When any profession has a bottleneck period, so do software testers. The burnout period and the bottleneck period are all slopes that a person must face in work and life. After climbing over, everything is well, but if you don't climb over, you may return to the original point.
For excellent software testers, in addition to having comprehensive skills, rich experience, and good psychological quality, the most important thing is attitude. A correct attitude will generate a sense of responsibility, try to complete all the work and try to overcome difficulties.
I have been engaged in software testing for a long time, and there will always be burnout or even rejection. These are the bottleneck periods in my heart. The work progress did not meet my expectations, I didn’t get along well with my colleagues, bugs appeared after the project I was responsible for testing went online, my own skills did not improve, etc. These are the bottleneck periods in the work. Therefore, the bottleneck period is unavoidable when the two sides are attacked.
So as a veteran software tester, how should we get through the bottleneck period? How to break through the bottleneck period?
1. Learning is the only way to improve yourself.
The development of developers to senior programmers will become a development bottleneck for many people, and it is difficult to improve salary and position. A huge advantage over testing and development is that it is an emerging field with more opportunities. Testers work for three to five years and have some management experience. It is easy to be a test supervisor, although the salary is relatively low. , But it lays a solid foundation for personal long-term development. You should do it when you get it right. Really learning knowledge is the most important thing.
2. Any profession has a bottleneck period, treat it normally.
It is inevitable to think about the career development of the testing industry after working for a period of time. In fact, any occupation will encounter a bottleneck period, which is normal. The key is to see how you overcome it.
3. Maintain a good attitude and sense of work responsibility.
Excellent software testers, in addition to having comprehensive skills, rich experience, and good psychological quality, the most important thing is: attitude, that is, diligence and honesty. Only diligence can accumulate; only honesty can win the trust of colleagues, superiors and customers. Have a correct attitude, will produce a sense of responsibility, will try to complete all tasks.
Testers must give themselves the correct positioning. Since they have chosen the current low-level testing work, they should do a good job. This is the only way to success. The testers are also lonely and lonely. But as long as you persevere, you will always be rewarded, especially when you find some deeply hidden bugs, the sense of accomplishment and pride is really a good feeling.
4. Respect the fruits of others' labor
Software defect reports are the most direct labor results of testers, so you should carefully describe every software defect you submit, which is also a manifestation of respect for your labor results. Unclear description of defects will not only increase communication costs, but more importantly, they will not be recognized and respected by developers. Testers are looking for problems for the results of the developers-products, but also to ensure that there are no problems with their results.
Therefore, as a tester, you must first learn to report a defect clearly and accurately. This will be the beginning of earning each other's respect with the developer and also respecting your own performance. Just imagine, if you don't cherish the fruits of your labor, how can others respect your results?
5. Cultivate interest and confidence in software testing.
Interest is the best teacher, but interest will not arise overnight. Software testers need to slowly cultivate their interest in testing in life and work. For example, when you find the first BUG, you will have a sense of accomplishment; later, the more BUG you find, the more confident you will be. In the testing work, you can work hard to maintain this sense of accomplishment and self-confidence, and slowly cultivate interest.
6. Take bottlenecks and frustrations as a stepping stone for your own leap.
As a software test engineer, we should know that people who have not experienced any setbacks and failures can never do their best.
7. Communicate more and get in touch, and listen to the voices of others.
If possible, communicate with others, they have what you need. I'm suffocated by myself and become more and more lazy to move, too lazy to do anything, a vicious circle. Go out and communicate with others, and you will learn a lot, not just software testing. At the same time, with the Internet today, it is also helpful to visit forums, check out test websites, and listen to different people's voices.
8. Positively optimistic about the software testing market.
Testing is really important! For a software project, foreigners pay special attention to software testing. Half of the employees of foreign companies are testing. Although domestic software companies are not paying enough attention to testing, there is no doubt that testing is equally important for software companies’ product online and development. It can be predicted that in the future domestic software industry, software testers may occupy about half of the software team. At that time, as a veteran software tester, you may have the opportunity to become a senior management. Whether it is job compensation or leading the team, it will be a glorious period in your life and career.
Software testers are like a tree, first lay a solid foundation. If you want to break through the bottleneck of career development, you should fully understand the skill requirements of each stage of career development, lay a good foundation at each stage, and continue to learn! Many times it seems to be a career bottleneck period, in fact, you are precipitation. In short, there will be ups and downs during the test. Only you know the taste. Maybe you will feel boring, but please remember to learn to relax, adjust your mentality, and be more positive. Just like what Li Jing said to Nezha in the popular movie "Nezha": What kind of person you are, you have the final say, don't say give up.