You may be working in software testing in a company that is very influential in the industry . If you do not plan your own growth path, the meaning of this job to you is limited. Generally speaking, the career development of software testing is divided into four stages: entry stage, development stage, advanced stage, and influence stage.
1. Introductory stage: test execution and skill reserve
As an entry-level tester, test execution will take up 80% of your workload. You will execute test cases based on the use cases designed by other experienced testers . Very important.
In the process of test execution, you will treat yourself as a real user. In addition to discovering software defects, you can also think about and give feedback on the rationality of software product design. At this stage, it is the best time to exercise test case management and scenario-based testing. At the same time, you will continue to accumulate some necessary skills required for testing, such as the installation and use of scenario testing tools, and writing some simple test scripts.
You can take this opportunity to lay a solid foundation for testing, such as flexibly using common use case design methods such as "equivalence class division", "boundary value analysis", and "process analysis". Finally, you must have a strong test execution ability . The test execution of the terminal, web terminal, and service has its own characteristics.
2. Development stage: test design and test strategy
After going through the introductory phase, where you have experience with test execution and using the associated tools, you will naturally find yourself in the "experienced tester" camp after a while—knowledge of the software under test, knowledge of common domain knowledge and testing strategies.
At this stage you will gradually participate in the test case design and overall test strategy. When making a test plan, your goal is not just to sit down and arrange the test cycle, wait for the software development to be completed, and test according to the plan, but to participate in the discussion of new features of the software and user experience. After all, you are already very familiar with the project you are testing. Once you start engaging in these more strategic roles, you will find that your role's reach expands, your salary gradually increases, and your job level will also increase.
3. Advanced stage: test automation and efficiency
At this stage, it should be regarded as having truly entered the world of testing. Details such as test execution and test strategy are not the first things you have to think about. You will start to think about how to improve the team's testing efficiency. We have to start asking ourselves not only "what should we test", but also "how can we test it faster, more efficiently, and at a lower cost?".
At this stage, you should create test suite management tools and automated test execution tools suitable for your team , and promote the team to collaborate on projects around automation.
It's no secret that the line between development and testing is blurry, so embrace the blur and move towards the role of test development engineer. Finally, please don't expect software developers to take the initiative to use automation to test, because they don't care at all. So all automation pushes should be strategic, and this dimension of thinking will make you a better tester!
4. Influence Stage: Domain Experts and Thinking
At this time, you should have established yourself as a QA expert in a large factory, and have been engaged in testing for many years, and have a deep understanding of the ins and outs of test execution, test strategy, and optimization efficiency. This accumulated experience will be a valuable asset for any company.
The next logical step is for you to start moving into thought leadership roles. At your company, you should be an active participant in important product management discussions and be able to influence the direction of product development. Participate in the theme sharing of various software conferences. As an expert (maybe an expert in performance testing or a special testing field), you should establish influence for yourself and start to show your unique value proposition. This stage is more about integrating your own thinking into actual work. If you haven't started thinking about these issues, you should act immediately.
The above content introduces the four stages of software testing career development. This article is written by a multi-tester himself. I hope it will be helpful to everyone.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has read my article carefully. Reciprocity is always necessary. Although it is not a very valuable thing, you can take it away if you need it:
These materials should be the most comprehensive and complete preparation warehouse for [software testing] friends. This warehouse has also accompanied tens of thousands of test engineers through the most difficult journey, and I hope it can help you! Partners can click the small card below to receive