5 software testing resolutions that you should adopt in 2020
Welcome to 2020 software testing enthusiasts!
And while It’s not the same 2020 that was portrayed in the 2000 film Mission To Mars. A new year brings its own sense of discovery. Challenges and exciting opportunities for software testers.
2020 will be my ninth year involved in software testing. But the subject remains as fresh as the day I started. With so much to learn and ideas to try out. The subject of software testing is one of the most exciting and rich career paths available.
And with so much to learn. Committing to life-long learning and having a growth mindset. Will enable you to achieve more, do more, and generate greater levels of success.
The best time to get started is now, and an even better time is yesterday. But with there being so much to upgrade your skills with. Where do you start?
Here are my top 5 learning subjects that you should commit to in 2020. Not only will they make you a more rounded tester. But if you’re new to testing. They’re a great place to start and get your feet wet with the subject.
(Re)Visit Software testing basics
It’s always a good idea when refreshing yourself on a subject to start at the very beginning. If you have been testing software for a while now. It’s easy to forget what you are trying to achieve. Or even why you’re testing the software.
Read the software testing principles here, and why not also consult my own definition of software testing here.
If you are new to software testing. Getting a good grasp of the basics and the fundamental ideas. Will enable you to build a strong foundation that promotes future career success.
Coding
While you need not be a coder to test software (test automation isn’t everything). It won’t harm to write a script that will generate test data. Or perform a repetitive task such as the setup of your environment, or copying of data.
I would highly recommend checking out Python if you haven’t programmed before. It’s quite a fun language, has an easy syntax, and there are loads of resources online for you to reference.
Good places to start are:
Or pick up yourself a book and code along with the exercises. I learned with the help of Automate The Boring Stuff, highly recommended!
Agile Testing
I’m sure that you’ve probably heard of agile by now. The agile method of software development is used by many of the heavy hitters in the software industry today. It is an incremental model in which developers and testers go through cycles of releasing and testing. Until the feature is complete.
Testing in an agile environment is a much bigger topic. So much so that even whole books have been written on the topic.
But learning more about this key topic will be one of the most valuable lessons that you can do for your career. From discovering the advantages and disadvantages. To the preferred testing techniques and the unique challenges it brings.
Exploratory Testing
Users like to use applications in unexpected ways. Being able to look at an application and theorize how a user would interact with it is not only useful. But also fun and creative.
It is about learning the software you are testing. Forming ideas on how it works and testing those theories through your testing.
A popular book on the subject is Explore It! By Elisabeth Hendrickson (@testobsessed).
Automation
If you’re not already able to automate some of your test cases. Make 2020 where you introduce automation.
Automation is increasingly useful to a tester. Plus, seeing a computer run your test for you is exciting and rewarding.
It’s important to realize that before you learn automation is not only think, “I need to know Selenium.”
Although Selenium is a great place to start, just don’t think of it as the end-all and be all.
Automation lends it’s-self to test data generation, API testing, and mobile app testing to name just a few alternative scenarios.
Plus, if you have picked up the resolution to code already. Learning automation will make a great addition.
Take at look at this post to get some ideas of the things you could automate in your daily work.
Have a great 2020!
