Considering a Career In Software Testing? A realworld experience based alternative view.

Are you considering a Software Testing Career? Or a Software Testing Job? Have you watched videos describing your future job opportunities and the training or roles you have to consider?
Well, this video might help. I've distilled my 20+ years of Software Testing and Development experience into 20 minutes of hard-hitting "Software Testing as a Career" advice.
And this isn't just for beginners and people at the start of their career. I hope this advice will help you even if you have been a Software Tester for a few years.
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You can support my work on Patreon and gain access to material that I don't release anywhere else. / eviltester
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We will cover topics such as:
- Why software testing career can be good.
- Is there much to learn?
- What opportunities are available?
- What types of Software Testing Jobs could you do?
- Is testing a Stepping Stone to becoming a Programmer?
- Is testing really an entry level role?
- How to create career opportunities?
- Should I learn to code?
- How do I get started?
- What should I read?
- How to recognise a bad job?
- How to escape a bad job?
- Should you start by learning to automate?
- Should you get certification?

Пікірлер: 265

  • @DavidSmith-ox4tu
    @DavidSmith-ox4tu Жыл бұрын

    I have been a Test engineer for over 27 years and regret nothing. It has taken me places I could not have imagined.

  • @yeetboi268

    @yeetboi268

    Жыл бұрын

    what certification did you have?

  • @ragaraggaa7223

    @ragaraggaa7223

    Жыл бұрын

    You were before 27 now things are quite different

  • @elleamo92
    @elleamo92 Жыл бұрын

    I just started my first job as a UI tester, so happy to find your channel!

  • @mermaidalone7826
    @mermaidalone78264 жыл бұрын

    I have an interview and technical testing next week for getting into this job. Desperately watching different vidoes. Your videos was such an inspiration for me. Thanks alot🌸

  • @msladyparker8796

    @msladyparker8796

    4 жыл бұрын

    How did your interview go? mermaid alone

  • @kpa-vo4pb

    @kpa-vo4pb

    4 жыл бұрын

    Do not go blizzard Activision worst video game company ever.

  • @horacinis

    @horacinis

    3 жыл бұрын

    How did it go???!

  • @naziraibraeva7495

    @naziraibraeva7495

    2 жыл бұрын

    Did you receive the job offer?

  • @eli-tutos
    @eli-tutos Жыл бұрын

    I have been trying to find a career that fits my personality, and I after watching this video I am extremely interested in QA testing. Thank you for all the advice.

  • @chef5588
    @chef55884 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video, doesn’t try to discourage people but is realistic about what’s needed to get into the field.

  • @sethxtekken

    @sethxtekken

    3 жыл бұрын

    Sank you for your comment .

  • @MICHAELKAGAN8
    @MICHAELKAGAN85 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for giving a full conversation about being a software tester and educating me about what is and what takes to be successful at it.

  • @konwe6579
    @konwe65795 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much. Great insights. I'm currently working at those lower end companies that you've described. Good to hear that advanced testing can be an interesting problem solving activity.

  • @Igzanda135
    @Igzanda13510 күн бұрын

    Great videos, glad I found your channel!

  • @hardwellmjaho4185
    @hardwellmjaho41854 жыл бұрын

    This is really a life couching video this works in any aspect of career, Thanks for guidance

  • @AnthonyWoods-jr6iu
    @AnthonyWoods-jr6iu Жыл бұрын

    Im doing a testing course with automation, SQL, OOP & manual testing......so much to learn

  • @strend2833
    @strend28333 жыл бұрын

    I am completely new coming into software testing, your insight will help me a long way. Thank you :)

  • @Director414
    @Director4148 ай бұрын

    Great video! Thanks for sharing how the job of a tester can be so much more and be so broad. Really mind opening, thanks a lot!

  • @lydiadolbel780
    @lydiadolbel780 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for this video I found this super informative compared with other videos I'd be browsing to help me learn about getting into software testing. Lots of great real world advice and not too much technical jargon. I'm subscribing to watch more :D

  • @DPaquette
    @DPaquette5 жыл бұрын

    Very good video and I agree on the certification information as well.

  • @user-pt3bw9vh3i
    @user-pt3bw9vh3i4 жыл бұрын

    Great video! Most companies overlook this role. Manual testers are the most common ones. They learn more on the software products and testing approaches. But lacking in making sure quality of the product. I’d say we need more performance tester, penetration tester who can ensure better software quality.

  • @lijulal
    @lijulal6 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for the advice. Great video for all software testers!

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    6 жыл бұрын

    Thanks.

  • @lukeharper7850
    @lukeharper78502 жыл бұрын

    Wonderful review, and very refreshing. You articulated things fantastically, and for any beginner... Start here

  • @leemengyt
    @leemengyt4 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for the invaluable information.

  • @shaneparsons9684
    @shaneparsons96844 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so very much for this video, a friend of mine is a software engineer and he recommended this as a career change due to an injury. Everything he mentioned to me, you reiterated a bit more in depth as well and even going farther into detail. I look forward to learning more from your videos and the reading you suggested!

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks. Best of luck.

  • @IntricateMoon
    @IntricateMoon2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this insightful video. Cheers

  • @George-et8sx
    @George-et8sx Жыл бұрын

    Awesome content, good job, sir!

  • @chinmayjahagirdar3333
    @chinmayjahagirdar33334 жыл бұрын

    Thanks that video is really informative ! 😊

  • @smileonmybirthday
    @smileonmybirthday3 жыл бұрын

    Amazing!! Thank you!!! YOU ARE THE BEST!!!

  • @KenjiMiller
    @KenjiMiller3 жыл бұрын

    amazing overview, thanks

  • @thomasschlitzer7541
    @thomasschlitzer75414 жыл бұрын

    I am a free consultant in sw testing. I focus on test management and have 20+ years of experience. First let me thank you Alan because I feel that you live and breath quality and I can learn from you even after all these years. For the people here who consider becoming a tester and looking for a job. I am often in the situation to hire testers for my customers and yes I filter with certifications. But more important I test the people in the interview if they see themselves as a tester. I don’t want people who think testing is just a step. Testing software is a profession and I need people who have a true passion for it. I am happy to hire people who tell me about their passion for quality with sparkles in their eyes. I want to feel that you love testing. If you really do nothing will stop you getting a job in our career path. Remember it’s a passion and not a just job.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    Hi Thomas thanks watching, and for sharing your approach and experience.

  • @Nistorakee1
    @Nistorakee12 жыл бұрын

    thank you very much for the real vision of software testing and all the great content! much appreciated

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    2 жыл бұрын

    My pleasure, thanks :)

  • @melbbb5673
    @melbbb5673 Жыл бұрын

    great video and very available/realistic things that anyone can do!

  • @forexdragon
    @forexdragon5 жыл бұрын

    AWESOME VIDEO!!! One of THE BEST IT career videos I've ever seen and definitely the best one on a career in software testing. Bravo!

  • @Godsserver22
    @Godsserver222 жыл бұрын

    I need a mentor like you, this is so great, awesome awesome job!

  • @Stargrazerone
    @Stargrazerone2 жыл бұрын

    im extremely unexperienced in the field, worked as a cook and waiter for the past ten years,ever since i finished school, and now i applied for software testing job, had and interview, called for another one tomorrow, had only a week to prepare with 11hr shifts a day at my current job, doing crash course on c# when i have time to sit down, when im cooking or cleaning, im watching videos like yours on software testing, how to approach it, and what to learn, as well on scrum and agile. you gave a plethora of good advices and references, and im grateful for this video, because it gave me a perspective regarding the job. im introverted but good at reading people and sometimes i imagine putting myself into their own skin to get a sense of their behaviour and thinking, cause im aweirdo...which i think could be actual skill in software testing, as in viewing software from different perspective, thats the waiter job. as for a cook, well i realised that cooking is a lot like programming, same thing, different work, at least in c#... anyway, got my sub, im gonna go through more of your material. p.s. its been bugging me the whole time...your dialect is very mild, but are you scottish?

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    2 жыл бұрын

    It's great that you're finding parallels between your current experience and what you want to do next. Testers have to think about systems differently and from many perspectives, some people view the thought process as weird, sounds like you'll be fine. Best of luck with the interviews and job hunting. I do indeed still have a Scottish accent. :)

  • @dennisbenedictos9915
    @dennisbenedictos99155 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the video. I relate a lot with your comments. I'm a Software Tester for over 9 years now. Nearly quit the industry as I got burned out due to staying in the same company for too long. During that 9 years I progressed from a manual tester to learning automation testing using QTP and recently, Tosca. I hated QTP but loved Tosca! On my 10th year as a Software Tester, I realised that it is not the role of Testing that I got sick and tired of. I realised it's the fact I stayed in a company where it had no more substantial way to challenge my inquisitive mind. I got bored with our projects even though I was learning new technology testing tools like Tosca. Now on my 10 year as a Software Tester, I moved on to another company as a Test Automation Specialist. I wake up eager and excited to be a tester once again. There is so much new things to learn and there is a real challenge for me to be excited about as it is now my responsibility to introduce automation testing in this company! Also in this 10th year, I have decided to go contracting to challenge myself and see if I could demand a higher salary for my 9 years experience as a Tester compare to what I would be earning if I continue to be a permanent employee of a government department. I still 'work' for a government department but I am contracted via an IT recruitment agency. Just a thought, maybe you can make a video and let us know your thoughts about the difference (pros and conts) between a career in Testing as a contractor vs as a permanent employee?

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Dennis, glad to read you took action to improve your situation. I might well do a permie vs contractor vs consultant video - good idea.

  • @suryamanipandey8002
    @suryamanipandey80023 жыл бұрын

    beautifully summarized

  • @igorkovalenko6775
    @igorkovalenko67752 жыл бұрын

    Awesome video Thank you much

  • @stroeds
    @stroeds4 жыл бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @olaola5333
    @olaola53334 жыл бұрын

    You just make impact , have been studying Software Testing for like 7months now been a beginner , thanks i came across your Video

  • @graceli3186
    @graceli31865 жыл бұрын

    Very inspiring video! Thanks for sharing!

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thank you.

  • @Swanny
    @Swanny6 жыл бұрын

    Great video!!! Loads of points taken down. Will share this as anyone looking to get into testing, like me should watch!

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    6 жыл бұрын

    Thank you :)

  • @Lupasiupa
    @Lupasiupa4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for that vid, and thanks for SPEAKING CLEARLY. I am not native english speaker, so that's so helpful. Greetings.

  • @bravenick
    @bravenick4 жыл бұрын

    Really good video! Personally me pick a route of being a tester first and then become a developer. I failed to land a dev job... But because we all need to pay our bills I land a Software tester job and now I'm working 50% of the time testing and 50% developing.

  • @sneocatenaccio746

    @sneocatenaccio746

    4 жыл бұрын

    Brave Nick hi friend i'm a brazilian guy And I see your KZread channel, I have a question To you : if i want To became a qa test i need to learn coding in some lenguage first ? I have some know only in c++ and never make any software in my life, so i could i get into it ? Learn programing and after that how to teste ?

  • @mza1409
    @mza14094 жыл бұрын

    I never regreted my decission, at least not in the last 3 years and the fact that I make more than most developers deoesn't hurt either. Now I want to focus on API automation. I also wanted to be a developer before, but I feel in love with testing, knowing C# and SQL is enough for me.

  • @ciprianghenghea7779

    @ciprianghenghea7779

    4 жыл бұрын

    Nice stuff dude :DDD

  • @kenimaralu

    @kenimaralu

    3 жыл бұрын

    What testing school did you go to?

  • @chukwuuchethankgod1591

    @chukwuuchethankgod1591

    2 жыл бұрын

    Please suggest video tutorial on KZread for beginners

  • @rashmiranasinghe9949

    @rashmiranasinghe9949

    2 жыл бұрын

    Same story.

  • @Dattebayo3089

    @Dattebayo3089

    Жыл бұрын

    In which country ur?? Cuz in india qa, testers are considered as lower layer employees. Many companies completely ostracise qa team here. After 4 yrs of struggle and switch I earned 6 figure mark. Even learning many skills, technologies, tools also companies not willing to give us good amount. Meanwhile dev in india reach to 6 fig salary with just 2-3 yrs of experience.

  • @john-juanmoreno2236
    @john-juanmoreno22363 жыл бұрын

    Great point of view, using yours skills and develop your self to be a software tester in your field its has a better perspective.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks

  • @romking8249
    @romking82493 жыл бұрын

    Hi i just discovered this vlog after many bad ..bad software testing definitions. You have explained excellent, it is just what i need to start. perfect philosophy determination and passion from your side. Thank you i will browse around to learn new skills. Actually a young programmer advised me to start with a Software testing course, her company hired 2 new testers after that course certification obviously the perception of the entry level still exist. Thank you for sharing with he crowd!

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    3 жыл бұрын

    You're welcome. Thank you.

  • @pedronajera4745
    @pedronajera47453 жыл бұрын

    Sir, I watched a couple of your videos. Went to my interview. I had done my homework and had a bit of knowledge of what the company works on or type of clients. Anyways, I am landing my first programming job in two weeks as an RPA QA. Thank you so much for posting this type of content! I don't have much of programming experience and the interview was focused on questions on what do I consider good software or what I would look for. Goals and processes pretty much. So, I think many of the things you mention in your video are true.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    3 жыл бұрын

    Congratulations. I'm happy to learn all your hard work paid off :) Best of luck.

  • @RWarrior777

    @RWarrior777

    Жыл бұрын

    @@EvilTester hi there, good video. Where and how can I learn software and web testing?. Please help. Thanks

  • @JeatBunkie

    @JeatBunkie

    Жыл бұрын

    @@RWarrior777 you mustn’t have actually watched the video…

  • @darioalejandrodiaz
    @darioalejandrodiaz6 жыл бұрын

    Great video Alan!

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    6 жыл бұрын

    Thanks. I appreciate the comment :)

  • @amirmolavi1415
    @amirmolavi14155 жыл бұрын

    This is amazing! I am having a career shift from HCI/UX to SW testing and I'm so glad to have found this video now !

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    5 жыл бұрын

    Great. Hope it helps. Thanks.

  • @GoogleAccount00

    @GoogleAccount00

    Жыл бұрын

    Im interested in UI. What is the best way to transition with no experience. Will being a Systems Administrative Support Specialist help at all?

  • @md.imranmia7857
    @md.imranmia7857 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much

  • @athziriherrejon6692
    @athziriherrejon66924 жыл бұрын

    This channel is so helpful! Thanks for the information :) I got a job as a Jr Tester.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thank you. Best of luck with your new job.

  • @batmanguzman3963

    @batmanguzman3963

    4 жыл бұрын

    @athziri herrejon how is it so far?

  • @SirJonMan
    @SirJonMan Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this video ! P.s. i can see you are into finger style guitar playing with that right hand of yours.

  • @ukaszglegoa7519
    @ukaszglegoa75195 ай бұрын

    16:10 remind me of Miyamoto Musashi, in his renowned work "The Book of Five Rings," famously stated, "If you know the Way broadly, you will see it in everything."

  • @reezdog
    @reezdog3 жыл бұрын

    I am doing career change and I am thinking of software testing as a way to get into the industry. I want to move into Product Management or Scrum. This video has great guideance.

  • @SamiSabirIdrissi
    @SamiSabirIdrissi6 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much!

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    6 жыл бұрын

    You're welcome. Thanks for watching :)

  • @B.sou94
    @B.sou94 Жыл бұрын

    thank you Sir

  • @nahummaciel6385
    @nahummaciel63854 жыл бұрын

    I put in an application for Software Test Engineer last week. I don't know what to expect or what I should know. This video lots of references to learning how to go about it. Thanks a lot.

  • @amazonalexa8965

    @amazonalexa8965

    3 жыл бұрын

    How'd it go?

  • @diRumahKedua
    @diRumahKedua5 жыл бұрын

    More than 8 years in software testing industry, but keep inspiring by watching this videos, thanks for sharing.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    5 жыл бұрын

    :) Thank you

  • @axa5005

    @axa5005

    4 жыл бұрын

    Hi, I am just getting into the field and want to know long term where can I go for continuing education courses or how do you personally stay up to date? Books/courses, etc?

  • @melinoesedah9762
    @melinoesedah97622 жыл бұрын

    Thank for posting this video. Recruiters have contacted me for software tester and training positions, since I have tech and teaching skills. This does seem like a very interesting career to go towards.

  • @yottaXT
    @yottaXT3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks you very much, i love testing but it has not a good payment in my country, i'll take the books you mentioned from this video.

  • @Rafikiler
    @Rafikiler6 жыл бұрын

    This is the best video about software testing as a career I've seen so far. I've been a tester for a year now and I must say, I got into testing mostly because I wasn't that enthusiastic about programming and didn't have the motivation to learn it myself. However, I found the topic of testing itself extremely interesting. In my current job I have the opportunity to explore a wide range of topics, from exploratory testing, through performance and automation to security and I'm overwhelmed with how much there is to learn. I hope this branch of software development will grow and will stop being regarded as an easy, unskilled job - that's the image bad testers create.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    6 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Rafal. The overwhelming amount of stuff to learn never goes away :)

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    6 жыл бұрын

    Also... Great guitar playing in your videos. :)

  • @Rafikiler

    @Rafikiler

    6 жыл бұрын

    EvilTester - Software Testing thanks :) I'm honored

  • @mayabahapenga

    @mayabahapenga

    5 жыл бұрын

    how did you learn software testing?

  • @xiaotianho1309
    @xiaotianho13092 жыл бұрын

    I am not from programming background and currently job hunting and exposed to software tester job and when I am wondering about it I found your video. Thanks for your video. You give me an insight on software tester could be an interesting continuous exploring path instead of constraint in following the ruled test script or the test cases which also provide me a good criteria I can consider if I would like to apply as the software tester. Thank you! Interesting!🌟

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks.

  • @phichau90
    @phichau905 жыл бұрын

    Thank u dude . Im currently doing programming front an back end intense course. As im changing my career choice. I have littlr knowledge of it. But imma keep my head down an focus. My main focus is doing a full stack developer. Any tips and tricks u could advise me. Also just stumble to ur channel an thanks for the advice.

  • @mobeenahmed2916
    @mobeenahmed2916 Жыл бұрын

    Great video. Reality check for newbies who think it is easy... Continuous improvement is must. Communication with QAs, Devs and specially being in-touch with Testing Community is very crucial for testers. Conversations lead to questions and vise versa. Thus more learning.

  • @ramonrios4716
    @ramonrios47166 жыл бұрын

    I totally agree with you Alan ...I got into the testing world thanks to your books and courses , and there is so many people there saying " with this single course you will get a job as a tester in a week.. " ...kind of thing ...absolute rubbish!!!!. I was studying and practicing at home for at home for at least a year , before anybody will offer me an interview. But I am in Spain , and there is not a " Testing Culture " in the majority of companies ...it's an overhead that must be keep to a minimum , or so they think , or worst still ..the developer should also do the testing..!!! So thanks for been so sincere and throwing a bit of honest and professional light and very truth full advice. Keep up the good work ...!!!...althought I must admit I miss a bit of advice from you about the present and future of Selenium...I started long time ago with the FireFox IDE...but then ????...is the IDE still used ...does anybody know what is happening to Selenium ???? Any way , Alan , thanks for the great video... Cheeerrrrsss...!!!

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    6 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Ramon. I'm sure someone will try to bring the IDE back. I wouldn't use the IDE since I find it better to work in code. The people that I've spoken to that use the IDE have been experimenting with the Katalon IDE www.katalon.com/resources-center/blog/katalon-automation-recorder/ Which I haven't tried. The code based Selenium WebDriver is going from strength to strength. I'd use that.

  • @ramonrios4716

    @ramonrios4716

    6 жыл бұрын

    Great ..!!! thanks for the reply Alan....I have been disconnected from the Testing world for a while now , after some very miserable experiences with rubbish companies , and I won´t mind to refresh the whole thing from scratch ...using IntellyJ, maven, Jenkins , Git , ect...are you planning to do a " beginners " course from scratch ..sort of thing ...like you did similar to your UDEMY days ??? or do you know of any " complete " course I / we could refresh with the latest technologies ...with Selenium , with or without FF IDE or similar sort of course ??? Thanks for your time and kind regards .-

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    6 жыл бұрын

    My testing courses are no longer for sale on Udemy, but they are all available here compendiumdev.co.uk/page/online_training If you sign up to my newsletter then I typically announce anything new I create there. :) www.compendiumdev.co.uk/page/join

  • @ramonrios4716

    @ramonrios4716

    6 жыл бұрын

    Joined...!!! subscribed and thanks again ..!!!

  • @hamidaparvin6062
    @hamidaparvin60625 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for sharing this video. I am interested to do software testing job but don’t know how to get into the system.

  • @mza1409

    @mza1409

    4 жыл бұрын

    Istqb foundation cert can help, knowing basic coding, how to use chrome dev tools, basicslly you can start applying for junior qa positions after 6 months of learning. Just keep being curious.

  • @infogaanja2323
    @infogaanja23234 жыл бұрын

    U are my hero now

  • @janehamilton3039
    @janehamilton30396 жыл бұрын

    Great advice, particularly about learning testing before jumping in to automate, especially as the industry is all about automation/coding these days. I sometimes feel that being able to code is placed as more important than actually knowing what to test in the first place, which is a shame. I love to code, but I was a tester first, so hopefully I have learnt how to identify what we need to test, and then when, what and how to automate.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    6 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Jane :)

  • @lukapavlesic7610
    @lukapavlesic76106 жыл бұрын

    Been a Software Tester for 10 months so far after graduating Software Engineering and having two years of Software Developing and can say that I totally agree with everything you have said! Great talk! Also agree that Testing is way more complicated than Developing and it is not as easy job as other might think. And when boss asked me why I got into testing (because we are hiring a new testers) I have told him exactly the same reasons you have mentioned and on a plus side I am able to work with multiple projects and multiple teams. Loving every minute of my testing job and we are seeing now how hard it is to find a good tester, to find a good junior testing that is willing to be trained so really hope people will start appreciating Tester as much as Developers (especially in salaries)

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    6 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Luka, really glad to see the enthusiasm coming through in your comment. :)

  • @lukapavlesic7610

    @lukapavlesic7610

    6 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much, I appreciate it! :) Have an question for you if I may... Am from Croatia and here Testing is not as popular as it maybe should be simply because universities do not even mention it (not even a Software Engineering Universities - all of them are mostly focusing on developers) but need for them is bigger and bigger, which is reason why I liked your video so much since it says exactly how exciting testing can be - even more than developing... So my company suggested me to be a guest lecture on Software Engineering Universities in Zagreb just to show students what testers do and introduce them to this field of software developing. So my question is, do you have any advice for me (that has not been said in this video) for that lecture and even more how to encourage students in this field as well, how to present them testing the best. Would gladly watch any of your videos as well, if you are able to link them to me. (if it is easier, my LinkedIn profile is www.linkedin.com/in/luka-pavlesic/) I very much appreciate your answer! :)

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    6 жыл бұрын

    Always talk from your experience, describe things you learned. Also, if possible, try and demonstrate some of the things you do and the tools you use. University courses often make testing all about the techniques. If you can demonstrate the amount of thinking involved and technical exploration then it might make it seem more interesting.

  • @Bm23CC

    @Bm23CC

    5 жыл бұрын

    In your opinion Is it a bad idea for a CS / SE student to move into testing as your first role. I can code.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    5 жыл бұрын

    Neither a good nor a bad idea. If you can find a role with a company that you like, and if you are interested in testing then you'll be fine. There is a lot to learn, whichever route you go down, and you don't have to stick at one thing, you can move between testing, programming, automating, ops, etc. The important thing is to find a company that will provide a good environment for you to learn and grow.

  • @Tchp-ld1uz
    @Tchp-ld1uz2 жыл бұрын

    Seeing this in 2022. Currently in IT support & networking, but want to make the move to QA/Software testing. This is the best video on KZread hands down! Bought the book by Boris Beizer, running through Udemy courses, will look at ITSQB foundations. Knowledgeable of SDLC and agile methodology

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks, best of luck.

  • @md.imranmia7857
    @md.imranmia7857 Жыл бұрын

    Nice

  • @schmoab
    @schmoab4 жыл бұрын

    I think a good career path would be to start as a developer then move into testing. Or switching back and forth. I’m now a combination QA engineer and SDET. Finding a programming language you are comfortable with and becoming an expert in the test framework is a great career path. Somebody will always need a QA with that skill set.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    The more skills we have the more options in how we approach activities. So when people are interested in both paths, then absolutely develop both paths. :) Thanks.

  • @sunnypandey1777
    @sunnypandey17775 жыл бұрын

    U r the best video ...so informative so positive.. github for tester never thought of that will try thanks thanks for all the info..will have to come back to make notes

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    5 жыл бұрын

    Great - thank you.

  • @christophergreen3809
    @christophergreen38093 жыл бұрын

    What you said came true for me. I wanted to be a database programmer. I took my first testing job as a "foot in the door". I could not move up after a few years because it really wasn't my thing, and I couldn't move into development because all my experience had been in testing. I was in demand due to my SQL skills, but I did not develop my QA skills and knowledge to the same degree. After being fired from my third QA job, I ditched my career and started learning another field altogether. I just wish the IT recruiters would leave me alone!

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    3 жыл бұрын

    IT Recruiters never leave you alone, not when you have in demand buzzwords on your CV. :)

  • @andresviveros3994

    @andresviveros3994

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@EvilTester I have been offered a job within my same company to do testing but i want to be a developer. Should I take it? Will testing help give me a good insight into web development also?

  • @dooorrr
    @dooorrr2 жыл бұрын

    Hi, Please excuse the wall of text I hope it's not too much. Watched your video a couple of days ago and it actually answered a couple of concerns about test automation that I had but It created new ones. I had a few things in my head and one of them actually was a thought that test automation is a road to dev. I've got into IT industry very recently with an absolute bottom of the barrel service desk job but the company has a lot of other departments out there. You've actually mentioned that it makes a bit of sense if that's a Progression within company, but after your vid I understood that test automation is a lot of commitment. Not that I don't want to make the commitment but I'm afraid that I will try hard to get the test Automation job and I will have to work my ass off to prove that I am able to do the job without a degree and job experience and then I will keep thinking about what to do get into Dev instead of getting better at test automation. How you describe it makes me feel like it's a lot more to master and a lot more of skills to have than an actual Dev. I was skeptical first when I started thinking about Test Automation whether I could make it or not, but I had the thought that's "just a milestone on the way to dev" but after your vid Im concerned that it isn't and I can't wrap my head around that. Second thing I was wondering about is whether I should pursue a paid certification, and again you mention that it holds no real value. I would like everything to happen fast because I'm afraid of losing time (feeling like I got into service desk really late at 26, my prior experience is pretty much useless in IT) but at the same time I know that it will take time and I have deal with staying in SD for a while. I was hoping that within a year I could get enough knowledge to be able to contest a Junior position and I'm absolutely not sure where to start and whether it is reasonable to get into test automation and would the skills and knowledge not go to waste if I'd like to pursue a Dev job anyway. (perhaps I would feel good with tests if I got into it, but at this point I just know absolute basics from KZread vids but yours hit the most so far) To sum up the wall of text: Is a year enough to get enough skill for a Junior if today I only have a bit of coding skills Are the skills useful if I wanted to pursue Dev anyway Where to really start, you give a lot of great tips and worthy reads but Im wondering if I should study the books or look for something like an udemy course that could give a basic overview.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    2 жыл бұрын

    - A year can be enough to get enough experience to land a junior job. - Programmers automate their applications, automating is a useful skill to know, if you learn to test and automate and switch to coding it won't be wasted. - Learning styles and requirements differ. I learn by reading and doing, watching videos if I get stuck... but I also have a lot of experience now. There are a lot of free courses on FreeCodeCamp, there are many KZread videos on specific skills and topics, there are many free books on most languages. - Whatever you do, build a portfolio using Github and blogging about what you learn, and the resources you use. - Also do lots of searches for "how i learned to code and got a job" there are many experience reports of learning paths that people took to get in to coding... there are fewer for testing and automating but they do exist. Learning to code well will help with automating to build reliable tests that only fail when an assertion fails, not when the system is slightly slow. Learning to build applications requires an extended set of development knowledge including architcture and design. There is a lot of overlap so nothing is ever wasted. If you are working in an automation role then extending your programming knowledge into creating applications may not directly help with your automating but will be necessary for a development role. Learning concepts like Domain Driven Design and how to architect code into effective classes and functions, learning about immutability etc. are part of the overlap between automating and application development. Read as much as you can, follow as many tutorials as you can... but the most important thing for moving into a programming role is to write programs. Automating is part of that so you can use any automating skills to help with that. The timescales depend on how much free time you have and what type of programming you are interested in, also which language you are learning. Since you are working, see what paths the people who came before you took, did they move into the programming side or the testing side? Speak to the people in your company to find out how they did it. If you can move within your existing company then that is often easier than starting from scratch somewhere else. Develop the skills that help you do your current role better. Depending on who you are supporting and how you are supporting different technical knowledge will help. In general, I think if you have aptitude for programming and like programming then learning to code applications to a level suitable for a junior dev is often easier than learning the skills for automating. You can learn testing skills on your own application as you build them. You'll have to try the different paths and see, remember there are tutorials on like that claim to teach the basics of coding in an hour or a weekend - try those and see how you get on. Whatever path you take, create an online portfolio. With programming that is slightly easier because you can release your applications and host the code on github. There are many ways to deploy code live for free. Pure HTML and JavaScript - gitpages Server side code - Heroku Python - streamlit and anvil works Glitch supports multiple languages with free app hosting. Experiment with different paths. A Software Developer has skills from: programming, testing, automating, managing, marketing, operations, support, writing, documenting, training. Each of those aspects also has specific Roles: Programmer, Tester, Test Automator, Manager, Marketer, Dev Ops, Help Desk, Dev Rel, Technical Author, Trainer. It is rare for someone to learn all the skills and gain experience in them all. It takes time.

  • @marekk7151
    @marekk71514 жыл бұрын

    Going for Interview 16.01 :)

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    best of luck

  • @RomanticPopPunk

    @RomanticPopPunk

    4 жыл бұрын

    How did it go?

  • @successstory813
    @successstory8134 жыл бұрын

    Hello sir yur video is very nice can u tell SEO or testing is best good

  • @dalstonisdead
    @dalstonisdead3 жыл бұрын

    Hi Alan, what a great video, realistic but supportive! Wondered what your thoughts on uTest are? (if you have any?)

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks. I think crowdsourced sites like uTest are a great way to practice - if you don't do it for the money. And for some countries the exchange rates make it possible to earn good money - hints: get in fast, look for low hanging fruit, run link checkers, run validation tools, run spelling check tools.

  • @josephralston772
    @josephralston7723 жыл бұрын

    *singles in on EvilTester videos to learn about software testing* EvilTester: "Dont just focus on a single person" Me: "S**T"

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    3 жыл бұрын

    :)

  • @jeanniehuang9117
    @jeanniehuang91174 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! Where would you suggest looking for online software testing blogs and communities?

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    for blogs I would initially subscribe to the rss feed for this collection... www.ministryoftesting.com/feeds/blogs There is a list of slack channels here applitools.com/blog/2019-top-slack-channels-for-software-testers/

  • @arthurivex2298
    @arthurivex22983 жыл бұрын

    Here's the issue, automation engineers get pushed to SDETs, then evolve into engineering. The problem is that senior level automation engineers are few. Sois good to stick with automation and then you'll see $$$ if you reach senior level.

  • @JoolieEm
    @JoolieEm5 жыл бұрын

    ... "and I hope that's you..." :D :D :D

  • @janpala5922
    @janpala59224 жыл бұрын

    I have joined a new job in a software development company 2 weeks ago. Everything there is great and I am stoked to learn and study SW testing in-depth! Any book recommendations? I worry that the books mentioned in this video will not be translated to my language, however I am eager to learn and understand the books in english! Cheers!

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    Hi, I recommended books that I found useful. But when I started, I read everything I could get my hands on. Also I read every magazine available. The main point is just to consume as much information as you can - books have a single voice and a path. But there are also so many blogs available that you could probably spend years just working through blog posts. I'd recommend subscribing to this feed of blogs www.ministryoftesting.com/feeds/blogs and reading the blogs that resonate.

  • @harrycarpinter
    @harrycarpinter5 жыл бұрын

    Hello there EvilTester and thank you for your video. Really interesting insights. Can I pick your brain about the QA mentor program? You know, the one founded by a Russian-American guy. Is is too good to be true? I sincerely appreciate your answer. Best, H.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    5 жыл бұрын

    Hi, I really don't know anything about this program or any links to it. But feel free to contact me via eviltester.com/contact and you can tell me more about it... P.S. I do mentoring through Patreon.com/eviltester and might be convinced to bring back the higher tier category for direct mentoring.

  • @doriantomas
    @doriantomas3 жыл бұрын

    no my friend, that is not me. me, i look for some easy job, boring job, not to be tired,vto be able to work from home as well. thanks for the informations man. you're cool.

  • @malus7452

    @malus7452

    3 жыл бұрын

    same, lol

  • @burakcelebi3378
    @burakcelebi33783 жыл бұрын

    That is the most helpful KZread video ever ı seen. Thanks for your words. I have one question. Just I m trying myself upgrade about QA testing. I'm learning thinks as much as possible. Sometimes its getting hard but ı liked to do this works. I was gonna ask this. Is there any possibility without experience, work and learn same time? I wanna get experience. I am really hungry for this. You are inside this topics. How many "%" I have you think?

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    3 жыл бұрын

    To work and learn at the same time you can: - get lucky, - donate time to an open source project - test & raise defects (blog about your testing, or post about it on linkedin to demonstrate experience) - take part in crowd sourced testing programmes - the don't pay much, but you will get experience Sadly "work" does not always equal "paid". To get paid and learn you usually have to be an 'apprentice' or 'trainee' and that often means working as a junior in a consultancy or outsource testing provider.

  • @burakcelebi3378

    @burakcelebi3378

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@EvilTester Thanks, it will definitely will help on my way. If I will have questions I hope I can ask you :)

  • @johnburns7047
    @johnburns70472 жыл бұрын

    nice

  • @tylerrogan4306
    @tylerrogan43062 жыл бұрын

    I wonder what you would think about a qa company hiring a junior programmer in their job description. I've found one to apply at and it's very unclear if they want me to be a manual tester or jump straight into automating. They don't require knowledge of automating testing or any specific languages but supposedly want a programmer strong in pretty much any language.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    2 жыл бұрын

    I started as a programmer for a Software Testing company. Because they wanted to build some test tools. It never hurts to apply, or ask, when you find out more information about the role you can decide if it is something you want to do.

  • @PeyoteCowboy
    @PeyoteCowboy4 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for the video. Can anyone please direct me where can I find open source software to practice my testing skills and build portfolio for my github?

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    I have some here www.eviltester.com/page/tools/ but I look on bitnami.com/ and other such sites for larger applications

  • @PeyoteCowboy

    @PeyoteCowboy

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@EvilTester thank you!

  • @gauravjoshi5054
    @gauravjoshi50544 жыл бұрын

    Good info man! I have 1 question I’m in development last 7 years in c# I know sql as well. But somehow I’m not enjoying my work in development.May be I have less interest in coding. I have good interests in testing and debugging the code. Can I move to QA after working in department.? Will this be best decision for me ..? Please advise Thanks in advance

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    Moving between roles is possible. It is often easier to do while in work ie. with your current employer, change the role so that you do more testing than development work. Initially you will probably start doing more automation, performance/stress, or technical testing since that has a stronger overlap with programming work. But as you learn more about testing then you can incorporate more user focussed and in depth requirement testing.

  • @DevlogBill
    @DevlogBill Жыл бұрын

    Excellent advice, I really enjoyed your video. I am not certain about becoming a tester because I have my heart set to become a front end developer. Been learning JavaScript for 10 months, did 3 months of Python and SQL using MySQL. Now I am learning React. I will try what you recommended. Question? Does learning testing make you a better programmer? I will look into becoming a tester to see if I like this. If I have further questions I hope I can post you a question, Thank you once again for your very well made video on this topic.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes, learning testing makes people better programmers. At least it did for me.

  • @StevenBoutcher

    @StevenBoutcher

    Жыл бұрын

    I've been in QA for 3 years, 2 of them automating tests, and 3 years before that learning frontend. I can say that programming helped me be a better tester and testing helped me be a better programmer.

  • @nataliiakuzovych2498
    @nataliiakuzovych24984 жыл бұрын

    Hi! I have no software background and I am looking at switching careers to Software Testing. I would prefer to go with a certificate but while looking at options hasn't run across smth good. There are so many boot camps for software developers. Could you recommend an educational platform? Thank you.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    I haven't used a lot of online platforms. It really depends on budget and who is paying. There are many independent online courses, I have some on my web site. There are many courses on Udemy, the quality can vary massively but most courses discount down to 9.99 eventually. LinkedIn Learning has a lot of courses (I have several courses on LinkedIn) - again quality varies but they are all professionally produced and condense the information to get it across quickly.

  • @gavishn8557
    @gavishn85574 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much for the info. I am 40 years old & holding a EEE degree & decided to start with software testing. I welcome suggestions on my decision. And once again I thank you for the valuable video.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    Keep working towards your career. Keep applying for jobs. Ask for feedback. Never lose hope. Best of luck.

  • @gavishn8557

    @gavishn8557

    4 жыл бұрын

    EvilTester - Software Testing thank you very much...

  • @KennTollens
    @KennTollens5 жыл бұрын

    I did software testing and development. Software testing paid less, but was so much more fun to me.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    5 жыл бұрын

    Great to hear :)

  • @SHenna-ug9zd

    @SHenna-ug9zd

    5 жыл бұрын

    What are the important information you need to learn for software testing? I'm more interested in learning the manual part. Please tell me from A-Z what I have to know in order to get a job in that field. Thanks!

  • @ciprianghenghea7779

    @ciprianghenghea7779

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@KennTollens Do you think testing has a good future mate ??

  • @KennTollens

    @KennTollens

    Жыл бұрын

    @@ciprianghenghea7779 Yeah, especially if you can do automate tools like selenium.

  • @podunk87
    @podunk874 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the video. I'm an American, and I live in Ukraine. I've been offered a position as a Junior/Trainee QA Engineer at a good company once I get some knowledge / go through some courses. I'm planning to move back to the US in a couple years, and I was wondering if you think that 1.5 - 2 years of real experience would be enough to get a job in the US without having a degree in Computer Science. I'd really appreciate your opinion and insight on that. Thanks, again.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    I don't live/work in the US so I don't know what the job market is like there. And as ever, it depends on the company, the role, the hiring manager and the hiring process. Some companies are looking specifically for junior staff that they can help grow. I personally think that if you have real work experience then that will be very helpful. When job hunting, we may have to apply to many many companies at the same time. I'd recommend sending applications to companies prior to moving back. Best of luck.

  • @podunk87

    @podunk87

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@EvilTester, thanks for taking your time and advice. Take care.))

  • @ragu5542
    @ragu55424 жыл бұрын

    Are there any (aptitude) tests which indicate whether testing is even a suitable career for a person ? It is possible that one can learn a bit of testing, maybe even get "not so great" testing jobs for many years, and still not realize that they have little or no aptitude for testing.

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    I don't know of any. But I'm not sure I would trust an aptitude test. Personal motivation seems more important. That and taking action to practice and learn.

  • @antomg9926
    @antomg99264 жыл бұрын

    A few hours ago I was contacted in LinkedIn by a Recruiter offering me a job as a Jr. Software Tester. Currently , I 'm a jr fullstack developer. Do you think that I should take the job?

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    That would depend on you, your aims for the future, how you value your current company above LinkedIn, and all the other considerations around changing roles: location, salary, commute, prospects, training, bonuses, etc. Compare the job with your current objectively by writing out pros and cons, but ultimately it is going to be a subjective decision about how you feel about it. And if you are unsure, ask LinkedIn additional questions to help you get clear in your mind.

  • @alobaidi1111
    @alobaidi1111 Жыл бұрын

    How does the career outlook look like? I have been hearing that Quality Assurance is on the decline, is that true? Also how does it compare to Data Analytics?

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    11 ай бұрын

    It is really hard to tell and depends on luck - who is currently recruiting, and the country that you are in. Probably best to look at the job ads for the country you are in. I don't look at the Data Analytics job market so I don't know how it compares.

  • @ongumila1750
    @ongumila17504 жыл бұрын

    I am currently working as manual tester automotive domain . How do I start with automation thing which language should I start to go into automation career . Please reply asap...

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    You might want to check out this podcast episode and the links at the bottom of the show notes www.eviltester.com/show/010-automate-or-die-special/

  • @xxaztxx1735
    @xxaztxx17354 жыл бұрын

    i dont know what to choose .... java programming or software tester ... both are great .... in this moment im kindda 45% java - 55% software tester .... any advice ? by the way ... both will be new for me and i really want to change my domain !

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    Bit of delay, but I have uploaded a podcast covering this topic kzread.info/dash/bejne/kZagy7Zypbmdcso.html

  • @michaelbarley
    @michaelbarley4 жыл бұрын

    Does it matter what programming languages you know already? If so what languages are the most commonly needed

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    You can automate in pretty much any language, so a specific programming language is not important. Once you know one, you can learn another. www.eviltester.com/blog/javafortesters/2020-01-31-which-language-to-learn/

  • @igeitunuoluwa8573
    @igeitunuoluwa85735 ай бұрын

    How can I get all these books in Software testing

  • @nocky9915
    @nocky99154 жыл бұрын

    In your opinion would you say software testing is one of the best apprenticeships/jobs? Because Im interested In an apprenticeship but don't know wich to do in terms of technology

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    I suspect the best apprenticeship would cover all aspects of the Software Development process to help identify where your current skill set and thought processes apply most quickly, and would then train you to build up your skill sets in the other areas. An entry level job would most likely require specialisation and I don't know which would be best for your current skills set or interest. You'll have to sell yourself in to any role, and you're going to have to map your current skills, experience and interests on to whatever role you apply for. If I was just starting out, I probably wouldn't specialise, unless I had been practising that specialism prior to applying e.g. aim for testing jobs if you have been learning about testing, actually testing applications, taking part in bug bounties or crowdsourced testing etc. If I was interested in IT but hadn't specialised yet then I would apply for jobs across the development role spectrum to find entry level jobs that had a good culture fit and offered training.

  • @rohitgupta7159
    @rohitgupta71594 жыл бұрын

    I live in India and am a software tester since a year almost doing manual testing and have learned selenium java on my own. Im thinking to switch as i have heard companies not taking many years experienced testers as the new ones cost just so less. Should i switch to developing looking at future? Quite confused

  • @EvilTester

    @EvilTester

    4 жыл бұрын

    Keep developing the skill sets you are interested in. Write down your thoughts and lessons learned in a blog. Create a github account and release work there. Test the water. Keep applying for jobs. Ask for any comments if not accepted into the role. Every locale is different.

  • @rohitgupta7159

    @rohitgupta7159

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@EvilTester thanks alot for your thoughts! Much appreciated 👍