Psychological testing: how to get from a certified psychologist to a tester
An article by my colleague Danil Yusupov inspired me a lot. It is amazing how friendly and hospitable the IT industry is - study and come in, and always continue to learn something new. Therefore, I want to tell my story about how I studied as a psychologist, and became a tester.
I went to study as a psychologist at the call of my heart - I wanted to help people and be useful to society. In addition, I was very interested in scientific activity. Studying was easy for me, I wrote scientific papers, spoke at conferences and even had practically significant research and planned to continue to delve into the field of clinical psychology. However, all good things come to an end - my studies at the university have ended. I refused graduate school because of ridiculous graduate student salaries and went into the big world to look for myself.
It was then that a surprise awaited me: I, with my diploma and scientific work, was nowhere to be needed. Absolutely. They looked for psychologists in kindergartens and schools, which for me was not an acceptable option, since I do not get along very well with children. To go to consult, it was necessary to work out a certain amount of time for free or for absolutely pennies.
To say that I was desperate is to say nothing.
One of my friends worked in software development, it was he who suggested me, looking at my ordeals, to go to them as a tester - I got along with computers, was interested in technology and, in principle, was not really terry humanities. But up to this point, I did not even know that such a profession exists. However, she decided that I certainly would not lose anything - and went. Passed an interview and was accepted into a friendly team.
I was briefly introduced to the software (the program was huge, with a large number of subsystems) and immediately sent to the "fields" for implementation. And not somewhere, but to the police. I was allocated a place in the basement in the police department of one of the regions of our republic (Tatarstan). There I trained employees, collected problems and wishes, and conducted demonstrations to superiors, and, of course, simultaneously tested the software and sent reports to the developers.
It is not easy to work with representatives of law enforcement agencies - they obey orders, they have strict accountability, and therefore they reason with formal statements. I had to find a common language with everyone: from lieutenant to colonel. My specialty in diploma helped me a lot in this.
I must say that when I just started working, I did not have any theoretical basis. I had documentation and I knew how the program should work; from this and repelled. What types of testing are there, what tools can be used to make my life easier, how to conduct a test analysis, what is a test design - I did not know all this. Yes, I did not even know where to look for answers to all these questions, or where they could teach me a lot. I just looked for problems in the software and was glad that everything was becoming easier and more convenient for users.
However, monkey testing ultimately rests on the problem of the lack of theoretical basis. And I took up education. It so happened that in our department and on the whole huge project there wasnât a single professional tester then. Testing was often carried out by developers, more often by analysts. There was no one to learn exactly testing.
Well, where does the IT person go in such situations? Of course, in google.
Black's first book , Key Testing Processes, came first to me. She helped to systematize what I already knew by that time, and to understand in what areas my project (and in understanding of testing) failures. The guidelines given in the book were very important - and in the end they became the foundation of subsequent knowledge.
Then there were many different books - not to mention all, and, of course, trainings: full-time and online. If we talk about full-time trainings, then they did not give very much, after all, in three days you canât learn how to test. The knowledge in testing is like building a house: first you need the foundation to stand, then the walls fall into place ...
As for online training, this is a good solution. There is enough time between lectures to properly test new knowledge and even apply it live on your project. You can do it at any convenient time (which is important for a working person), but there are deadlines for submitting tasks (which is also very important for a working person :)). I recommend.
If we talk about the difficulties of the testerâs path, at first I was most afraid of the bulkiness of the systems, the large number of different processes that take place. It always seemed: âBut here I am testing the field, but what else does it affect?â. I had to run around developers, analysts, sometimes check with users. Process diagrams saved me. I drew a huge number of them, starting with sheet A4 and then gluing other sheets to it from all sides. I still do this, it helps to systematize the processes very much: see what we have at the input and output, and where the software has âthinâ places.
What scares me now? Tedious (but necessary) work, such as writing test cases, for example. Testing is a creative, but at the same time formalized, methodical work (yes, this is a paradox). Allow yourself to âhoverâ over the processes, check the craziest guesses, but only after you go through the main scenarios :)
In general, at the beginning of the journey I realized that I did not know anything; that now I understand the same thing, but! Previously, not knowing something scared me, but now itâs like a challenge for me. To master a new tool, to understand new technology, take previously unknown software and disassemble it in the cogs - this is a lot of work, but a person is born for labor.
In my work, I often met with a slightly dismissive attitude towards testers. Say, here are the developers - these are serious, always busy people; and testers - so, it is not clear why they are needed at all, you can perfectly cope without them. As a result of this, a lot of extra work was often hung on me, for example, the development of documentation, otherwise it was believed that I was fooling around. I learned to write documentation in accordance with GOST and to draw up instructions for users well (fortunately, I interacted well with users and knew how they would be more comfortable). Now, after 9 years of work as a tester in the ICL group of companies (the last 3 years to this day in the division of the group of companies - ICL Services), I fully realize how important the work of testers is. Even the most wonderful developer can view something and not take something into account. In addition, testers are not only strict overseers, but also user advocates. Who, if not a tester, knows well how the process of working with software should be built; and who, if not a tester, can look at the software from the point of view of the layman and give recommendations on UI?
Fortunately, now on my project I can use all the skills I have previously developed - I test (for test cases and just for the soul :)), write documentation, worry about users and even sometimes assist in acceptance testing.
What I like most about my work is that you have to constantly learn something new â you wonât be able to stand still, do the same thing every day and be a specialist. In addition, I was very lucky with the team - these are professionals in their field, always ready to help if I misunderstand something, for example, when developing autotests or carrying out workloads. And my colleagues believe in me: even knowing that I have a liberal arts education, and assuming there are âblank spotsâ in my IT education, they never say, âWell, you probably wonât manage.â They say: "You can handle it, and if you have questions, please contact."
I am writing this article primarily for those who would like to work in IT in general and in testing in particular. I understand that the IT world from the outside looks abstruse and mysterious, and it may seem that it will not work, there will not be enough knowledge, or that you will not pull it out ... But, in my opinion, IT is the most hospitable area if you want to study and are ready to work . If you are ready to put your hands and head to the creation of high-quality software, to please the users and, ultimately, to make the world a better place, then here you are!
And for you, I have compiled a small checklist of entry into the profession:
You can handle it, good luck!
UPD: In the discussions for the article, respected commentators drew my attention to the fact that not everyone can be so lucky at the initial stage as I am. Therefore, I would like to add paragraph 3a to the checklist.
3a. Speaking about the fact that books are better to be postponed for now, I meant that at this stage it would be dangerous to overload with theory, since theoretical knowledge is difficult to structure correctly without practice, and a large amount of theory can scare you. If you want to feel more confident and not lose time while you are looking for where to start practicing, I advise you to undergo an online training for beginner testers or take a testing course. Both that, and another it is very simple to find and the information there will submit to you in an accessible form. Well, see the next paragraph
I went to study as a psychologist at the call of my heart - I wanted to help people and be useful to society. In addition, I was very interested in scientific activity. Studying was easy for me, I wrote scientific papers, spoke at conferences and even had practically significant research and planned to continue to delve into the field of clinical psychology. However, all good things come to an end - my studies at the university have ended. I refused graduate school because of ridiculous graduate student salaries and went into the big world to look for myself.
It was then that a surprise awaited me: I, with my diploma and scientific work, was nowhere to be needed. Absolutely. They looked for psychologists in kindergartens and schools, which for me was not an acceptable option, since I do not get along very well with children. To go to consult, it was necessary to work out a certain amount of time for free or for absolutely pennies.
To say that I was desperate is to say nothing.
Search for something new
One of my friends worked in software development, it was he who suggested me, looking at my ordeals, to go to them as a tester - I got along with computers, was interested in technology and, in principle, was not really terry humanities. But up to this point, I did not even know that such a profession exists. However, she decided that I certainly would not lose anything - and went. Passed an interview and was accepted into a friendly team.
I was briefly introduced to the software (the program was huge, with a large number of subsystems) and immediately sent to the "fields" for implementation. And not somewhere, but to the police. I was allocated a place in the basement in the police department of one of the regions of our republic (Tatarstan). There I trained employees, collected problems and wishes, and conducted demonstrations to superiors, and, of course, simultaneously tested the software and sent reports to the developers.
It is not easy to work with representatives of law enforcement agencies - they obey orders, they have strict accountability, and therefore they reason with formal statements. I had to find a common language with everyone: from lieutenant to colonel. My specialty in diploma helped me a lot in this.
The theoretical basis
I must say that when I just started working, I did not have any theoretical basis. I had documentation and I knew how the program should work; from this and repelled. What types of testing are there, what tools can be used to make my life easier, how to conduct a test analysis, what is a test design - I did not know all this. Yes, I did not even know where to look for answers to all these questions, or where they could teach me a lot. I just looked for problems in the software and was glad that everything was becoming easier and more convenient for users.
However, monkey testing ultimately rests on the problem of the lack of theoretical basis. And I took up education. It so happened that in our department and on the whole huge project there wasnât a single professional tester then. Testing was often carried out by developers, more often by analysts. There was no one to learn exactly testing.
Well, where does the IT person go in such situations? Of course, in google.
Black's first book , Key Testing Processes, came first to me. She helped to systematize what I already knew by that time, and to understand in what areas my project (and in understanding of testing) failures. The guidelines given in the book were very important - and in the end they became the foundation of subsequent knowledge.
Then there were many different books - not to mention all, and, of course, trainings: full-time and online. If we talk about full-time trainings, then they did not give very much, after all, in three days you canât learn how to test. The knowledge in testing is like building a house: first you need the foundation to stand, then the walls fall into place ...
As for online training, this is a good solution. There is enough time between lectures to properly test new knowledge and even apply it live on your project. You can do it at any convenient time (which is important for a working person), but there are deadlines for submitting tasks (which is also very important for a working person :)). I recommend.
If we talk about the difficulties of the testerâs path, at first I was most afraid of the bulkiness of the systems, the large number of different processes that take place. It always seemed: âBut here I am testing the field, but what else does it affect?â. I had to run around developers, analysts, sometimes check with users. Process diagrams saved me. I drew a huge number of them, starting with sheet A4 and then gluing other sheets to it from all sides. I still do this, it helps to systematize the processes very much: see what we have at the input and output, and where the software has âthinâ places.
What scares me now? Tedious (but necessary) work, such as writing test cases, for example. Testing is a creative, but at the same time formalized, methodical work (yes, this is a paradox). Allow yourself to âhoverâ over the processes, check the craziest guesses, but only after you go through the main scenarios :)
In general, at the beginning of the journey I realized that I did not know anything; that now I understand the same thing, but! Previously, not knowing something scared me, but now itâs like a challenge for me. To master a new tool, to understand new technology, take previously unknown software and disassemble it in the cogs - this is a lot of work, but a person is born for labor.
In my work, I often met with a slightly dismissive attitude towards testers. Say, here are the developers - these are serious, always busy people; and testers - so, it is not clear why they are needed at all, you can perfectly cope without them. As a result of this, a lot of extra work was often hung on me, for example, the development of documentation, otherwise it was believed that I was fooling around. I learned to write documentation in accordance with GOST and to draw up instructions for users well (fortunately, I interacted well with users and knew how they would be more comfortable). Now, after 9 years of work as a tester in the ICL group of companies (the last 3 years to this day in the division of the group of companies - ICL Services), I fully realize how important the work of testers is. Even the most wonderful developer can view something and not take something into account. In addition, testers are not only strict overseers, but also user advocates. Who, if not a tester, knows well how the process of working with software should be built; and who, if not a tester, can look at the software from the point of view of the layman and give recommendations on UI?
Fortunately, now on my project I can use all the skills I have previously developed - I test (for test cases and just for the soul :)), write documentation, worry about users and even sometimes assist in acceptance testing.
What I like most about my work is that you have to constantly learn something new â you wonât be able to stand still, do the same thing every day and be a specialist. In addition, I was very lucky with the team - these are professionals in their field, always ready to help if I misunderstand something, for example, when developing autotests or carrying out workloads. And my colleagues believe in me: even knowing that I have a liberal arts education, and assuming there are âblank spotsâ in my IT education, they never say, âWell, you probably wonât manage.â They say: "You can handle it, and if you have questions, please contact."
I am writing this article primarily for those who would like to work in IT in general and in testing in particular. I understand that the IT world from the outside looks abstruse and mysterious, and it may seem that it will not work, there will not be enough knowledge, or that you will not pull it out ... But, in my opinion, IT is the most hospitable area if you want to study and are ready to work . If you are ready to put your hands and head to the creation of high-quality software, to please the users and, ultimately, to make the world a better place, then here you are!
Occupation Checklist
And for you, I have compiled a small checklist of entry into the profession:
And, of course, don't be afraid :)
- Of course, you need to get along with computers and be interested in technology. Actually, without this, you canât even start.
- Feel the professionally important qualities of the tester in yourself: curiosity, attentiveness, the ability to keep in mind the âimageâ of the system and analyze it, perseverance, responsibility and the ability to engage in not only funny âdestructionâ of the system, but also âboringâ work on the development of test documentation.
- Take books on testing (they can be easily found in electronic form) - and postpone. Believe me, at first it will all frighten you rather than push you to something.
- Join the professional community. It can be a tester forum (there are a lot of them, choose the one you like), a blog of some professional tester, or something else. Why is this? Well, firstly, the tester communities are quite friendly, and you will always get support and advice when you ask for them. Secondly, when you start to revolve in this area, it will be easier for you to join the profession.
- Get to work. You can go to the interns-testers, and then senior colleagues will teach you everything. Or start with simple tasks in freelance. In any case, you need to start working.
- After you started to practice testing, return to the books set aside in paragraph 3.
- Recognize that you will constantly need to learn. From day to day, from year to year, you will learn something new and understand something. Accept this situation.
- Drop your fears and doubts and get ready for one of the most interesting work in the world :)
You can handle it, good luck!
UPD: In the discussions for the article, respected commentators drew my attention to the fact that not everyone can be so lucky at the initial stage as I am. Therefore, I would like to add paragraph 3a to the checklist.
3a. Speaking about the fact that books are better to be postponed for now, I meant that at this stage it would be dangerous to overload with theory, since theoretical knowledge is difficult to structure correctly without practice, and a large amount of theory can scare you. If you want to feel more confident and not lose time while you are looking for where to start practicing, I advise you to undergo an online training for beginner testers or take a testing course. Both that, and another it is very simple to find and the information there will submit to you in an accessible form. Well, see the next paragraph
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