So I saw this question on Reddit, got inspired, got carried away (clearly 😇) and wrote a reply so long, I couldn't share it 🤦🏾‍♂️.

So, I decided to post it here instead. I'm a total Reddit noob and anxious about being banned, so God willing, the OP will find it here.

Anyway, enjoy!

"Greetings pal.

I'm sorry to hear that you feel stuck, but all is not lost! I have some ideas, but please bear in mind that this is quite context-free, so take what I'm saying with a pinch of salt.

Maybe even allTheSalt 😅

I have two flavours of answer: one that assumes you need to find a role ASAP, and another that assumes you have some time to play with.

1) I NEED TO FIND A ROLE ASAP!!!

Based on the job roles I'm seeing these days, you'll be hard-pressed to find one without some technical skills. If you need to get a new role fast, I'd do what other folks have mentioned and focus on two things: API testing and GUI automation.

Now, I'm not saying these are The Best™️ skills to learn.

I'm saying they're in high demand. They also give you a nice springboard into other things, and have tons and tons of resources out there you can use to learn from.

(btw what's the rule about sharing links in here? I have this sneaky suspicion if I post links to things, I'll booted out faster than Jazzy Jeff from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air's house! If that's not the case, I'll come back and add some links to what I'm saying. Anyway, let's continue!)

For API testing, search for materials from Amber Race, Mark Winteringham, Marie Cruz, and Lewis Prescott.

For GUI automation, search for Test Automation University.

In both cases, try to learn about the theory as well as getting hands on practice with tools. Knowing the risks that both kinds of testing help to alleviate will be crucial in landing a new role.

Important note: When I say "find a role asap" that probably doesn't mean tomorrow! You'll need to commit consistent effort over a decent length of time in order to reap the rewards.

For example, If you have the choice of doing a 30-minute chunk of learning on a daily basis, or one single 3.5 hour chunk done once a week, which approach should you choose?

Always and I mean ALWAYS, pick the daily learning! Compounding is nuts (in a good way), and you'll be surprised at how far you can go in a relatively short time.

But if it's weekly or nothing, obviously choose weekly! Just remember some of that 3.5 hours will be spent reloading your brain with what you learned the week before (I hope I'm explaining this well 😅)

So all in all, I reckon "asap" probably means 3-6 months. At least.

2) ALL GOOD! I HAVE TIME!

OK cool! I have soooo many ideas!

Brain dump incoming 😅

Do everything I mentioned in the ASAP section!
Reflect on what you've done over the past 10 years then...
Document the things you've learned, the projects you've helped deliver, what you did on those projects/deliverables, etc.
Get involved with some online communities (like the one we're in now for example!) and see how people talk about and explain their work, and understand what hot new topics there.
Start to improve your technical skills in the way I described above but not limited to APIs and GUIs. Build tools, databases, cloud technologies, bash scripts, Git, etc, are all technical skills. Pick one or two and use them!
- Paid options include: Udemy, Treehouse, Skillshare, etc
- Free options include: YouTube, FreeCodeCamp, Test Automation University, etc
Read, read, read! Find some blogs from prominent folks in the industry who are interested in the same topics that you are, then learn how they think and do the job. Then take those lessons and apply them to your work. See what books they recommend, read them, and experiment with what you've learned.
Look for problems you can solve in your current job, but don't wait for permission to solve them; just solve them! For example, is the team struggling with testability? Find a way to improve it!
As well as technical topics, learn about interpersonal skills (like active listening, open questions, etc) and practice them.
- Pro-tip: Depending on what skill we're talking about here, maybe do this with folks you get along with and trust at first, just in case you make a mistake 😬. Coaching is a good framework for all these skills. A lovely book to start with is "The Coaching Habit" by Michael Bungay Stanier
While we're on the topic, depending on what you're currently doing in your day job, learning about leadership is a great idea. The same coaching book mentioned before would be an excellent place to start.
One interesting thing to consider is applying for jobs you like the sound of right now and seeing what happens. In the worst-case scenario, you don't hear anything (that's data!). Best case, you get an offer (win!).
- Ultimately, what you're looking for is feedback. Where are the gaps in your CV? Where are you falling down in interviews? That kind of thing. A word of caution, though - companies are doing a pretty sucky job of giving people feedback at the moment. So don't be surprised or disheartened if you try this and hear nothing back from them.
Try to get promoted at work. That's another way to identify and close the skill gap.
Find a mentor at work. I know you said "opportunities are looking bleak" at your company but maybe there's a way to get guidance and professional development from your boss or someone senior at your org?

Ok I'll stop there.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk 😅😇

Let me know if that helps or if you want more specific pointers than I can provide here."

That was it. What did I miss?

Career Advice For A 35+ Year Old Manual Tester

So I saw this question on Reddit, got inspired, got carried away (clearly 😇) and wrote a reply so long, I couldn't share it 🤦🏾‍♂️.

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