Get to Know your Betabound Test Managers! Part 2: Cameron Bell
Welcome back to another interview!
Today I am interviewing Cameron Bell, one of Centercode’s newest Program Managers. He manages both software and hardware tests and is able to tackle any challenge thrown at him.
If you missed the first interview with Carol Lee, you can read that here. As for Cameron, get the chance to learn more about him through this interview, and then make sure to sign up for Betabound so you can get the chance to work with him or another wonderful Centercode Program Manager!
An Interview with Cameron Bell
Can you talk a little bit about your background and how you came to work at Centercode?
My background is actually in food where I was in operations and product development for a chain restaurant. While I loved product development, after a while I did not want to be developing fast food items anymore. I knew I could take my experience and skill set and apply it elsewhere.
So, I started searching for jobs in the tech industry and came across Centercode. I became proactive about looking for people on LinkedIn and saw other ways to reach out and start a connection without them stumbling onto my resume. Eventually, I got the interview I hoped for and soon became part of the team!
What is your daily routine like as a CPM?
I do try and have a routine set up but it never works out that way. I’ll usually set some time in the morning to go through feedback to make sure testers are feeling supported. After that, I will set aside time each day to communicate with clients.
But apart from that it’s very variable depending on what is going on in any given test and what type of test it is. For example, if it’s a software test we are doing, there could be an issue with a new software release and that could lead to an entire day of work where I will be communicating with the testers who are issuing support tickets and letting the client know what’s going on so a patch can be pushed out.
It’s very dynamic, which is probably my favorite part of the job. I have certain things I know I’m going to accomplish each day, but there’s this large gap where I don’t know what challenges I am going to have to approach today and overcome.
What are some things that make a successful program manager?
A big one is definitely communication. In this case, it is with the testers and the client. In my previous role, it was with the franchisees and the other departments. There’s always somebody that you need to be communicating with because you’re not the only person involved in any project.
The second would be organization. Everybody has a different style of being organized, so it is important to have a method that works for you. I’m good at knowing where everything is and being able to provide it in an organized format If I need to.
Finally, I think adaptability would be the biggest one because you never know when something new will come up. If you’re very rigid with your project’s organization, one hiccup could cripple you. So you have to be ready to pivot and switch priorities at any given moment.
“…the action we are putting into something should be constructive and help the product move forward instead of just trying to check off a box to show that you have completed your task.”
What do you enjoy about your role?
I honestly really like everything. In the role I had before this, to give some context, I really liked the actual product development aspect of it. However, I didn’t like how rigid and cutthroat it was.
Whereas here, it feels much more like collaboration than competition with the deliverables and relationships with clients. This is true even if the client is relying on you to help them verify that they have a successful product before launch. Having such a close relationship with my clients takes the pressure off everything.
The variety of products that we get to manage is so refreshing to me. Every test is a different kind of meal. You’re not eating the same thing every night, you know?
What piece of advice would you like to give to testers?
So this might sound kind of odd, but it is something that I try and use for myself. That is to not confuse motion with activity. As in, the action we are putting into something should be constructive and help the product move forward instead of just trying to check off a box to show that you have completed your task.
It’s about putting forethought into the value of what they’re contributing. It is not often a problem but when I do encounter it, I nudge testers in the right direction so that we are all working as a team and it’s better for everyone’s time.
If you could choose any one thing to test, what would it be?
Honestly, it would probably be video games. I enjoy thinking about the development of them and it’s such a nice outlet for me. If I could get the opportunity to test a game and help it go from product development to release that would be a huge bucket list item I could check off.
Especially considering how big some games are these days. Games from when I was a kid still required a lot of work but they did not have anywhere near the scale of production that goes into them today. Just getting to see the behind-the-scenes and validate that would be so much fun for me.
What’s your favorite hobby outside of work?
I would say consistently it’s probably family time. Like my wife and I love going on adventures and just finding like fun little things to do whether it be like a little taco shop or finding a nice spot in the park and taking a picnic. I think that’s just something that really helps me maintain my perspective of life and realize why I do what I do. Everything else is fun, but I think that friend and family time is so important to me.
I also try and find as many new experiences as possible. My wife and friends never do the same thing twice which is interesting. You would think that after years of seeing each other once or twice a week, we’d kind of fall into habits. Yet even if it’s football season and we are always watching football together on Sundays we will still find a new recipe to cook together or game to play during halftime.
Fin.
With that, another interview is over! If you have any questions for Cameron, you can always send him an email at hello@betabound.com.
Don’t forget to sign up to become a Betabounder if you want to get notified of upcoming test opportunities and meet some of our fantastic Centercode Program Managers!