Speaking about Software Testing craft, I have always been into technical side of testing and understanding the software technically to test it better. Many of the testers, I have seen see it as easy job. Well, you are doing it wrong and that's why it looks easy. I am not saying its difficult, but challenging (Difficult and Challenge are two different words).

We do lots of jazzy stuff like conferences, speakers, local meet-up(s) and what not as a community; but are we creating more smart testers in this world? Where are we heading? Are we in a situation where our skills are becoming stagnant? Our learning has come to an end? Learning looks boring now? Lots of questions that I have when it comes to software testing community.

Now lets speak about hiring, I see people with 2 or 5 year experienced and yet they fail to convince me in the interview. At times, I feel am I bad or they are bad? And finally I see something that's interesting, "Skills!". Most of the testers lack skills. Looks like as people grow up, they lack interest and they just settle for some things and don't try to study further.

What could be the possible reasons for testers to not study testing?

1. They are happy with their salary and they have other commitments in life and software testing is nowhere in the priority.

2. Life looks boring and they have to survive. And that's easy doing whatever they are doing currently and don't want anything more or less in terms of learning.

3. Writing test scripts is much easier than exploratory testing as it doesn't require skills which exploratory testing requires in order to do better testing.

4. I am doing good, why do I need to do better? [I have heard this from some of the testers].

5. Expert hat - I already feel that I am an expert and I need not study testing further. People respect me for what I am now and that's sufficient for me.

6. I am way too distracted with many things in my life, it could be my relationship or friends or money or loans etc. They come in between my learning.

Well, all the above reasons could be genuine in your opinion or view; but our testing craft can be pushed ahead only if we have more smart software testers who are technically good and add value to the projects by testing better. Or else we have demand more and supply is less :-) Demand = More projects | Supply = Less smart software testers. And all of this directly or indirectly affects the world in technology.

What would I love to see in testing world?

1. Testers shifting their interest from non-technical books to technical books for a while. Once testers are used to technical learning, non-tech part can be continued along with tech which would be great value add.

2. When testers go to conferences, let it be not only networking for the benefit of materialistic things like money, celebrity feeling etc. Let the learning be there, let testers crave for learning in conferences from various testing community folks.

3. Testers need to get less demotivated and the only way to keep motivated is by practicing testing and studying testing.

4. Testers speaking to developers as friends instead of seeing them as enemies. Grow up, you are into serious business and not running some personal life here like a family where you can have enemy thing.

5. Testers need to motivate each other in their team and across various teams because only then you succeed collectively. Its very easy to say, we are a team; but hard to follow some ethics as a team.

So, let us build a community of smart software testers. If you are a tester, pick a task for self-education and start practicing. I know you may be saying, "Oh, one more guy to tell me what I need to be doing". Well, I am not telling you what you need to do; but speaking some things which can make your life better collectively.

I Recommended [Further Reading]

Stop hugging, start working … on excellence!

Thoughts Toward The Ethics of Testing

A Code of Work Rules for Consultants