Post-It Reflection: My talk with Shawn

27 Feb 2026

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Alt text: Three yellow sticky notes on a white desk with handwritten notes. One reads “The Mule Mentality” with “separate professional from job”. Another says “People skills” and “Quick tests.” The third reads “Call for insights Shawn” and “Kilroy QA Navy ship.”
In this moment: Shawn Vernier
This week, I spent some time meeting and talking with Shawn Vernier. It was great hearing about his background, what brought him to QA, and the value he finds in the QA Community. As he spoke, I took lots of notes (don't mind the spelling). But, I learned that there is such a thing called the "Mule Mentality" and that's not a bad thin (and I probably have it). It's important to separate your job from your profession. You must always keep growing in your profession, regardless of what job you have. And, that people skills will be the most important thing I can work on in my career.

There's still plenty to dig into. Thanks, Shawn, for the great meeting!
Judy Mosley
QA Engineer
She/her

QA Engineer curious about systems and how they work. My experience includes participating in Agile processes, automated testing, and sharing insights. More human than bot. Interests: ☕, 🎧, and 🧶

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