Laid Off, Automation Certifications, 99 Testing Resources, and More

I just realized it’s been five years and one day since I was laid off (October 1, 2019).

What felt like a setback at the time turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. It pushed me to officially launch TestGuild, a business and community that has grown beyond anything I could have imagined.

I always knew that being older and in the tech industry, I might face a layoff one day. That’s why I started my side hustle back in 2010, preparing for this moment. And then, in 2019, it happened.

Check out my post on lessons learned , and if you’re going through something similar, remember—there’s hope!

Free Automation Testing Certifications

One lesson I learned from being laid off is the importance of always staying prepared and continually building skills. In tech, you never know when a career shift might happen, which is why keeping your skills sharp is essential.

One effective way to do this is through certifications, which not only validate your expertise but also keep you adaptable in a fast-paced industry.

A great resource for this is Katalon Academy, which offers free certification programs to help testers stand out in today’s competitive job market. These certifications are designed to build practical skills and increase marketability in automation testing—exactly the kind of expertise that makes a difference when you're navigating career transitions.

In a challenging economy, certifications from Katalon Academy provide a hands-on approach to learning automation and tackling common job market questions, such as how to distinguish yourself to potential employers. The courses include real-world exercises that teach testers practical applications of automation tools, making it accessible for those seeking new skills or validation for their expertise.

Katalon’s free learning paths cover essential automation skills for web, mobile, and API testing and offer certifications upon completion, demonstrating your capabilities with Katalon’s low-code tool, Katalon Studio. For manual testers moving to automation or experienced testers wanting to validate their skills, this program is invaluable. With over 200,000 enrollments and 8,000 certifications issued, Katalon is helping testers boost their job prospects with skills that matter.

For those aiming to sharpen their automation skills, Katalon’s certification programs provide a structured, practical way to gain hands-on experience. Use these certifications as portfolio pieces—document your progress and practical examples to showcase your approach to continuous learning, whether you’re preparing for your next role or simply building resilience for the future.

Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet Introduces “Computer Use” Feature, which can be used for Test Automation with AI-Driven Agents

Anthropic has rolled out a new feature called "Computer Use" in its latest LLM model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet. This addition allows AI agents to perform on-screen actions, a development that could reshape test automation workflows.

By leveraging computer vision and natural language processing, these agents mimic human behavior on digital platforms, recognizing and performing actions based on prompts like those in simple test cases. According to Anthropic, the feature opens doors for automating previously manual processes, aiming to make test automation setup faster and less resource intensive.

In tests, Claude 3.5 Sonnet has demonstrated its capability to interpret and execute commands as complex as creating Jira tickets, uploading logs, or adjusting Slack settings based on real-time needs. This new technology has already caught the attention of commercial test automation tools, including UiPath, which has integrated the “Computer Use” feature to expand automated actions within its products.

Experts like Filip Hric describe the advancement as “mind-blowing,” noting that the AI's ability to interact with user interfaces represents a new benchmark in how testers and DevOps teams approach automation. Ahmed Khalifa also anticipates this will lead to a “completely different” future for test automation, where tasks traditionally seen as too tedious to automate could become manageable with minimal manual setup.

The integration of AI agents capable of on-screen actions may signal a shift toward faster, lower-effort automation of routine tasks. As tools like Claude 3.5 Sonnet evolve, testers could see benefits in areas such as continuous integration testing, where AI can handle repetitive validation steps without requiring extensive scripting.

Try it for yourself. Begin identifying routine, manual tasks that consume time but are necessary for product quality. These tasks may be the ideal starting point for experimenting with AI-driven automation to streamline your workload and increase testing efficiency.

New Book: The Software Tester’s Journey: Exploring Career Opportunities and Adventures

Vernon Richards and Nicola Lindgren have published a new book, The Software Tester’s Journey: Exploring Career Opportunities and Adventures , aimed at helping software testers navigate their career paths. Designed for testers unsure of their next career steps, the book addresses challenges from tackling bugs before they reach production to building influence within development teams. Richards and Owen also provide practical advice for testers aspiring to take on leadership roles, highlighting ways to influence quality outcomes early in the development process.

Structured as a career guide, the book’s focus is not only on technical skills but also on soft skills essential for career advancement in software testing and quality assurance. It targets testers at any career stage who might feel uncertain about their direction or unsure how to make a broader impact on their teams and products.

For testers looking to broaden their career horizons, The Software Tester’s Journey offers a roadmap that goes beyond testing techniques.

Ministry of Testing Shares 99 Essential Resources for Software Testers’ Development

The Ministry of Testing has published a comprehensive list of 99 Essential Resources tailored for software testers at all stages of their careers. The curated list features a mix of articles, tools, and training programs designed to enhance skills and knowledge in key areas of software testing, including test automation, exploratory testing, and DevOps integration. This guide provides practical resources for testers looking to improve technical expertise, boost productivity, and adapt to the evolving demands of software development.

Divided into thematic sections, the resource list addresses diverse aspects of testing, such as learning paths for new testers, advanced methodologies for seasoned professionals, and key resources for specialized testing needs like accessibility and performance testing. With contributions from testing experts and seasoned practitioners, the collection offers software testers direct access to quality educational materials and tools widely recognized in the industry.

Tales of Performance Engineering

In a recent blog post on Medium, by Diego Parra shares insights on their teams journey with performance engineering , detailing how they tackled significant challenges in optimizing the performance of their platform.

The article outlines the strategies and methodologies employed to improve efficiency, including the adoption of performance testing and monitoring tools. The team emphasized the importance of integrating performance engineering into the development process from the outset, which allowed them to identify bottlenecks early and avoid potential issues post-deployment. This proactive approach not only enhanced system reliability but also improved user experience by ensuring faster response times and better handling of high traffic loads.

Software testers should prioritize continuous performance testing and integrate it seamlessly into the DevOps cycle. You should address performance as a fundamental element rather than a subsequent consideration. By adopting this mindset, testers can contribute to the creation of more robust and efficient applications.

2024 DORA report is out

I learned from a post on LinkedIn from Lisa Crispin that he latest DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA) report shows that while AI adoption is accelerating across the software industry, its impact on software delivery presents both opportunities and challenges.

Key Findings:

75.9% of technology professionals now rely on AI for daily tasks, with code writing and information summarizing being the most common use cases

• Organizations using AI report a 2.1% increase in individual productivity
• Surprisingly, AI adoption correlates with a 7.2% decrease in software delivery stability and a 1.5% decrease in delivery throughput
• Teams report better code quality and documentation when using AI, but this hasn't translated to improved software delivery performance

The report also highlights that high-performing teams continue to excel across all four key metrics: deployment frequency, lead time for changes, time to restore service, and change failure rate. Elite performers deploy 127 times more frequently than low performers and recover from incidents 2,293 times faster.

Key Takeaways for Software Testers:

1. Test Automation Strategy: With AI adoption affecting delivery stability, testers should strengthen automated testing frameworks to catch potential issues earlier
2. 2. Documentation Focus: Invest time in maintaining high-quality test documentation as it significantly impacts overall product quality
3. 3. User-Centered Testing: Align test scenarios with actual user behaviors and needs rather than just technical requirements

The report suggests an interesting paradox: while AI helps improve individual tasks like code writing and review, it may be leading to larger code changes that are harder to test and deploy safely. Testers should consider implementing progressive testing strategies that break down AI-generated code changes into smaller, more manageable pieces for testing.

You might want to consider creating an "AI Testing Checklist" that specifically addresses potential risks in AI-assisted code changes, such as checking for edge cases that AI might have overlooked and validating generated code against existing business rules.

?Stop Al-Based Attacks

In a recent article, Karen Hsu discusses the rising threat of AI-based attacks in the cybersecurity landscape and their impact on automating compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) version 4.0. The article highlights how AI technologies can be exploited by cybercriminals to enhance their attacks, making them more sophisticated and harder to detect. As organizations increasingly adopt automated solutions for compliance, ensuring the security of these systems becomes paramount.

The article emphasizes the necessity for organizations to implement advanced threat detection mechanisms that leverage AI for defensive purposes. By doing so, businesses can not only protect themselves against AI-driven threats but also streamline their compliance processes. This dual approach helps maintain the integrity of their security systems while meeting the rigorous PCI DSS requirements.

That's a Wrap

So that's it for this Test Guild News Show Newsletter edition.

Make sure to subscribe to never miss another episode .

I'm Joe Colantonio, and my mission is to help you succeed in creating end-to-end full-stack DevSecOps automation awesomeness.

As always, test everything and keep the good.

Cheers!

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