1. Summary

A prevalent question asked in an interview to a beginner is, Why do you think you will do well as a Tester? Well, to answer that question wisely, you must have some essential skill sets to prove your worth to the interviewer as a Software Tester.

This blog will walk you through all the necessary skills that will help you prepare to answer that question. Although the question might seem to be very generic, it plays a crucial role in determining your worth in the interviewer’s eyes.

2. Title – The 10 Tips Every Beginner Must know to be successful at Software Testing.
   1. Introduction to Software Testing

Software Testing makes sure the software or application does what it is supposed to do without error or conflict. Through software testing, one can make sure that the application or software is free of bugs, there is a reduced development cost and improved performance.

Figure 1. Source: Google

2. Different types of software tests

To begin with, let’s gain some insights about the various types of software tests that are important for you to get familiarized with to become a successful tester. 

1. Acceptance testing: This test is run to verify that the system runs perfectly as a whole.
2. Functional testing: A software code comprises many functions that act as single, independently functioning blocks. This test is run to verify whether these functions are delivering the correct output under various business scenarios. Black-box testing is a very well known functional testing method.
3. Regression testing: Through this testing, you can check if, after development, the software or the product application breaks down or degrades by introducing new functionalities in it. 
4. Usability testing: Through this testing, you can check how well a customer will be able to use the application or system. 
5. Unit testing: In any application, a unit is the smallest functional component that can be tested. This testing method helps in testing the units in an application.
6. Performance testing: Through this testing method, you will be able to test the performance of the software or application under real-life load conditions.
7. Stress testing: It is a non-functional testing method that is done to evaluate the threshold of the system to take the strain.
8. Integration testing: This testing method makes sure that all the software/application components work well together as a complete system.

Figure 2. Source: Google

3. 10 Tips Every Beginner Must Know to be successful at Software Testing

To begin a new career, it is very important that you are well versed with all the trending skill sets. Following are some critical tips that you must ensure before you embark on your new career path as Software Tester.

1. You must learn DevOps & Agile Methodology.
2. You must know all about Automation.
3. You must be confident in Web & Mobile Technologies
4. You must master SDLC 
5. You must have Rational Analysis & Logical Thinking skills.
6. You must be good at Social Networking
7. You must master Testing Tools & Techniques well
8. You must be good at Programming
9. You must learn Project Management for better problem-solving abilities
10. Your Test Planning, Documentation & Reporting skills must be perfect
11. You must learn DevOps & Agile Methodology.

The DevOps and Agile methodologies promote collaborative and iterative working models, which help the Software Testers meet the pressing deadlines for delivery. 

Testers must learn these methodologies as the Agile methodology speeds up the testing projects, whereas the DevOps helps in monitoring the cross-functional teamwork, which includes the development, analysis and quality analysis of the final product at a much faster pace. 

Figure 3. Source: Google

5. You must know all about Automation.

With new technologies emerging every day, numerous new features are introduced to the software every now and then which manual testings are not capable of handling. So as a tester, you must learn automation skills in order to get higher accuracy and perfection in the testing projects. 

There are many test automation tools that, as a tester, you can use to support any specific testing and also to speed up the process.

Figure 4. Source: Google

6. You must be confident in Web & Mobile Technologies.

To test any software, you must familiarize yourself with the technologies it is built on. Getting knowledge of Web and Mobile technologies will help you understand the scalability and build a course of action for testing accordingly. 

Also, as a tester, you must make sure of a proper QA of the end product. Updating yourself with the latest advancements in the Web and Mobile technologies are going to help you in grasping the coding structures.

Figure 5. Source: Google

7. You must master SDLC.  

As you might be aware, SDLC stands for Software Development Life Cycle. As a tester, it is very crucial that you make yourself well acquainted with the software lifecycle management skills, as this will definitely help you understand the various stages of application development and also to plan the testing process accordingly. 

Acquiring knowledge on some of the common SDLC models like Waterfall, Lean, Kanban, etc., will definitely help you foresee the complexities that might turn up in the application and take required measures on priority.

8. You must have Rational Analysis & Logical Thinking skills.

As a software tester, the three skill sets that are going to help you the most in completing successful software testing projects are rational, analytical and logical thinking. This will not only help you in identifying the probable errors beforehand but also assess the unfamiliar behaviour of the application. 

Through sound analytical and reasoning skills, you will be able to able to validate and test your software application against different scenarios. This will definitely help you in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the system.

Figure 6. Source: Google

9. You must be good at Social Networking.

Well, social networking is something that has become a mandate for any professional to grow in any industry nowadays. Keeping yourself updated with the necessary skills is majorly acquired through social networking only. 

Also, with good social networking skills, you can always connect with industry experts on Twitter and Linkedin to gain knowledge and build professional relationships.

10. You must master Testing Tools & Techniques well.

Regardless of the application type and the domain on which it is developed, you must be well aware of various testing tools and methodologies like penetration testing, system testing, black-box testing, etc. This will make you a versatile tester for running any kind of successful project. Also, you must acquire knowledge of test management tools like automation tools and GUI tools.

11. You must be good at Programming.

By programming, of course, no one expects you to be a pro in software development, but definitely, it is beneficial to have programming knowledge since it helps you to understand the inside of the application and its functionalities. 

It is always advisable to learn at least two programming languages since this will increase your chances to understand the overall working of the application and also make sure of better application lifecycle quality.

12. You must learn Project Management for better problem-solving abilities.

By instilling project management skills in yourself, you will be able to highlight your problem-solving abilities as a tester. This will also help you to learn how to be accountable for a complete end-to-end testing project. Also, you will be able to deliver better quality test results.

Figure 7. Source: Google

13. Your Test Planning, Documentation & Reporting skills must be perfect.

Through test planning and documentation skills, you will be able to identify the right requirements for your testing project and thus take the necessary steps. This process not only helps in keeping a tab on the requirement changes in the testing process but also helps in proper logging and reporting of work. Through sound reporting skills, you will be able to provide the exact status of your test projects to your stakeholders. A proper report will help your top management to interpret the exact status of the project, including how many test cases were run, how many bigs were encountered during the test process, what are the expected release timelines, etc.

Figure 8. Source: Google

14. Conclusion

The baseline here is, no matter whether you are a beginner or an experienced software tester, you must keep updating your skills and knowledge in accordance with time and the latest technologies to be in the game. You can either opt for self-learning from websites providing free Software Testing courses or indulge yourself in rigorous training programs to learn new skills and also it is essential that you implement these new learnings in your work projects to be ahead of the competition.