Publication #1 - Common Mistakes In Software Testing Part 1

About Me

My name is Matt Gilbert and I have been in the Software Testing field for close to 10 years now. I have my B.S. in Software Development from Western Governors University. I’ve had the opportunity to take on a number of different roles in varying industries like Insurance, SaaS, Healthcare, & contract work. Across these different industries I also gained experience with a number of different testing techniques, which we will discuss in a later publication. Those include API, Integration, Performance, Accessibility, UI, Usability, Mobile, & Contract testing. I’ve also contributed to and worked on test automation framework development in Java, C#, Typescript, and Python. You can find me on LinkedIn. Let’s connect!

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Intro

First of all, thank you for taking time to read my first publication! I’m excited to share what I believe are some common mistakes that you can fix with a little work as someone in the Software Testing field. This is in no way an exhaustive list, just some things I have seen as commonplace in my career.

Mistake #1 - Lack Of Product Knowledge

The first mistake I’ve seen quite often is a lack of product knowledge. As a Software Tester, you should be the Subject Matter Expert on your product. Nobody should know your product better than you, & that includes the developers. As Software Testers, that is the level at which we need to hold ourselves to. Without that knowledge, it leads to a trickle-down effect that can have serious consequences for the organization and your team.

How do I fix it?

Learn your product, read technical designs, database diagrams, release notes, etc. Learn how the product behaves & how it shouldn’t behave, know the product roadmap and understand where it’s heading. Speak to the power users of your product, learn how they use it, and what they like and dislike about it. Dig into the code (if you’re capable) and learn how it interfaces with other apps and services.

Mistake #2 - Lack Of Confidence

Lack of confidence is usually caused by a lack of product knowledge. A Software Tester who is unsure of their testing, or unsure of the product behavior is dangerous. This can cause a number of even further issues like a decrease in the quality of Software & also lead to a lack of detail around bugs which then causes slower releases and the potential for major issues being released to your clients.

How do I fix it?

Ask questions. In sprint planning, in refinement, during the sprint & while testing. Further your knowledge by learning, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. A lot of times, it spurs conversation. We all have unique perspectives on a given situation and all of our inputs are valid. Having a good understanding of the product will also help you become more confident.

Mistake #3 - Lack Of Detail Around Bugs

I see this all the time. Bugs with little to no useful information that end up causing the developers to spend more time researching and fixing a potential issue. If the development team is constantly trying to interpret the bugs you create, they might lose trust in your abilities which is not good for team morale.

How do I fix it?

Create more detailed bugs. Help your developers succeed. At a minimum, a bug should have the following attributes:

Steps to recreate
Expected Results
Actual Results
Environment used
User info
Network or console errors
Screenshots or video recording

Mistake #4 - Lack Of Self Drive

This is a big one, and not everyone has it. You can’t force it on someone, they must want to progress and grow on their own. Software Testers who have been at the same company for awhile probably feel a fair amount of job safety. But with anything in the tech industry, things are constantly changing & if you aren’t growing by learning a new tool or technology, you are doing yourself a disservice. There are so many free tools and resources out there to grow in your career as a Software Tester, and I’ll be talking more about those in a later article.

How do I fix it?

It sounds simple, but further your knowledge in Software Testing. Read articles (like this one), watch YouTube videos & take courses! Be critical of yourself and ask for honest feedback from those around you. Make a list of improvement items and work towards correcting those weak points.

Outro

Stay tuned for my next article, where I’m planning on talking about How To Become A Successful Software Tester.