12 tips to become a more professional tester
TRANSCRIPT
Joel MontveliskyChief Solution
Architect
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12 Tips for Becominga More Professional Tester
(…or how to stop being a Non-Professional tester)
A little about me…Professions :
(last 17 years)- Tester- QA Manager- Blogger- Speaker- Solution
Architect
Some numbers:- 1 wife- 3 kids- 1 dog & 1 fish- 21 Km
PractiTest- Chief Solution Architect- QA Manager (retired)
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Other interesting stuff
State of Testing Survey & Report 2013 What’s the state of the global testing
community?
Tea-Time with Testers, PractiTest &tens of bloggers and tweeps
600+ respondents & 40+ countries
Report available for Free (PractiTest’s blog)
Webinar with Jerry Weinberg & Fionna Charles (TTwT Site)
Will run yearly – context driven work in progress
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Is Testing a Profession?
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“A type of job that requires special Education, Training, or Skill”
A profession is also something you belong to and identify with…
Profession (Merriam-Webster):
Why do so many testersfeel they are not Professionals???
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What makes someone A Professional?
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Let’s take a couple of examplesof Professionals in other fields
A DoctorA Wood
CraftsmanA Soldier
Knowledge Experience Tools
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The Professional “Virtual Toolbox”
A set of tools that the professional knows when and how to use.
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The Testing ProfessionalVirtual Toolbox
Methodological tools Technical tools User Advocacy tools Project tools Communication tools
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Do you know what’s in Your Toolbox?
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Mapping and planning your Testing ToolboxTip 1 – Map your virtual toolbox
Study your strong and weak points, what tools do you have right now and what you need to acquire or develop.
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Tip 2 – Define your career path
Understand where do you want to be in 2, 5 and 10 years from now, and draw a plan on how you will get there.
How do you test today?
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Your Virtual Toolbox-Methodological ToolsTip 3 – Combine multiple testing techniques
Don’t work all the time only with one knife. Sometimes you will need to use a fork and a spoon too.
Tip 4 – Renounce your Testing Ego
Leave your emotions outside the testing lab, concentrate on the testing tasks and NOT on the people around them.
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Are you aTechnical Tester?
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You need to be (at least)Technically Proficient !
Your Virtual Toolbox-Technical ToolsTip 5 – Use more technical tools
Find ways to automate parts of your work to become more efficient. Learn a scripting language, download a tool/s and spend some time perfecting your knowledge of it.
Tip 6 – Be part of the “technical talk” of your project
Get involved in the technical aspects. Participate in design sessions, code walkthroughs, learn about the system’s architecture, ask your programmers about the internals of their work.
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Tip 7 – Work with internal feeds & logs
Learn to work with as much “internal information” as possible.
System feeds, product logs and monitoring tools will help you to understand not only what happens to the UI but also what’s going on “behind the scenes” of your product.
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Your Virtual Toolbox-Technical Tools
What are you doing toget to know your users?
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Your Virtual Toolbox-User Advocacy ToolsTip 8 – Meet your users
Interact with your users, if possiblevisit them to see how they work,understand what are their real needsand problems.
Tip 9 – Create user profiles
Have something tangible you can use while planning, developing and discussing your product.
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How are you collaboratingoutside of your actual testing?
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Your Virtual Toolbox-Project Management ToolsTip 10 – Manage the Risk of your Project
Many project lack Risk Managers. Asses theproject and product risks, manage themand provide on-going visibility
Tip 11- Start testing Earlier
Don’t wait until they throw the first build over the wall and ask you to test it
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How do you communicate the information you gather?
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Your Virtual Toolbox-Communication ToolsTip 12 – S-M-A-R-T Communication
Simple – Measurable – Actionable – Repeatable - TIMELY.
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Tip 13 – Respect is earnedand it cannot be given
Behave professionally
Prove yourself in a number of situations
Solve issues, it is not enough to point at them
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BONUS
Becoming a more Professional Testers – all 13 tips
1. Map your toolbox
2. Define your career path
3. Combine testing techniques
4. Renounce your testing ego
5. Use more tech tools
6. Be part of the tech discussion
7. Work with feeds & logs
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8. Meet your users
9. Create user profiles
10.Manage all Risk
11.Start testing earlier
12.S-M-A-R-T communication
13.Earn your respect
And finally, back to our DoctorIf you got to choose, who would you go to?
The one who has all the fancy diplomas on the walland sits all day in his office?
-- or --
The one who is constantlylearning from experience and treating the latest illnesses?
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About SaaS ALM Solution Simple & Intuitive – yet – Methodological & Flexible Integrates with Jira, Redmine, Bugzilla, SVN, Selenium, QTP,
Ranorex, SoapUI, etc… Best Darn Support in the Business
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