We live in a world which continues to change every day: lots of things are done differently today, compared with yesterday. We started with punched tapes back in 60’s, we have now high performance computers and maybe tomorrow we will start to use quantum computers (who knows?). In the last 20 years the innovation trend has grown very fast once the internet was available to everyone. Both hardware and software areas had known an exponential increase in terms of new technologies used to make people’s life more secure.
Well, we develop new products and we do it faster, but are we doing it better? What about the quality? We, the testers, must deal with new technologies of an increased complexity.
How can we deal with all these?
For a start I suggest you to read the following 10 commandments for testing which every tester should know and ‘try’ to respect.
10 Commandments for Software Testers
Here are some rules to live your testing by.
1. Learn new things every day
It is not enough if you have good technical skills. This is not the main point in the equation. The ability
to learn new things every day is what really counts.
2. Be aware of the context
Identify the context you will work in, adapt and apply your methods to it.
3. Do and learn things for the sake of the team
Be prepared to learn new languages and tools only for the sake of the team; it will
strongly engage you in the project; this way everyone will talk the same language and the chances for you and your project to succeed
will increase.
4. Dare to have your own vision
Don’t hesitate to apply your non software skills in the testing process; you can have your own vision
about what needs to be achieved in a project.
5. Make use of your advantages
A tester has many advantages over the rest of the team and needs to take advantage of them: the
possibility of travelling between projects, the chance to be closer to the client, etc.
6. Be indispensable
Do things better than the others and do the things you best know.
7. Be independent
Being a service provider for the others and not a legacy piece of a system will grant your success.
8. Don’t be afraid to engage yourself in the unknown
You need to take responsibilities in order to become visible inside and outside
your company.
9. Be up to date
Be aware of what is happening in other companies, what is new in the testing domain regarding tools, frameworks.
Read news, blogs and books.
10. Dare to more
Subscribe to technical events and courses. These will help you understand the insights of a system.
I hope that these 10 Commandments for Software Testers help you in your process and add to your testing. Feel free to pick and choose which guidelines suit you best.
Author: Adam Claudiu
I started to work as a tester in 2009. In the beginning I did not knew what is testing and what is the purpose for doing this. After a while I was able to understand that my position offers me the possibility to find and understand things which other people could not access.
The overview on a project, the advantage to talk with the clients directly, the access to the managers. I realized myself that as a tester I have to deal with clients, because I was the right person to say if a product is good to be delivered. I set these thoughts as my base for future and present actions. That is the way in which I gained the trust and appreciation of the team and of the clients. I am happy to work now in Frequentis with very exciting technologies, on projects with a nice team.
