9 Lessons Learned from My Software Testing Journey
Sometimes best things in life are unexpected. The same goes with my journey as a software testing professional.
It all started with an internship in software quality assurance and the decision to give it a try came soon after. Though it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, I trusted my curious nature which I thought will help in this field.
After joining Bridge Global, It has been an amazing journey with so many different experiences and plenty of fruitful learning from different projects. During this period, the craft taught me that it is not about finding fault or criticizing others’ work. Instead, it's to strive for continuous improvement of the quality of a product by eliminating problems that would most greatly impact the customer using the software.
Many people have contributed to my learning journey. My interactions and experience while handling multiple projects have helped me formulate some techniques to make testing more efficient and effective, which has worked out for me.
9 Tips & Tricks to Make Software Testing More Efficient
1. Address the WHAT, WHY, and HOW
Start the software testing process with the What, Why, and How. Questioning is the best way to get your answers; the more you question, the better the answers. When you are given an application, you should be dedicated to finding out ‘what should be tested?’, ‘what should the result be?’, ‘Why does it happen?’, and ‘How it can be rectified?’
Once you understand these questions, you just need to pick which answer makes the most sense.
2. Develop a clear-cut plan
If you want your testing to succeed, you should plan every tiny bit of it. Prepare a test plan, including information on what will be tested, needed resources, deadline, acceptance criteria, and the current status.
3. Visualize and analyze
Our primary responsibility is to help make the application bug-free as much as we can. A tester needs to visualize the product features, think about their behavior during its development, and how they would be used by the end-user.
This helps us to create scenarios based on the above. It is not only important to see the big picture of the product but is also essential to understand the minor details and observe carefully, absorb the content, and use that information while testing.
Moreover, Identifying the hidden defects – paying attention to each and every detail of the product is critical.
4. Write lucid test case/ bug report
Always remember we are not writing for us. We are writing for others too. The people who will read your test case or bug report should understand what you are trying to convey. While writing your test case, when you bring out the report clearly, the rest of the team members can save an enormous amount of time without guessing.
The clarity brought out in the test cases will have a huge impact on the efficiency of the entire team. Much like writing clear bug reports, when you write clear test cases, this makes the work of the developers and other testers easier. It’s crucial that you write only what is necessary.
5. Don’t underestimate errors
Small errors are still errors. While it’s easier to brush off minor bugs, you don’t know what magnitude the bug will impact the application unless you investigate them. The bug can be an indicator of a bigger problem. So fix the bug at the earliest.
6. Be an end-user
Testing neither means checking the workflow of the application nor breaking the application. But it certainly means checking a normal user’s experience even when he/she makes mistakes. Simply covering the requirements recorded on paper may meet project requirements, but it doesn’t ensure usability.
7. Polish Your Communication Skills
Communication is a strong weapon needed for a versatile software QA tester. Don’t assume if you are unsure. When in doubt, seek clarification and communicate with the team. A tester has to have excellent communication skills and use them to ask questions, present his opinions, and discuss critical scenarios/impacts thoroughly.
Effective communication allows the team to compare results and share effective solutions to the problems faced during the test. This will also ensure a clear assignment of each task.
8. Be a lifelong learner
Software testing is challenging because you need to update yourselves constantly. It’s not about gaining the expertise of a specific scripting language; it’s about keeping up with the latest technology, learning automation tools, learning to create ideas, learning from experiences, and ultimately about constant thriving.
9. Embrace new challenges
If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try."—Seth Godin
Don’t be scared when you are asked to do something that you haven’t experienced or are not confident about. Just accept the challenge. I believe If someone chooses you for a task, they have a belief in you that you are capable of doing that. Just prove it.
New challenges will help you learn new things. It makes you more confident.
Wrapping Up
Software testing is all about constant learning and self-motivation. Always wear the right attitude: an attitude and passion to enhance quality by looking at the bigger picture and by putting yourself in the end-users' shoes.
Thank you. Have a great software testing journey.
About Vandana P M
Vandana P M is a skilful software test engineer at Bridge Global with hands-on experience in the field of testing for both web and mobile applications. She is passionate about continuous learning and collaboration which she believes is paramount in the field of testing.
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