There are things you don't discuss with your colleagues—even less so with your boss. Mental health issues are certainly a big no-no. Sophie Küster will discuss her experiences talking about the big workplace "No-Nos" and how that led her to support herself, as well gaining support from her boss, co-workers, and mentors. Ultimately, being able to discuss these workplace taboos led to her and others becoming their most authentic selves. When Sophie started working as an agile tester, she kept her history a secret. She didn't speak openly about topics that were close to her heart: mental...
Sophie Küster
Test Automation Engineer
Cronn
As a child, Sophie Küster wanted to be a ballerina or an astronaut...or both. Today, she holds diplomas in math and yodeling and is a test automation engineer at Cronn, a Bonn, German-based IT company. After years of successfully hunting bugs, she also trains and leads other testers. Recently, she has also dared to look behind the curtain as a developer so she can cut out the middle person and introduce the bugs herself. Sometimes, she speaks at conferences stranger to the universe’s gut punches, she is passionate about improving awareness and communication about mental health and self-care. When she's not busy testing or coding away at her computer, you can find her on a stand-up paddle board, in a tent (surprisingly often in the rain), or at a ballet barre. Sadly, never in a spaceship.