the business needs. I get to work with a wide variety of people. It is also vital for me to have good contact with the business teams involved so that I can ensure my testing meets their needs.

And how is life at PIB?  

The transition from a contract role into a permanent role has been seamless from a day-to-day work perspective. Though its nice getting a payslip at the end of the month rather than an accountant’s bill! I’ve also enjoyed meeting people from across the business areas when attending the various new starter webinars. They’ve given me a greater awareness and appreciation for the wide variety of business within the Group.

Biggest achievement? 

My biggest personal achievement is my daughter. A professional achievement I’m most proud of is that I was asked to write exam questions for the ISEB Test Practitioner exam paper (now known as the ISTQB certification for software testing).

What is your best piece of careers advice you’ve been given, or you would give?

Don’t be afraid to voice new ideas. I’ve found that even simple suggestions can make a big difference and even though things might seem obvious to you, they can be revolutionary to someone else.

How do you relax outside of work?

I am a big fan of Harry Potter so you can usually find me with my headphones in listening to the audio books whilst I ‘potter’ around the house and garden. Even though I’ve listened to them hundreds of times I always find it helps to relax me. I also enjoy attending fitness classes at the gym or a run down the canal which is close to home.

Did you enjoy Alison’s story? You can read more about colleagues across PIB on our website or explore career opportunities here.