career development

Woman looking for a book in the shelves of a library, photo by Clay Banks Make Time for Learning with Deliberate PracticeAs software professionals, we need to work continuously to improve our skills. But two common challenges are how to best work to improve, and how to find the time to learn when we’re busy. The answer is deliberate practice—practice with a clear goal and defined measures for success that pushes your usual boundaries.
Humanoid robot photo by Alex Knight What’s Our Job When the Machines Do Testing?It’s a safe bet that testing jobs won't be taken over by machines anytime soon. However, those of us in the test industry would be wise to heed cross-industry applications of analytics and machine learning and begin staking out the proper role of the machine in our testing domain. What could AI mean for testing?
code Do Testers Really Need to Learn How to Code?Because automation, AI, and agile have changed how we test software, the thought is that testers need to understand a certain amount of coding so that they can make themselves more well-rounded and better able to adapt within a software project. But there are other things testers can focus on before learning to code.
Programmer coding A Tester’s Guide to Choosing a Programming LanguageMany testers want to learn a programming language, but how should they decide which one? Justin Rohrman suggests finding an authentic problem to solve and moving from there to determine which language would be best. You can also ask developer coworkers for suggestions and help—take advantage of available resources.
colorful right side of brain The Need for Well-Formed, Creative Minds in Software Testing

The need for creativity and innovation is felt in the world of software testing more than ever before given how dynamic and fast-paced it has become. With so many changing technologies and a multitude of people to interact with, a tester’s job calls for newer and better ways of accomplishing tasks.

People shaking hands at a job interview What to Say (and Not Say) in a Job InterviewThe interview can strongly influence whether you get the job you’re seeking. It’s not just what you say in responding to interview questions that’s important; it’s how you say it. And maybe even more important than things you should say is steering clear of things you shouldn’t say. Here are some points to consider.
Butterfly Transforming Your QA and Test TeamTesting professionals are essential to the success of technology projects. Delivering better, faster, and at a lower cost is not solely done with automation and development teams—testing professionals are here to stay and grow. But we have to fight for our place, and that means evolving with industry requirements.
Two rocks balancing Balance Technical and Social Skills for Project Success

Software testing is a socio-technical undertaking, which means that effective test strategies must incorporate a balance of technical capabilities relating to processes and tools and social capabilities used for communication and problem-solving. This balance enables true project success.