Meet Sergiu: From Online Marketing Specialist to QA Manager

Sergiu Olpretean has been a part of BetterQA ever since the company’s early days. With tech as his one big passion, it comes as no surprise how dedicated he’s been to his software testing position. Now, Sergiu is one of our QA Managers, working every day to keep things in place with our current projects, while always taking time to lend a hand to any of our juniors in need.

Outside of work, he likes to do anything that will take him away from his desk: family activities and sports are his go-to's. Might explain why he’d be ready to take on the safari guide journey whenever the QA gig stops working out. Get to know Sergiu below!

Why did you join BetterQA, and what has kept you here?

I've always been a tech-savvy person. Coming from Online Marketing and SEO expertise, software testing seemed like the right path. The company was also pretty young when I joined, and it allowed me to offer my expertise and knowledge on multiple fronts.

Before working at BetterQA, what was the most unusual or interesting job you've ever had?

At some point in time, I helped one of my childhood friends launch and ramp up his new business, which consisted of metal fabrications and electrostatic painting. It was a pretty exciting and different experience from the fields I’ve worked in so far.

What do you find the most challenging, and what do you like most about BQA?

What I find the most challenging is overcoming language barriers. Sadly, it’s still a thing I deal with all the time, as I’m working with different people across various cultures and backgrounds.

What I like the most is that I’m able to work and dive deep into different technologies. We have a pretty significant number of projects across all kinds of fields of activity, all with different needs, requirements, as well as architectures and workflows, so it feels like an unlimited knowledge faucet.

What advice do you have for prospective BetterQA candidates?

Start being proactive and never stop; take the initiative and suggest improvements where you see fit. Also, there is nothing wrong with asking questions or raising any issues you notice, so don't be shy to do it.

What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?

Since this is my field of expertise and I've always worked in IT (with a few intentional breaks every now and then), I’d probably be doing the same thing, but as a freelancer,

How do you spend your time outside of the office?

I spend quite a bit of time at my desk on a daily basis. Outside the office, I like to focus on my family and doing all kinds of sports and activities.

What's a fun fact about you many people may not know?

My typing speed is quite impressive! So far, everyone that witnessed it was dumbfounded; My average speed is ~130 words per minute with about 700 keystrokes per minute and an average of 95% accuracy, which probably places me in a 1% of the population according to most statistics in this regard.

Where's your favourite place in the world?

The neighbourhood that I was born and raised in and the people that live within it. It's like a small village within a big and busy city where we all know each other. It’s something that feels rare and special in today's busy times.

If given a chance, who would you like to be for a day?

One of the astronauts that are currently on the ISS or one that's taking part in an expedition so I can enjoy the view for a little bit. Or maybe a safari guide in an African or Amazonian national park.

What's the weirdest fact you know?

People cannot touch their elbows with their tongues.

If you’d like to know more about Sergiu and the rest of his colleagues at BetterQA, just check out their vendor profile at Pangea.ai, and we’ll be happy to schedule a meeting, for free!