International Women’s Day 2025: Finding an unexpected career path in quality assurance
To mark International Women’s Day on March 8, we’re celebrating female team members who are helping to shape the future of autonomous driving. At TIER IV, people from diverse backgrounds contribute to advancing this technology, each bringing valuable expertise to the table.
Throughout March, we’ve been sharing the stories of women across the company, highlighting their experiences and the unique perspectives they bring to our vision of making autonomous driving accessible to all. In the final installment, we hear from Savithri, who came to Japan as a graduate student and now applies her love of problem-solving and exploration to software testing.
It’s not uncommon for people to lean more towards either the arts or the sciences as they go through school. Personally, however, I never could decide between the two. When I was younger, English and mathematics were my favorite subjects. I enjoyed the freedom of literary expression and the idea that there was never any set interpretation of a written piece. At the same time, I loved the solid frameworks presented in mathematics and knowing that there was a formula and solution to almost any problem, as long as you gave it a little thought.
If I think back on it now, maybe I’ve always been inclined to my current work in quality assurance (QA). The combination of intuitive exploration and puzzle-like problem-solving that testing offers is exactly what my younger self most enjoyed. That said, when I first arrived in Japan as a graduate student, I didn’t necessarily expect myself to end up working in the IT field.
I originally came to Japan with the sole intention of studying psycholinguistics. Having already been raised as an immigrant in Canada, I didn’t anticipate repeating the cycle by once again becoming an immigrant in a whole new culture. But as happens when you spend your days in a country studying and working, making friends, exploring, and eating good food, Japan became home to me. And for that reason, it became more vital than ever for me to find a career I could genuinely take pleasure in, while also growing and learning. I was very fortunate, therefore, in my encounter with someone who recognized my existing skills and interests and introduced me to the field of QA, and more fortunate, still, when that path led me here to TIER IV.
I’m a recent addition to the QA team here and while there has been much to learn, it has been and continues to be a productive and insightful journey. As a fully remote worker, independent thinking and problem-solving are critical to completing my work, and this experience has really encouraged my self-growth. If I ever am troubled while completing my tasks, however, my team members have proven themselves to be patient and always helpful.
I’m happy to say that my efforts have led me to a company where I can continue to not only nurture my current skills but also gain new ones. I hope readers will consider my path as an example of how one’s passions can lead to unexpected opportunities in places they once couldn’t imagine.
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TIER IV is always on the lookout for passionate individuals to join our journey. If you share our vision of making autonomous driving accessible to all, get in touch.
We’re currently hiring for the following related positions:
Visit our careers page to view all job openings.
If you’re uncertain about which roles align best with your experience, or if the current job openings don’t quite match your preferences, register your interest here. We’ll get in touch if a role that matches your experience becomes available, and schedule an informal interview.
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