Survival techniques for Testers-BEYOND THE T-SHAPED TESTER

Survival techniques for testersBeyond the T-shaped tester

Derk-Jan de Grood & Jan Jaap Cannegieter

Survival techniques for testersBeyond the T-shaped tester

Derk-Jan de Grood@derkjandegroodderkjandegrood@valori.nl

Jan Jaap Cannegieter@jjcannegieterj.cannegieter@squerist.nl

Recent changes

Testers piramideTest consultancy

Test management

Team lead

Test design & execusion

T-shaped professional

Conceived by David Guest in 1991 ["The hunt is on for the Renaissance Man of computing,", The Independent, September 17, 1991. ]

What is a T-shaped professional?

Deep/specificDeep/specific

Broad/GenericBroad/GenericKnowledge

Skills

Knowledge

Skills

Skills vs knowledge

Knowledge

Knowledge

SkillsSkills

Actual level

There is not one T

Bridge builder

Super specialist

And what about someone who can test and elicitate / manage

requirements?

Combining two specialities

Workshops on EuroSTAR 2015 and TestNet 2016200+ test professionals

Wisdom of the crowd sessions

We asked the attendees to identify different π-shaped profiles

What specialism could be wise to grow as a second leg?

What specialism to grow as a 2nd leg?

Dot-voting

Choosing your future path

Brainstorm in groups

Test automation• Programming knowledge• Technical knowledge• Tool knowledge• Scripting• Tool selection• BDD / TDD / ATDD• Keyword driven testing

• Version and config mngt• Backend testing• Integration testing• GUI testing• Infrastructure• Virtualization

It may be strategic,but …does it fit ?

Ace

$€

Like

Programming• Program languages• Java / C#• Scripting• Code generators• Unit testing / TDD• Whitebox testing• Code checkers

• Programming framework• Analytical skills• Critical thinking• Development tools• Modelling• Software architecture

Requirements management• Communication• Interview techniques• Problem analysis• Modelling techniques• Process analysis• Domain knowledge• Business case

• Negotiation• Technical skills• Creativity• Requirements elicitation• Risk analysis• Review techniques

Agile• Communication Skills• Thinking business value• Process knowledge• Agile Foundation• Agile test strategy• Knowing how to solve agile

problems• Time management

• Being adaptive• CI/CD• Soft skills: Empathic, Honesty,

Dealing with uncertainties• Implementation/leading

change • Self critical

Hey,now it is up

to you!

TestbashHacketronPilotTalk with peersDownload a toolBook readingCourseDo Utest Let the world

know what your capable of

Nothing beats the real thing

Profiling-Curve by De Grood & Cannegieter (2015)

Retweet Tweet Respond to

blogpost

Write a blog

Talk at conference

Start a SIG

Organize a session at

work

Maybe a challenge but high impact

Easy with

limited effect

Wrap up

Learning starts now:

Succes with building your profile !