---
name: Vizrt Reference Letter (Employment Reference)
description: Vizrt Bergen — Test Automation Engineer, Jul 2017–May 2018, "Coder team", exceeded expectations, English-language reference
type: project
---

# Vizrt — Reference Letter

> Issued: 09 May 2018 | 1 page | Signed by: Raymond Hilseth, Team Lead | Language: English

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## Employment Facts

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Company | Vizrt |
| Industry | Broadcast technology — real-time 3D graphics, studio automation, sports analysis, asset management |
| Location | Bergen, Norway (global HQ) |
| Start date | 01 July 2017 |
| End date | 09 May 2018 |
| Duration | ~10 months |
| Title | Test Automation Engineer |
| Team | Coder team (software engineering; not a standalone QA team) |
| Reports to | Team Lead (Raymond Hilseth) |
| Departure | Resigned voluntarily to move back to Germany |

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## Confirmed Responsibilities

1. Planning of new features and code changes with focus on testing considerations
2. Shortening feedback loop and time to market for new features and bug fixes while meeting quality expectations
3. Developing automated test suites to improve quality for users and long-term maintainability

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## Tech Stack

Not explicitly listed in this letter. Refer to `thiessen_linkedin_profile.md` for tech stack details from this period. LinkedIn likely lists specific tools/languages used at Vizrt.

**Domain context:** Vizrt makes broadcast software (CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera customers) — test automation was for production-grade real-time media software.

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## Performance Rating

This is an English-language reference (no German Zeugnis coding). Direct language:

| Quote | Meaning |
|-------|---------|
| "exceeded our expectations" | Direct, unambiguous — stronger than German "gut"-tier |
| "required little to no supervision" | High autonomy, trusted independently |
| "always been able to count on him" | Reliable, dependable |
| "very helpful and well liked by his co-workers" | Strong team fit |
| "We give him our best recommendations" | Full endorsement |

**Overall: Strong positive reference.** Direct English praise with "exceeded expectations" is unambiguous — equivalent to top-tier in German Zeugnis terms.

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## Resume/CV Bullet Seeds

1. Developed automated test suites for Vizrt's broadcast software platform (customers: CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera) — improved quality coverage and reduced time to market
2. Embedded in Coder (software engineering) team — shaped feature planning from testing perspective, shortening feedback loop on new releases
3. Operated with minimal supervision in international HQ environment (Bergen, Norway)

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## Provenance Notes

- **"Coder team"** = software engineering team, not separate QA org — signals developer-level test automation, not just manual/QA testing
- No specific tech stack in this letter — cross-reference LinkedIn for languages/tools
- Short tenure (~10 months) — explained by relocation to Germany; departure was voluntary and received warmly
- **International experience** — only non-DACH employer; confirms English-language working environment
