Donald Smith
SDET at Turtle Rock Studios- Claim this Profile
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Topline Score
Bio
Anne Farmer
Don is one of the most hardworking and passionate individuals I have had the pleasure of working with. He is driven and strives to meet the goals he has set for himself. I’ve known Don for over 5 years and never once has he given up on a project or task. Furthermore he inspires others to put their best work forward and learn new skills alongside him. As a Microsoft Specialist, Don was motivated to continuously learn and drove others to learn with him. He was a mentor to other testers and specialists on teams which he worked with and ensured that both leads and testers had a full understanding of Microsoft standards when questions came his way. Don was absolutely pivotal to the team and positive attitude shone through even on the most difficult projects. He was a joy to work with and I know he would be an asset to any team he works on.
Andres Hernandez
Don has been a great colleague during my tenure at THQ. We both started the same day and while we both exponentially grew both in technical knowledge and experience, Don showed an interest in learning Compliance Standards and was dedicated to become a specialist in that field of QA Testing. After reaching his position as a Compliance QA Specialist, I had the pleasure of working directly with Don while he was a Point of Contact for several games I tested on. His attention to detail and ability to effectively communicate if defects violated Standards provided a great resource of communication between Functional and Compliance QA that carried through multiple projects. As a Manager, I witnessed Don make sure to stay in constant communication with the Specialist team in the Multiplayer Team and provided the same type of quality coverage and communication that I personally experienced when I was QA Tester. Don is a great asset to any team looking for a dedicated individual who pays great attention to detail and can work efficiently with minimal supervision while effectively implementing new practices and tools into daily use.
Anne Farmer
Don is one of the most hardworking and passionate individuals I have had the pleasure of working with. He is driven and strives to meet the goals he has set for himself. I’ve known Don for over 5 years and never once has he given up on a project or task. Furthermore he inspires others to put their best work forward and learn new skills alongside him. As a Microsoft Specialist, Don was motivated to continuously learn and drove others to learn with him. He was a mentor to other testers and specialists on teams which he worked with and ensured that both leads and testers had a full understanding of Microsoft standards when questions came his way. Don was absolutely pivotal to the team and positive attitude shone through even on the most difficult projects. He was a joy to work with and I know he would be an asset to any team he works on.
Andres Hernandez
Don has been a great colleague during my tenure at THQ. We both started the same day and while we both exponentially grew both in technical knowledge and experience, Don showed an interest in learning Compliance Standards and was dedicated to become a specialist in that field of QA Testing. After reaching his position as a Compliance QA Specialist, I had the pleasure of working directly with Don while he was a Point of Contact for several games I tested on. His attention to detail and ability to effectively communicate if defects violated Standards provided a great resource of communication between Functional and Compliance QA that carried through multiple projects. As a Manager, I witnessed Don make sure to stay in constant communication with the Specialist team in the Multiplayer Team and provided the same type of quality coverage and communication that I personally experienced when I was QA Tester. Don is a great asset to any team looking for a dedicated individual who pays great attention to detail and can work efficiently with minimal supervision while effectively implementing new practices and tools into daily use.
Anne Farmer
Don is one of the most hardworking and passionate individuals I have had the pleasure of working with. He is driven and strives to meet the goals he has set for himself. I’ve known Don for over 5 years and never once has he given up on a project or task. Furthermore he inspires others to put their best work forward and learn new skills alongside him. As a Microsoft Specialist, Don was motivated to continuously learn and drove others to learn with him. He was a mentor to other testers and specialists on teams which he worked with and ensured that both leads and testers had a full understanding of Microsoft standards when questions came his way. Don was absolutely pivotal to the team and positive attitude shone through even on the most difficult projects. He was a joy to work with and I know he would be an asset to any team he works on.
Andres Hernandez
Don has been a great colleague during my tenure at THQ. We both started the same day and while we both exponentially grew both in technical knowledge and experience, Don showed an interest in learning Compliance Standards and was dedicated to become a specialist in that field of QA Testing. After reaching his position as a Compliance QA Specialist, I had the pleasure of working directly with Don while he was a Point of Contact for several games I tested on. His attention to detail and ability to effectively communicate if defects violated Standards provided a great resource of communication between Functional and Compliance QA that carried through multiple projects. As a Manager, I witnessed Don make sure to stay in constant communication with the Specialist team in the Multiplayer Team and provided the same type of quality coverage and communication that I personally experienced when I was QA Tester. Don is a great asset to any team looking for a dedicated individual who pays great attention to detail and can work efficiently with minimal supervision while effectively implementing new practices and tools into daily use.
Anne Farmer
Don is one of the most hardworking and passionate individuals I have had the pleasure of working with. He is driven and strives to meet the goals he has set for himself. I’ve known Don for over 5 years and never once has he given up on a project or task. Furthermore he inspires others to put their best work forward and learn new skills alongside him. As a Microsoft Specialist, Don was motivated to continuously learn and drove others to learn with him. He was a mentor to other testers and specialists on teams which he worked with and ensured that both leads and testers had a full understanding of Microsoft standards when questions came his way. Don was absolutely pivotal to the team and positive attitude shone through even on the most difficult projects. He was a joy to work with and I know he would be an asset to any team he works on.
Andres Hernandez
Don has been a great colleague during my tenure at THQ. We both started the same day and while we both exponentially grew both in technical knowledge and experience, Don showed an interest in learning Compliance Standards and was dedicated to become a specialist in that field of QA Testing. After reaching his position as a Compliance QA Specialist, I had the pleasure of working directly with Don while he was a Point of Contact for several games I tested on. His attention to detail and ability to effectively communicate if defects violated Standards provided a great resource of communication between Functional and Compliance QA that carried through multiple projects. As a Manager, I witnessed Don make sure to stay in constant communication with the Specialist team in the Multiplayer Team and provided the same type of quality coverage and communication that I personally experienced when I was QA Tester. Don is a great asset to any team looking for a dedicated individual who pays great attention to detail and can work efficiently with minimal supervision while effectively implementing new practices and tools into daily use.
Experience
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Turtle Rock Studios
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United States
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Computer Games
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100 - 200 Employee
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SDET
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Jan 2022 - Present
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Quality Assurance Specialist
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Jan 2018 - Feb 2022
- Testing in VR- working on Gear VR and Rift
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Turtle Rock Studios
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United States
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Computer Games
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100 - 200 Employee
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Junior Tools Programmer
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May 2015 - Oct 2016
- Worked on C# tools geared towards build distribution and bug data collection/ submission.- Improved storage management and cleanup features by enabling users the ability to select the amount of builds they needed per platform. - Improved the build distribution tools by adding features and designing support tools to recognizing daily playtest builds and automate transfers.- Enhanced build transfer speeds by converting File Copy methods over to using Robocopy.- Expanded on the builds supported to handle multiple branches and projects so users only required one tool to receive builds.- Improved on data compilation tools by adding UI for tools primarily made as command prompt tools.- Maintained XML files that pertained to characters abilities and equipment for proper stat tracking. Show less
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Quality Assurance / Microsoft Compliance Specialist, Senior
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Jan 2013 - Oct 2016
- Worked closely with designers in early development of new characters and game modes, implementing new functionality, feedback and suggestions from the team.- Constructed documentation for the Xbox One regarding in-depth system functions and features for the studio.- Trained new team members with tutorials and documentation I created for various tools and compliance standards..- Worked directly with programmers from Microsoft to ensure their guidelines were met while providing feedback.- Worked with the Xbox programmer directly while assisting in the setup of the multiplayer infrastructure for the game. - Implemented launching features prior to the debut of Evolve for E3 for Xbox One. Show less
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THQ
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United States
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Computer Games
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200 - 300 Employee
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Microsoft Compliance Specialist
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Jun 2009 - Dec 2012
- Key point for communication on assigned titles- Ownership and responsibility for titles assigned- Researching and updating testing documentation- Key point of contact in meetings - assertive and flexible with teams- Working as a mentor with the team- Serve as an expert on first party and CQA standards and processes. Share this knowledge with PD teams and other QA partners- Updating checklists (and assisting the team in updating checklists)- Research, document and report all discovered issues clearly and concisely within a timely manner. Track progress of each issue in the database until it is addressed- Keeping up on the latest standard releases from the first parties and working with the team to prepare for changes- Facilitate and provide written and verbal communication (e.g., regular status updates, high-risk issues, etc.) with various teams involved in production of assigned title and console including Functional QA and Production teams- Testing high priority titles for standard issues- Provide support for other Compliance teams during downtime in assigned console product cycles- Travel to offsite development studios during various stages of the development process to provide first hand support to the Development team when necessary- Test games under development to determine their compliance with the console manufacturers’ and THQ’s technical standards.AAA titles shippedSmackdown vs Raw 2010 | Darksiders | Metro 2033 | UFC Undisputed 2010Homefront | Smackdown vs Raw 2011 | De Blob 2 | Red Faction ArmageddonSaints Row 3 | Warhammer: Space Marine | MX vs ATV Alive | UFC Undisputed 3WWE'12 | Darksiders 2 Show less
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Quality Assurance Analyst
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Apr 2007 - May 2009
Began as a contract employee in April-2007. Quality work resulted in a promotion to full-time THQ staff the following year. AAA titles shippedRed Faction Guerrilla | De Blob | Drawn to Life
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Education
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2018 - 2019
University of California, Los Angeles
Certification, Computer Science -
2003 - 2006
The Art Institutes
Bachelors, Game Art and Design -
2000 - 2003
The Art Institutes
Bachelors, Animation
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