How Testing Repetitive Tasks Led Me to Master Automation

When I first started my journey in software testing, I was enthusiastic, eager to learn, and excited to dive into every testing scenario that came my way. Like many beginners in the QA world, I was assigned several manual tasks, and at first, it was satisfying to see those checkmarks ticked off my list one by one. But after a while, something became glaringly obvious—manual testing of repetitive tasks is both time-consuming and, well, a bit soul-crushing.

The Repetitive Task Trap

I vividly remember the first time I encountered the infamous "login page" testing. I was asked to test the login functionality on different browsers and devices to ensure that it worked seamlessly across the board. At first, it felt like a breeze. I mean, how hard could it be to enter credentials and hit “submit”? But after running the same test on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE (yes, Internet Explorer!), and then repeating it on mobile, the initial excitement quickly turned to monotony.

Day in and day out, it was the same cycle: open the page, enter credentials, test if the password field masks correctly, check for validation errors... over and over again. It wasn’t long before I realized there had to be a better way to spend my time.

Enter Automation: My Saving Grace

After several weeks of doing the same thing, I started looking for ways to make this process more efficient. That’s when I first stumbled upon the world of automation testing. I had heard about tools like Selenium, but I didn’t fully understand their potential until I tried it for myself. At first, the idea of automating tests seemed intimidating—after all, I wasn’t a developer. However, my frustration with the repetitive tasks was enough to push me out of my comfort zone.

I remember sitting down one evening after work, determined to automate that login process. I started with simple test cases: automating the login form by entering credentials and clicking submit. The moment the script ran successfully across multiple browsers without me lifting a finger, I felt a sense of relief (and a little bit of victory, if I’m being honest). What had previously taken hours was now done in minutes.

Automation Isn’t as Scary as It Sounds

For those of you who may feel apprehensive about diving into automation, I completely understand. I had those same fears too. But here’s what I’ve learned: automation isn’t about being a developer or coding expert, it's about efficiency and using the right tools to simplify your work. Tools like Selenium (my go-to) make it possible for testers without a coding background to automate everyday tasks.

I started small. The login automation was my first win, and from there, I began automating other test cases. Gradually, I realized that automation wasn’t just a “nice-to-have” skill in the testing world; it was essential for anyone who wanted to improve their testing speed, accuracy, and overall career potential.

Challenges Along the Way

Of course, automation comes with its own set of challenges. Initially, I found writing scripts to handle more complex interactions (like drop-downs and multi-step forms) a bit tricky. Debugging errors in my automation scripts took some getting used to as well. But every challenge I faced taught me something new and added to my skill set. Over time, I became more comfortable with handling those roadblocks, and what once felt overwhelming eventually became second nature.

The Power of Automation in Your QA Journey

Looking back, I now see that getting stuck in those repetitive tasks was actually one of the best things that could have happened to me. It forced me to level up and embrace automation—a skill that has since transformed the way I approach testing. Today, automation is an integral part of my QA toolkit, allowing me to focus on more important tasks, like exploratory testing and performance optimization.

If you’re currently feeling stuck in the same cycle of repetitive testing, I encourage you to leap into automation. Start small—pick one task that you do over and over again and see if you can automate it. Whether it’s logging in, form submissions, or navigation testing, trust me when I say that automation will not only make your work more efficient, but it will also give you a fresh perspective on the endless possibilities of QA.

Where to Start?

If you’re ready to take that first step, I suggest starting with tools like Selenium and programming languages like Python (which is beginner-friendly!). There are plenty of tutorials and resources available online (shameless plug: check out my YouTube channel @QAInsightsWithGloryOlasanmi for beginner-friendly content!). My automation journey started with baby steps, and yours can too!

Time to Level Up

Testing repetitive tasks forced me to embrace automation, and I’m so glad it did. Not only has it saved me countless hours, but it has also made me a better, more versatile QA engineer. If you’re feeling stuck in a similar situation, remember this: automation is your friend, and it’s here to make your life easier.

Don’t be afraid to take the plunge, learn new tools, and experiment with automation—you’ll thank yourself later!

Happy testing!

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