The T-Shaped Tester
Erik van Veenendaal
Improve IT Services BV, Bonaire (CN)
In this Agile era the concept of being a T-shaped person is a popular one. This is defined as someone who is capable in many things and an expert in one of them. Also testers are now expected to be T-shaped. Many talk about this concept, and many testers today state they are a T-shaped. But what is a T-shaped tester? What is expected in terms of attitude, knowledge and skills?
Get Key Actionable Learnings
After reading this eBook you will:
- Understand the need for a tester to become T-shaped
- Understand the concept of a T-shaped person
- Be able to compare the T-shaped concept to other shaped
- Understand that a T-shaped tester needs to posses both the correct attitude and required types of knowledge and skills
- Understand the need for test specialists as an alternative to being T-shaped, but also their associated risks
- Be able to explain what the correct attitude is of a T-shaped tester
- Have an overview of the required testing knowledge and skills to be T-shaped
- Have an overview of the required IT knowledge and skills
- Understand where a tester will benefit from having domain knowledge
- Have an overview of the required soft skills to be a T-shaped
- Be able to perform a self-assessment for compliance with the requirements to be a true T-shaped tester.
The eBook will define the T-shaped person in detail and discuss what it means to be a T-shaped tester. The correct attitude and required knowledge and skills will be discussed and subsequently defined. The reader can use the e-book to understand what is means to be T-shaped and assess oneself against the defined criteria.
T-shaped testers are needed in Agile teams; the traditional I-shaped test professional does not suffice anymore. Learn how you measure up against the T-shaped tester and make becoming a true T-shaped tester part of your career development path. Working toward the correct attitude and building a T-shaped set of knowledge and skills is one of the most valuable things testers can do for their future career and personal development.
The eBook is partly based on earlier publications [Veenendaal,19], [Veenendaal,20] by the same author.
About Me!
Drs. Erik van Veenendaal, CISA (www.erikvanveenendaal.nl), is a leading international consultant and trainer, and a recognized expert in the area of software testing and requirement engineering. Erik is the (co-)author of numerous papers and a number of books (see below) on software quality and testing. He is a regular speaker at both national and international testing conferences and a leading international trainer in the field of software testing.
Since its foundation in 2002, Erik has been strongly involved in the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB). From 2005 to 2009, he was the vice-president of the ISTQB organization; living in Bonaire, today he is the president for the Curaçao Testing Qualifications Board (CTQB).
Erik one of the core developers of the TMap test methodology and the TMMi test improvement model, and currently the CEO of the TMMi Foundation. For his major contribution to the field of testing, Erik received the European Testing Excellence Award (2007) and the ISTQB International Testing Excellence Award (2015). You can follow Erik on Twitter: @ErikvVeenendaa LinkedIn: @Erik van Veenendaal