Developing tester’s competences — seeking knowledge and reaching the goal
Everyone who decides on working in IT knows that it requires accepting one crucial rule — constant development. WIth time, technologies change, we’re provided with new tools, have to cope with incoming theories and fresh trends. Gaining new skills and permanent knowledge expansion is quite indispensable. If we cut down on updating what we know, it can appear that we won’t be attractive enough for our present employer.
So, where will you find the knowledge you need?
In the times of pandemic, most of the local industry events got cancelled, and some of them were held remotely. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make it easier to access specialist knowledge and get in touch with experts. Additionally, some branches of IT are even harder to reach reliable sources of information on. An example is software testing — a while ago it was almost impossible to find valuable and upright information on the topic. Our blogpost shows some of the exemplary solutions — hopefully helpful in finding worthwhile materials.
ISTQB® syllabuses for testers
One of the most important and commonly used sources of knowledge for testers are ISTQB® syllabuses divided into different levels of advancement (foundation, advanced, and expert). They define the terminology used among testers all over the world and show the techniques as well as approaches to testing, management, and automation. Syllabuses are provided with an additional dictionary with all definitions along with their translations. Polish language version can be downloaded from the Polish Testing Board site.
Social media can be relevant, too
Another interesting source with loads of materials is a Software Testing Facebook group managed by Piotr Wicherski. It has 35,5 thousand members — active testers and people who want to become a tester one day. It contains materials for beginners and advanced specialists providing various posts, e.g. with real-life problems in everyday projects. It also gives an opportunity to take part in the mentoring programme or become a mentor yourself.
Testing books for geeks (but not only)
Gaining knowledge can be held in a more traditional way, too. One of the most recommended books is surely “Encyclopedia” of testing written by Adam Roman. But the list of works grows with every year and new, valuable positions appear on the market. This year, apart from others, it’s worth taking a closer look at „Certified ISTQB® tester” or „A journey through the world of testing” — both aimed at beginners or those who want to run over the basic ISTQB® material one more time.
Training offer for testers
The offer of training for testers is quite wide, so that’s one of the solutions, too. Nevertheless, it’s essential to check the trainer and his experience before spending your money. If the training is supposed to prepare you for the ISTQB® certification, it’s worth validating that it’s conducted by an accredited trainer. One of the companies that meets these requirements is AmberTeam Testing.
There’s also an alternative for in-house training — a cycle of online training which can be provided at any place and time. One of these is Smart testing.
There are also blogs
Testing industry didn’t escape the fashion for blogging, either. There are many substantive blogs on various topics. Depending on the specialization, it’s worth finding a website run by a person with high competences and experience. You can also check the list created in a “Software testing” document. Exemplary blogs you might be interested in are: testujemy.mobi, testerembyć, rapid software testing, decunadaje. A Website Testerzy which posts on a daily basis is a valuable source of information, as well. It covers many technical aspects and shares additional testing articles’ or materials’ recommendations or interesting information throughout the month.
Testing conferences
Testers have their conferences, too. They can provide you with a gist of an interesting topic that can be developed individually getting deeper into chosen aspects. Such events are also a great opportunity for networking, meeting interesting people from the industry, making new acquaintances, and gaining additional knowledge from backroom discussions.
Which conferences are worth mentioning?
- TestWarez (the oldest Polish conference organized by SJSI),
- ConSelenium (automation based conference),
- TestCamp (for beginners and advanced testers)
- And many more.
Apart from that, it’s also great to take part in local meetups with very interesting lectures.
Developing your tester’s competences — summing up
As you can see, there are quite a few sources of knowledge for developing your tester’s competences. The ones mentioned above are definitely not all there is. It’s worth mentioning that choosing the best way of gaining new skills and widening your competencies depends entirely on you. However, you can’t forget that if you want to maintain your position in the IT branch, you have to constantly grow. Set your goals and work out a plan of reaching them. The sources from the article may help. Good luck!
