On the forums are often asked – who is a tester, and how to become one. In my view this position better reflects the name of "quality engineer". Because it is the best quality product and is the main task of the tester.
When a team is selected testers, focus (in addition to technical knowledge about them later) is given human qualities sobeseduemogo.
First of all it must be a person with a high degree of responsibility. This is important. Irresponsible people can not be a tester. Because it was in the unit, which you thought "Ah! there just all works "had fallen Fatal error.
Another important quality – sociability. Are you looking for a man in command, and it must be a team player. Some companies use XP-testing. Such work is paired with another tester is a good test of skills.
Interpersonal skills necessary not only to work in a team testers, but also to communicate with a team of programmers. Need to find a middle ground between perseverance and understanding to be correct and appreciate another’s point of view. After all, programmers and testers – is one of the team members working towards the same goal.
Opposite, but no less important qualities are patience and perseverance. Work tester – it is often hard work to test hundreds of different versions of one module. Sometimes some of the modules can not be automated (partially or fully), and check carefully tester is a must.
The other side of the tester is the preparation of test-cases, test-plans and check-lists. Writing these documents – it is a necessary but very hard work. Moreover, that these documents have to rewrite or edit the version to version.
Persistence. Most often, the tester can observe inconvenient in terms of usability modules in the program. Ability to convince not only programmers, but the authorities – an important feature. It is not peregnuv stick, and not to spoil relations between management, project manager, programmers and testers.
Ability and desire to learn. Tester should be interesting. As in the work (and what would happen if you put the program and turned on its ear?) And to new methodologies for testing (and that’s what makes this new program, but can she help us?)
Here it should also be noted leaders. If the project is off and testers are busy from morning to night just before testing release – this is normal. But if this situation lasts for years – then you need to seriously reconsider the implementation of management functions. Testers must have time for training, should improve their skills, and leadership should strongly contribute to this. Only benefit from this company.
All the benefits of work, testers often have to work without documentation. The product is developed from the words of the customer and the long discussions among management, managers and programmers, and testers gets "ready" product, which knows what is true and what is not. Information necessary to pull out of grains of programmers, depriving them free time, and along with a 100 to use their own intuition and ingenuity. Without them in this difficult task – testing – can not do.
Well, in my opinion, the main qualities of a tester.
With regard to technical training, the tester should have a higher technical education in the field of information technology. This is not a necessary condition, but it is very desirable. Leadership of this suggests that the specialist possesses the basic programming skills and knowledge of key technologies, and that is important too, to work. Since the person who received education, nevertheless put this much effort (not always, of course).
A necessary condition is that experience – and what it is, the better. In this case, is valued not the number of companies in which the tester has worked over the past six months, and the number of projects, and what technology is used for testing. Also, it is said that a specialist familiar with the software development process, knows the role, diverting everyone in this process, but also knows how to work with packages that are needed in the work (for example, with various bug-tracker).
Also a plus is the degree of completion of specific courses. From here comes the division, depending on what exactly an expert in test looks for the company. If they need a head test, then the end of the course on the organization of quality management is a big plus. If the company is looking for a tester with knowledge avtomatizirovnnogo testing, then a certificate of completion of courses on Rational Robot is just right. But that’s not all.
When it comes to experts in the field of automation, the three-four-day course on any software product will not give basic knowledge. There is much more important experience. Indeed, it may be that the study package that you do not support the technologies used in the developed software product, and therefore not suitable for testing. But if the tester has worked with various packages to automate and has sufficient experience, it would not be difficult to learn another package and implement automation.
On how to develop a specialist in testing, you can say for a long time. You can recall the standardization of usability testing and other areas. But about this – next time!
Good luck to you in achieving the best quality product.