I was recently asked for advice on how to break into testing.
I have been working in testing and software quality for 20 years. Over that time, I've seen many people pivot to a career in testing. Watching their success and reflecting on my own start, I think there are some commonalities. So if this is something you're trying to figure out, this post is for you!
Here are the 3 simple (but effective) pieces of advice I'd give anyone starting out (or who wants to get started):
Advice #1: Learn the fundamentals of testing
Having a good foundation is critical.
First, you need to learn some theory:
My friend Heather Reid wrote a fantastic article called "30 Things Every New Software Tester Should Learn". Check that out immediately!
Read the book Explore It! by the legend Elisabeth Hendrickson. For a short and compelling read about exploratory testing.
Another helpful book is Lessons Learned in Software Testing by Kaner, Bach and Pettichord. It might be getting on a bit now, but the lessons still hold!
Practice! You can find a great list here. You might be able to get paid while you practice as a crowd-sourced tester with companies like Tester Work or Testlio.
Advice #2: Learn how to communicate
Talking effectively about your work and the work with peers and managers is vital.
Here are some excellent resources on that:
Please read Crucial Conversations: Tools For Talking When The Stakes Are High by Patterson, Grenny, Mcmillan & Switzler. Instead of devastating people with the truth or bottling things up inside, you have a third choice. This book describes what that is!
Learn how to tell a good story about your testing.
Learn how to ask good questions.
Advice #3: Network, network, network
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
Get involved with the community:
Ministry of Testing (MoT) has a thriving community. I recommend starting with their Slack channel & forums. Head to their website to find out all the other ways you can engage!
Look for local software testing meetups that you can participate in. Many now stream their events online, so look out for those too!
Create a LinkedIn profile and connect with the people you've been engaging with online!
Honestly, I wish someone had told me these things earlier in my career.
But I'm at least glad I can pass them along to you.
BONUS TIP!: Another pal Nicola Lindgren wrote a book on this very topic called "Starting Your Software Testing Career". She goes into more depth about all these topics and a lot more. You should definitely go and read it!