This is a guest article from Pradeep Soundararajan. He is a Consulting Tester, Satisfice Inc & Software Testing Magician. Reach him at his blog Tester tested
These days a lot of people who pass out of engineering and science colleges are interested about software testing as a career. When I passed out at a time when the IT had started to boom back in India, most of the fresh graduates with whom I interacted didn’t even know there existed jobs or careers like software testing.
I was offered a job as a tester in a start up for 7440 rupees a month compared to fresh developers (who were picked from better institutes from where I graduated) being paid 34,500 rupees a month.
Today there isn’t such a huge difference between what testers and developers get paid and I consider this generation to be luckier than my generation without ignoring the idea that my generation might have been luckier than its previous generation.
When I started my career as a software tester, I didn’t find any training centre, which could coach me on software testing, and I lacked guidance. I didn’t know about Google and its power of search.
In the organization I worked for, there existed a senior software tester, not by designation or for the technical competence but just that he joined that organization 6 months before I did. He happened to coach me. I blindly believed all that he said about testing. I believed him and never questioned him.
By believing whatever he said I think I was becoming dumb. I looked for someone who could coach me and found two great people, one a developer and other a software architect in the organization whose ideas were much impressive than the senior software tester.
The duos were more open to questions from me as compared to the so-called senior software tester. When I questioned all things that I heard from the so-called senior software tester, I found that most of what the senior tester said was highly idiotic.
I realized that my quest in life was to see myself doing good or great testing in future. To do that, I must learn, I must learn, I must learn, I must practice, I must practice, I must practice…
What do I learn? What do I practice?
When I asked for information about software testing, some of my friends sent me material that was nothing more than, - types of testing, techniques of testing, different types of documentation, process of testing and development.
A question that I asked changed my life and you might want to know what that question is: Is there something beyond what all these people think software testing is which I can learn?
Now that leads to more questions. If it exists, where does is exist? Who has the information? How can I find it?
That lead me to discovering James Bach one of the world’s leading expert tester. His career graph is one of the most impressive career graph I have seen till date. He is a school drop out at 8th standard and yet became the youngest Test Manager of the world at the age of 20 in Apple Computers. He even helped Microsoft in Test Specification and was expert witness in court cases that involved investigations of the computer world. He has traveled to most countries where software testing is being done and has carried over consulting assignments there. He is a kind of tester that can make most testers in the world feel ashamed of their lack of skills, knowledge and maybe money. That reminds me to say, he has made lots of money.
I thought this man must have a secret with him that other software testers don’t know and I wanted to learn that. I found that James Bach is very similar to Jackie Chan as he considers skilled testing to be a mental martial art. Sorry, James doesn’t have any testing certification that you know of and he thinks certification doesn’t help, so don’t try to think of certification when you are thinking of James Bach, the great tester and guru of software testing.
I had to pass through several mental martial arts tests before I became his full time student. Let me not take you through the entire story but let you know that I reached a stage where he hired me to represent his company in India.
I don’t like comparing myself with others and run a rat race but some of my friends who were comparing with me were very disappointed as I progressed. I travel around the world speaking and coaching at international conferences. I am featured as an expert tester sometimes (which I acknowledge, I am not) in other countries. I have a fan following for my blog. I am an independent consult, working on different projects in a day and for different clients from different parts of the world. I coach, consult, speak, write, think, test, manage and learn software testing and problem solving. I was interviewed by CNBC as they considered me a problem solving expert and wrote a column for them as Expert problem solver. I was invited to manage testing for an organization products and services division with about three years of working as a software tester. I have tested over a hundred and twenty three products, so far.
Reputation means more money but if you do things just for gaining reputation you won’t get it. Reputation is a little tricky. People think it is about doing things what other people like but I think it is about other people liking what you are doing.
Don’t worry about too many “I”, I have written in this article and for the moment, think if you have so many “I” to say or probably even more, in testing that makes people to approach you for consultation, you would be making more money than you ever imagined you would make as a tester.
I want to see Indian testers make more money than what they have been making. That’s precisely why I am writing this article for you all.
To start in the journey, apply this heuristic: Question everything that - you hear, you see, you feel, you want to see, you want to hear, you want to feel, you don’t want to hear, you don’t want to feel and other things you think you missed.
How to apply this heuristic?
Let me give you an example to get you started: There is a common myth (which means something is fundamentally wrong but people blindly believe it) by which most testers to my knowledge in India live: Testing is done to improve Quality
- Who said the above statement?
- Why should I believe it?
- By having the above idea that testing improves quality, can any tester on Earth say how much quality he has improved?
- If a tester can’t say that then there is something wrong with the fundamental behind it.
- Improve what quality?
- What is quality?
- Who defines what quality is?
- Does a tester define what quality means?
- If I go to a hotel and the hotel owner says he serves quality food and I as a customer think the quality is not good, whose view is important?
- How can merely finding bugs improve quality?
- So, if a tester reports 5000 bugs and the developer quits the organization the same day, has the quality improved?
- So, if a tester finds 10000 bugs and doesn’t report them, has the quality improved?
- In the above case, testing did happen, and hence did the quality improve?
- If I as a tester report 50 bugs, and the developer in a context of fixing bugs introduces 100 more bugs, has the quality improved?
- Why do all other testers don’t understand the fundamental that it is a developer who can improve the quality?
- As a tester, isn’t my job to find information about quality than trying to think of improving the quality?
- Oh my God! I have been misguided all this while. So what’s testing then?
- Isn’t the above question, a good question?
- Didn’t I learn from this that many people around us are fooling and that is what is stopping me from becoming someone like James Bach?
- Do I want to be fooled?
- Should I allow people, bugs, documents to fool me?
58 comments ↓
I think Mr. Pradeep Soundararajan is struggling a little bit with his big EGO! The article wasn’t about “how to help testes to become rich” but just to flaunt. If you didn’t pay attention, it’s all about me, me me… This article wasn’t anyhow related about practical advices, it’s all about the one Man’s Dream and preaching himself up.
Things don’t work this way in the real world my dear friends…
@Life99joy,
I think Mr. Pradeep Soundararajan is struggling a little bit with his big EGO!
Let’s assume for the moment I have a Big Ego as you mentioned. Whose problem is it?
If you didn’t pay attention, it’s all about me, me me…This article wasn’t anyhow related about practical advices, it’s all about the one Man’s Dream and preaching himself up.
How credible a person you are in the industry?
What have you done for the benefit of the software testing community?
Didn’t you read the demonstration of questioning that in my opinion the most helpful part for anyone in this article?
You are so bold to have put up your name as “life99joy” and those believing your words, deserve it.
Things don’t work this way in the real world my dear friends…
Oh, you explored the world?
People like me are aliens, you are right.
Life99Joy (i wish i could have addressed you by your name),
It’s just enough if we have got the essence of the article. I see the article as his viewpoint (having been there done that … i hope you checked his blog) on how one can question, analyze and not blindly follow the so called common wisdom.
Becoming richest tester does not just mean. RICH can be knowledge, RICH can be skill, RICH can be wisdom, RICH can be attitude. If one is RICH in these other worldly riches will definitely follow.
I would like to understand what did you mean by this will not work in the real world. Can you please enlighten?
Looks like This sound a rajan is a real egoistic dude….
we are expecting some good advice from you dude……
Please dont spoil it…….
Hi Pradeep,
Nice article.
It makes sense to question everything.
Horses can be led to the water, but it cannot be forced to drink the water.
Similarly, unless people apply, practice any technique, they cannot condemn/appreciate it.
As I apply ‘questioning’ in my day to day testing and achieve excellent results most of the time, I appreciate your effort of highlighting the importance of ‘QUESTIONING’.
Regards,
Ajay Balamurugadas
@Gem
Hi Gem,
Have you applied the technique of ‘Questioning’ before criticizing this idea?
-Ajay Balamurugadas
www.enjoytesting.blogspot.com
Hello Sir,
Its a good thing to share your experience.Actually the title u mentioned and the summary below,don’t u think it is going away a little bit.I will be very keen if u give some tips on the above title u mentioned.What things we have to do to become a good tester.I also think today certifications matter the most especially in Testing domain.Also if we do good job money automatically comes,that’s what i think.
@Amit,
What do you get by reading the questioning that is happening towards the end of the article?
@Amit,
Hi Amit,
What do you mean by ‘good’ job?
It differs from context to context.
See, Pradeep has mentioned one of the skills/techniques to become a good tester and earn lots of money.
It’s upto us to imbibe the lessons and apply.
>> I also think today certifications matter the most especially in Testing domain.
It varies from company to company.
What if a tester has a certification but cannot test better than a tester who has no certification?
Feel free to comment back.
Regards,
Ajay Balamurugadas
www.enjoytesting.blogspot.com
@Gem,
Sorry, I don’t offer good advice. Most of what I advice is bad. Now that you are good, you may not want to take what I advice.
@ Pradeep.
Yes, i read the questioning.I know that it is very important for us to understand the application right from the requirement phase.Whatever doubts we have we should ask immediately.
Hi Pradeep, This is greatest and most inspiring article posted ever on the site. hope you will check the junk mail of gmail account. Thanks for sharing the Information
@Ajay
“Good Job”,I mean that doing our job perfectly,trying to avoid mistakes as far as possible.
Also i think that Experience matters the most,but if u have certificate along with some experience then u have a strong hand compare to others.
This article is so far very inspireing one, kudos to Pradeep.. for compiling this for us. I really liked it specially “I must learn.. I must learn, I must practice…”.
Pradeep,
I feel most “Testers” are happy because they get paid for following the process. The techniques you provide might help improve the quality of the information “Testers” provide their stake holder. But who cares?
Why should any “tester” be worried about the “stake holder” – it’s my project manager who does the appraisal – let’s be good to him. – because that’s easy money.
Most “Testers” are happy to follow a process, which might promise them a bug free product or help them achieve “complete testing”.
So please help most “Testers” understand/clear certifications, interviews, process, best practices, etc anything related not to “Testing”, – because that’s easy money.
-Sharath.B
And as far as Certification is concerned.. it can’t guarntee you to become a good tester. It will just add a value to your resume to get a job.. but I think experience makes a good tester rather than certification.
The topic was very good & convincing too.
@Prashant,
And as far as Certification is concerned.. it can’t guarntee you to become a good tester. It will just add a value to your resume to get a job.. but I think experience makes a good tester rather than certification.
Why is it something that doesn’t make a tester good adding value to resume?
Is there no one who said, hey but you never asked me test before you certified me. Why would I want to be certified by those who don’t test me for my ability to test?
I just started my career as a software tester. I ahd one and half years of experience as a manual tester. How should i plan my career in testing going forward?
Sorry DUDE
The above article is beyond my thought. I simply know one thing that testing is a varied field and it requires lot of research. Keeping process intact, you should act like an end user. No body is perfect in testing. Its a matter of fact that some people work in organisation where process are followed and become good tester and the one who does not follow keep delving for the right process as a result average tester.
cheers
JAI
@Kishore,
The above article is beyond my thought.
I did not understand your above statement.
What does it mean?
Could you please clarify?
-Ajay Balamurugadas
@Jai,
If process can make testing happen better then why give money, or probably more money for those who follow?
Followers are usually paid less. Creators are paid more. Create ( not process ) - thoughts that leads to better thinking and testing.
No body is perfect in testing
I like the above statement. Nobody can ever be perfect and yet a lot of people believe in best practices and “complete testing” and “100% coverage”. I wonder if they ever understood what a “human” is all about.
A human is fallible ( which means he fails ) and how can anything that humans create not fail.
Process ensures - whether dumb or intelligent, I will have people to do tasks to an extent that I can replace them. If I do tasks that can be easily replaceable by anyone, I am not doing a great job and hence I don’t need to be paid a lot.
@Ajay
I failed to understand writer’s state of mind. But somewhere in his article writer has pointed out competencies of a tester. So i commented in that context.
@ Kishore,
Remember, process does not make a good tester.
If it did, there would be brilliant testers in all the CMMxx companies and other such certified companies.
Human skills are more important than adhering/following a process.
Regards,
Ajay Balamurugadas
@pradeep, Ajay
Exactly, to some extent you are right and I do agree with it.
But,I do stress on testing basics, process which is a basic part of software testing. And if basics are not clear its like finding sheep in deep shallow water. But it doesn’t mean that you follow the routine task. Testing is about bringing out innovative ideas to find bugs.
But again it is inevitable to ignore process.
Regards
JAI
@Jai,
Can you give an example of process which cannot be ignored?
-Ajay Balamurugadas
@Jai,
But again it is inevitable to ignore process.
When you talk about process, if you mean “something” that “some humans” create for others to “follow” for achieving good results then I think “Its humans - who create for others to follow”.
Everything we do is a process. What is the process of coming early to office?
Getting up early.
Getting refreshed as soon as we get up from bed.
Getting a nice breakfast.
Getting ourselves to office before the traffic snarls.
Getting ourselves to our seat.
Now, those are the kind of processes that organizations follow and yet don’t achieve results.
Exactly, to some extent you are right and I do agree with it.
To what extent?
Testing is about bringing out innovative ideas to find bugs.
Innovation can happen when humans who perform testing, be it the so called manual or automation, human thinking skills like:
Questioning
Brainstorming
Mental Modeling
Logical Thinking
Communication - Reading, Writing, Speaking
Lateral Thinking
Pattern Recognition
Learning
Contextual thinking
Critiquing ( Self, too )
Analysis
Cognition
Managing Bias
Learning to learn
Unlearning
Knowledge of human limitations, ( i.e for ex: Inattentional Blindness )
Observation
Hearing
etc
that really matters.
Its sheer waste of time, having capabilities to do the task right without any defined process. The team will be scattered resuling over budget and overschedue output.
@Kishore ( Jai )
If they are capable and know their mission ( is to find information about quality such as bugs ) do you think they need a process that says do this and then do that?
So, would Sachin Tendulkar need to know what he has to do the next over or his skills decide it?
@Kishore
Suppose you are my customer.
If I give you a product to your satisfaction without following any process, will you be satisfied or if I give you a product which you are not satisfied but adhered to the process, which one would you go for?
I’m not against process, I’m against adhering to process(only) without meeting the mission.
-Ajay Balamurugadas
Yes, No matter how skilled a person is ? If he does not use his skills in right direction, whats the use?
Tendulkar is a skiled player no doubt provided he uses it properly. Despite of having skills if he fails to read the game and current condition. He surely going to loose his game.
@Ajay
I will be satisfied with my right product. But suppose if in future i requested you to deliver similar projects to me, will u be able to do that. Since you have not followed any process, you won’t be having documents to follow. Don’t u think it is a bad practice?
@Kishore ( Jai )
I will be satisfied with my right product. But suppose if in future i requested you to deliver similar projects to me, will u be able to do that. Since you have not followed any process, you won’t be having documents to follow. Don’t u think it is a bad practice?
If Ajay delivers you a good product, it means, he has had skills or has learned ways to do it. Irrespective of whether he has followed process or not, he is doing it and that’s what customers want.
Microsoft and Google do not follow CMM or Six Sigma or ISO for that matter. They rely on hiring people who are highly skilled and also pay them more than any other organization that follows them.
So, why do you think these companies don’t follow those?
If you didn’t know, go to Microsoft or Google website and you won’t discover CMM, ISO and or Six Sigma.
Are you really learning or still reluctant to change your opinion?
Are you really learning or still reluctant to change your opinion?
Yeah, I am not inclined to your opinion.
So you mean rest of the companies are wasting their resources on maintaining and following such processes.
Companies like HCL, INFOSYS, EDS,CSC etc are just wasting their resources and time in following such process.
I just started my career as a software tester. I ahd one and half years of experience as a manual tester. How should i plan my career in testing going forward?
I think the summary of this article can be in below 4 sentences:
“To start in the journey, apply this heuristic: Question everything that - you hear, you see, you feel, you want to see, you want to hear, you want to feel, you don’t want to hear, you don’t want to feel and other things you think you missed.”
Title is totally different from the actual topic discussed.
@Pradeep
Just to make it clear - I was referring to the name of the article - “Money Making Software Career…” Now that’s just not a real life, or some kind of Cinderella story…
How many testers in India can make it BIG??? At the most you’ll get Sr. QA title and maybe satisfying salary. Only being in Management position you may get a break and actually consider your carrier successful. Doing a good job testing software, thinking outside the box, and ect… simply NOT a Money making and that’s my friend a Real Life.
To regards of my name – life99joy… I take everything from life what it gives me and enjoy every bit of it…
You may call it Bald or whatever you’re pleased…
@Renuka,
Title is totally different from the actual topic discussed.
The trick is the that testers who question plus those who have other skills that I mentioned in one of the comments here has been helping testers whom I respect make lots of money. Secret can’t be that open unless you ask the right questions to unlock it.
Hi to all Software Testers.My opinion is every month we may start a discussion regarding software testing and we may just avoid personal conflicts or fame
Hi Pradeep,
You hav shared ur experience with others, Nice to read…….
hi Pradeep,
You shared ur experience With us , very intersting , Nice article
Thanks
Manj Upadhyay
Hi friends
what are the uses of the scripting windows when we use in testing (purpose of the scripting windows )
and Data table integration and data driven test give some explanation and some examples
Hi Pradeep,
First of all I would like to give you congrats for this beautiful written article.This article gives inspires to those who are willing to adopt testing as their career.
No doubt the testing has become a vast career option But I just want to Ask you, For how much time we are safe in this field.?
One More thing, Is the Tester should have a programming knowledge in which the project has been written(To whom he is going testing).
Regards,
Partap singh
Hi Pradeep,
This article is good. I like your socrates approach of teaching things. Waiting for your next article..Hopefully things will get more clear..
The above comment by Sachin Wagh is geniunely mendacious…..the resaon behind this is that, the above articlle is not just good but the best its superlatively correct among the others that i have read…..
Hopefully, waiting to get some interesting articles like this !
Thanku for the information….
How to remove email id from this article? I donot want to follow comments on such articles. Is there any way out to remove email id?
Regards
@life99joy
I sympathize with you!! It’s not your fault that you felt that the great Mr.Poundararajan who wrote this article has an ego which can challenge even the Himalayas!
Mr.Pounadararajan just “pounds” away the confrontation!
For him we small time testers are nothing but villagers wearing a flower on the ear…
And Oh! Mr.Poundararajan here like to speak with his fake American accent .. and likes to flaunt it too!
@Kishore
No wonder you dont wanna be a part of it anymore!
Take a chill pill pounder … diffuse your ego a little bit; and for God’s sake drop the fake accent!
Hi Sir,
It was extremely interesting the way you narrated your journey in the software testing industry. I have started my carrier and hope to follow your footpaths. My quest is and has been to explore and ask “Why,Where,How,What,Which”. I call it W2W -> Will 2 Win.
I have started my own services entity called FOCUS Testing (FIST)
www.focustesting.com
I hope to follow your footpath to glory.
Thanks for your contribution.
Mr .Pradeep Soundarrajan ,
I can understand that we should question everything that comes across us.I can do that .But who is there to give me answer for those questions.Will you be with be All time to answer those.Then there will one point of time where i end up with only questions.There comes frustration if u face such answerless questions.So to avoid that you need not question everything but just get satisfied with available answers and explore only if you are not satisfied with the Given answer.
Poundararajan
“Take a chill pill pounder … diffuse your ego a little bit; and for God’s sake drop the fake accent!”
I don’t think I need your advise. Kindly stop advising and comment sincerely without taking personal.
I agree with Mr.Sathesh. Most of the time, our questions go unanswered. Developers tend to ignore or slip away from our questions. Superiors just don’t have the time or patience to answer us. If we search the net for answers, we end up losing the little time given to test the application.
Most of the testing goes on in assumptions that we make by exploring the application. When we end up with a report, we get an answer that most of the bugs are invalid and the client wants it to be as it is. Where’s the end to this dilemma?
Hi Pradeep,
U r really good and this article is great.
it is a motivation for me
pls do not go by the harsh words written by other people in this blog to intimidate u
U r great
hi every1, i read all of your blogs..i think ..all we are getting away from the topic of testing…every1 is having his/her own expereince of life in this field…ths good we shoud share ..even i am happy abt u all for experiences….but it look bit sad that…Mr. Pradeep or none of u have replied a simple questioned mentioend
by pbk that he tht he has started his career as a software tester with one and half years of experience as a manual tester. How should he plan my career in testing going forward?
this is a general question a tested always have…level of exp. could be different….so i would like to ask to Mr. Pradeep and u all of experts of testing to do what ..to get beyond in this field…!!!! how an individual should get growth in this field and earn and get rich ..!??? thnks
@Sudhanshu,
What they should do in their career should be guided by what they want to do. Why should someone else suggest that?
PBK asked how to plan his career. Is he going to ask in any forum, whom should I marry and how to live my married life?
When PBK, you, me and other dumb testers don’t want others to decide whom we should marry and stay with for a lifetime — why should we allow someone whom we don’t know much to decide what path we should take.
If you look at North American mindset and some successful people in India - they have always worked and done things that they would enjoy and not what others thought they would enjoy.
If a man is not successful, then his basics cannot be strong. No unsuccessful man is bothered to re-look at basics.
For instance some great minds who shouted against me after reading this post is crying foul. Shouldn’t they be happy that a fellow Indian tester is making name. If I have not made it, let me appreciate it?
or
A fellow Indian tester has something to say which I discover to be non obvious ways to get to the place where I wanted to get, let me think about it carefully.
I just want to revisit this post after a couple of years or so to see if all those who cried foul are great minds of testing. One who is more appreciative of counter ideas are likely to make it big in testing as testing involves learning a lot of counter ideas.
I want to thank all those who cried foul because it is because of those people I am rich today. I am rich because after employers and customers have seen such mindset and they see someone with little better thinking - they want to ensure they pay me a lot to retain me.
Thank you folks!
hey.ur article is to gudd…to kuch kamm ka bhi likhk dete to its gud..
Hello
I want to know the job openings in testing in the present market please help me to get through.
The articles are realing great!
Hey Pradeep,
Article was thought provoking.
I have been a manual tester for the past 1.5 years now. Your article has inspired me to think and act independently rather than listening to what other testers say/do.
Thanks,
Alka
Really good!!!!…..
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