Name: Sukhraj Singh
Designation: Agent 000130
Double Agent Role: Senior Software Consultant
Special Skills: Coffee Lover, Humble, Always learning, Software freak
Aliases: LinkedIn
Location: Surrey, BC
Favorite Emoji: 😎
What impact are you proudest of in your career?
Making connections and growing as an individual. We spend a lot of time with our colleagues, even more than we spend with our families. Therefore, I strongly believe in building relationships that eventually help you to make this society a better place. Secondly, I am pretty happy with my individual growth. Of course, there is always still more room for growth, but I always try to keep learning new things. That’s how one grows as an individual. This has meant taking up new challenges and putting myself in some tough situations. If I continue doing the same thing over and over again, life becomes dull and monotonous.
Looking ahead, what has you most excited for the next year at work?
I have never been to an in-person Test Double retreat. With COVID-19 restrictions easing, an in-person retreat looks plausible though logistics will be different now, as the company has grown tremendously since the last retreat in January 2020. Also, I am super duper excited for prospective new client engagements as these opportunities serve as a window to expand one’s horizons.
What is your favorite thing about being a Double Agent at Test Double?
I get the opportunity to work with different tech stacks with different requirements and different stakeholders. Sometimes, I am working in Ruby on Rails, other days, it could be JavaScript, TypeScript, React, etc. There has hardly ever been a day where I am doing the same thing over and over again, and this has helped me to expand my skill set over multiple tech stacks.
Apart from working on different technologies, another aspect I love about my work is the people. I work alongside such a talented bunch of folks who are the best at what they do. Apart from their talented skill set, they also bring kindness and a genuine willingness to help the people around them.
What do you think makes Test Double unique?
Test Double cares about its clients and all involved stakeholders. This sounds so strange in the consultancy world, but I have seen this first hand. The company’s focus is to build long-lasting relationships with the clients, which reflects in the quality of work delivered by Test Double. During my engagements so far, the focus has not only been on the immediate work itself but also on how to set up the clients for success in the near term and long-term future.
What have you been thinking about a lot lately in software development, and why?
I have been itching to learn more about business analysis. I love this aspect of software development, as this is one of the early steps to set a project up for success. Being involved in the early stages of a task brings with it extra excitement and ownership, which is very rewarding.
Tell me about something memorable that happened to you and what you learned from it.
I always thought I was a big city person and that I liked the hustle and bustle that comes with it. During my time in Victoria, BC—an island at the core of nature—I got the chance to visit smaller nearby islands, enjoyed waterfalls, did some cycling, and also found my love for kayaking. My perspective changed and I realized staying closer to nature gives me more peace and calmness.
What has you most excited about this year outside of work?
I recently moved to a house, yay. I will be looking forward to a lot of DIY stuff, gardening, and learning a lot of new things that come with home ownership. Also, my parents just immigrated to Canada. I am excited to spend some nice outings with them over the summer.
What book/podcast/movie/TV show have you been thinking about a lot lately, and why?
As I have been pretty busy with the home buying process lately, I haven’t had much time for a TV show. Before house hunting, I started a series Mom which I will resume in the coming days. I like the show because it gives me the comedy refreshment that I enjoy at the end of the day.
What is the biggest lesson the pandemic taught you?
Pre-COVID, I thought life does not stop for anyone, and we are caught in the constant coil of daily life. But in 2020, when COVID was at its peak, I saw the biggest cities in the world coming to a standstill. It taught me to take things slow and put more emphasis on my mental health and self-care.
What’s something interesting about you that’s not on your resume or LinkedIn?
I have stayed awake for three straight days on coffee.
This interview is based on shared documentation from Sukhraj Singh and Cathy Colliver. It may or may not self-destruct.
