Blog the “Millennial” word seems new and just getting used to it.
Tags: Testing, Software Quality Engineer, Quality Assurance, Quality Analyst, Manual Testing

Blog the “Millennial” word seems new and just getting used to it. Venturing into digital word and trying to put forth my footprint here.

Manual Testing is here to Stay but will it be a Primary skillset?

Many Quality Engineers have a tough time figuring out if they need to switch their domain to Automation or something else as growth of every other technology seems too big to even chase.

With the 12years of experience that I am going to complete next month, I have understood that blindly getting overwhelmed by hearing all innovative technologies and making that switch to something that does not excite you or power you for long is not helpful. Here are my tips on how you can stay grounded and yet venture into these new territories with little bit of learning.

1.If you are with an organization for more than a year, figure out what technologies they have been using for about 3 years and has been effective for customer. If customer is new and company has not proposed any new automation features, find few areas which can be automated. The challenge here would be, since a new product is just building up, features keep changing and you will not see any stability in the scripts you develop. So, what do we do? Try frameworks which are easier to build with less knowledge on the intricacies of how it is built. Confused? Try Robot Framework(via Python or JavaScript)

2. It is not necessary to up your game by chasing Automation. There are many companies that have not documented what they do in a simple and yet effective way for new joiners who join at any level — mid management or fresher to navigate the system and different processes. Documentation helps if done the right way. Heard of Mind mapping? Try that.

3.Some might have a notion that Database testing and concepts are too hard to swallow but what I understood is not every day a Database tester is writing complex queries which involves stored procedures. Yes, they do have to figure out those complex queries when Dev shares its piece of work to analyze or test but basics get you covered to perform your daily tasks. Invest some time on learning Database testing/SQL queries.

4. Keep an open mind and open ears to understand what is the kind of language, tools and technologies your team is seeking to upgrade their current systems. Trying your hands on those will give you a feeler if you are inclined to the same skill/technology. Don’t give up if you see challenges like license issues to start. Most tools have a cracked version to try on internet for free.I had this “starting issue” for QTP(now called UFT by Microfocus) since most times I got to know it needs a license to start.

5.A transition from QA to BA seems smooth for many because of the confidence a QA gains by working in multiple domains. However, BA work is not same across organizations/companies. A BA in a multinational company might not be multitasking the work of a manager, tester, Business Unit head etc. but in a startup or a mid-size one, BA work crosses all time zones without much spike hike in salary. This is totally a personal call based on your short- and long-term goals.

There goes my “First Blog”. Hope this helps someone out there in some way. I plan to Blog on other things too which helped me get better at being a Quality Analyst/Tester.

Cheers -

Suchitra

suchitrahere.com