Why didn't you become a professional tester?

1. You think testing is not a technical profession, so you don't try to understand the product code.

If you are engaged in software development, you will at least understand some software engineering knowledge. As a tester, you should be able to read the code to analyze the product and understand how code changes and fixes will introduce other bugs. The Black Box vs. white box day should end.

If you don't want to do this, you can still do the job without writing any code. However, if you do not read the code, you will lose an investment that is very important to the entire test process.

 

2. Developers are only involved in the entire process when they tell them to start testing.

When will the test be conducted throughout the development process?

Theoretically, we want to intervene in the requirement collection and analysis phase and complete the rest with other members. In fact, it is hard for us to invest in it, only when developers want to get feedback as soon as possible and submit code for us for the first time can they get involved.

Why does it continue like this? Most testers will say this test is the last step in the development process, and we are always busy testing when others are busy planning.

But in fact, if you don't have to take two hours a day to do a test design, it means you have a poor management time. It also means that the only reason you don't want to get involved in the development process early is that there is no priority, or you don't want to do this in other words.

 

3. communicate with customers only when technical support colleagues require reproduction of bugs

Testing personnel are responsible for testing based on various user scenarios. Once the product is released, it is particularly important to find Bugs based on scenarios.

But in fact (this should refer to outsourcing projects), you only represent the customer rather than the user throughout the development process, and plan the test and build the test environment according to the customer's work behavior, it is only expected to provide functional feedback based on their needs and restrictions.

If this is the case, I don't know how real users simulate their behaviors on behalf of users? When is the last time a user accesses a product? During work, can you really consider the restrictions on how they use products and work environments? I guess the answer must be no!

Visit some users until you understand them.

 

4. Risk management is performed only when life insurance is handled

There is a simple truth for testing, perhaps the least: testers don't have enough time to verify everything. At this time, the basic risk management comes in handy, helping us to differentiate the priorities of work, which tests are required, and which ones are prioritized, which can be assumed to work based on other test results.

But as I said, this is only the basic aspect of risk management, and more advanced is to provide greater value when there is no association between analysis and testing.

All testers know where the more risky areas of the product are, where there are more bugs, and the team is delayed for any irregular or unplanned transactions.

As testers, we should be aware of these areas and remind our teams in real time at different stages of the project. In this way, we can also decide whether to use other modules of the product to develop these features, or consider that these unexpected problems will happen sooner or later. If allowed, we can spend more time to maintain system stability.

You should try your best to expose the problems that affect the product as soon as possible, whether known or potential, to help the team set reliable goals and achieve goals in time and budget.

 

5. You have no plans to increase the value of your testing work.

The testing profession is unknown in many aspects. There are many ways to bring it into the testing industry. Once you enter the testing industry, there are various ways to improve the testing skills. Most testing skills are improved by individuals. They are determined by the individual abilities of testers, the needs and restrictions of the current work environment, and the sources of information that can be obtained.

In short, there is no only way to train yourself into a professional tester, and it is not easy and the effect is not fast. Therefore, unless you decide to really improve the development process and know how to achieve these goals, you can truly improve testing skills and increase the value that can contribute to the team.

How can this problem be achieved?

Start to list the strengths and weaknesses of testers, and think about what aspects you want to improve and finally find the desired method. One thing is very sure. If you do not grasp the opportunity or take the lead with the career development of other testers, it will never be possible to improve.

 

6. We believe that testing is to design and run pre-defined test cases.

In addition to running test cases, there are more:

-Provide feedback on product design;

-Analyze the risks of the current project plan;

-Informal feedback is provided at different development stages;

-The Development automation framework can help developers maintain the stability of their products;

-Run scripts or use cases, but not just pre-designed;

-Analyze the test results and all available information to help us understand the latest product progress;

-Continuous feedback in the process

In addition, we can continue to follow these steps.

In short, if you simply run the use case and set it to pass or fail, the value is far from being realized.

 

7. Automation is a high-level learning. Testing projects can be carried out in the free time.

Please do not come up with a lot of excuses to explain why it is not automated!

From another perspective, this is the technical weakness of some testers.

Automation is not a panacea and cannot handle all problems encountered by testers. However, using scripts or tools can still replace us with repetitive tasks, which is more efficient and time-saving.

The problem is that some testers still don't feel technical enough here, so they don't choose to improve testing through automation or scripts. In a sense, it is easy to say that a lighter is not used to get fire by means of drilling.

 

8. perform tests at your own discretion most of the time.

A good tester should be humble. We need to know how to provide feedback, and more importantly, how to get feedback from other members or peers.

Many testers are frustrated if other members, especially developers, provide some unsolicited feedback on the testing work, or find bugs or test failures. In fact, every time there is a good reason to explain the missed test, you just need to calm down and share the information, but many testers think this is a personal attack against dereliction of duty, and refute some ugly words.

At the same time, we need to know how to submit bugs, provide negative feedback to the team, and know how to get constructive criticism from our peers.

No one expects you to be perfect. However, they expect you to take mistakes seriously and learn lessons from feedback.

 

9. Do not follow up the skills or fields for improvement

Previously, one of my best managers often talked about our personal "virtual toolbox", which is like the skills we carry that can be used whenever needed.

What are in your toolbox?

Which tools need to be improved or updated?

What are what you need and what are what you want to get next?

There is no doubt that testing is like a craft. Without proper tools, you cannot create the products you need.

　　

10. Your career is to become a manager or change your career

Some people transfer their jobs because they think testing is a good way to switch to development. Some people do not know what testing is, or even because they think it is fun to play with these programs as a whole. After all, it's hard to go anywhere.

Some people eventually became great testers, but most people finally ended up frustrated and expected to end their testing career and do what they wanted, others do not appreciate the challenges brought about by the test. They feel that the only thing that makes progress is management.

Yes, there are also challenges and gains in management. However, if you do not manage it, you must overcome numerous problems. These problems may give you more challenges and gains (not a headache yet ).

In my opinion, if you have been thinking about other things, rather than focusing on being a better tester, you simply cannot be more professional. So think about whether the right line is in or maybe something else should be simply explored.

Want to become a professional? First, perform a professional test!

To sum up the above 10 points, we have always learned how to change our perception of testing.

The first step is to take testing as your profession!

When we do the first step, the second step is to look at what we missed, what we need to strengthen, how we should do our work, and how to handle relationships with our colleagues and customers, what can we do to increase our value.

Step 3 is we should plan ahead and realize that there is a lot to learn before becoming a master or an expert as a profession.

The most important thing is to realize that such a change will come from the heart of actual actions, rather than from God-provided decrees or titles next to the name of the email.

(Transfer) Why didn't you become a professional tester?