10 Simple Ways You Can Improve as a Tester

Being a software tester is no easy task. The ones who strive hard to continuously improve on their skill sets and keep themselves updated about the need of the hour achieve success in this profession. It isn’t just enough to be good tester; you need to be the very best.

Whether you are into mobile application testing or web application testing, the following tips are sure to help you.
1. Always Go For Quality
Identifying the most important bugs and glitches is a talent that needs to be nurtured.  This is what companies look for rather that messing it all up by testing for some 10,000 bugs. This talent can alone ensure a fruitful career with the company you work for.
2. Prioritization
This is similar to finding bugs. Know what is of extreme importance and test these critical areas of the application before going into the minute details. This will help you identify the most valuable bugs first thereby allowing the development team to get rid of these as soon as possible.
3. Develop Your Written Communication Skill
A good written communication skill is part of a software tester’s job description. Why? Because more often than not a software tester will have to write a good test case, bug reports and so on. This is an essential part of QA and should be detailed but at the same time simple to understand.
4. Have a Thirst For Knowledge
Learning from your own and others mistakes can help you go a long way. Each time you commit an error, ask yourself; how can I prioritize better during the next test cycle? How can I communicate with the development team better? Your search for the answers will lead you to a better career as a software tester. Also be ready to ask questions to your fellow testers.
5. Professionalism
Having more than one perspective to a problem can help you become an expert at software testing. Test the software without bias and don’t let any past experience with the software make you cocky. Remember!!! No bugs are too big or too small for you to handle.
6. Be Innovative With Your Thoughts
Don’t just test the software in front of you and think that your job is done. Having your own opinion about the software is welcomed by the developers, provided you don’t deviate from the core concept.
7. Question Yourself
Does this work as planned? Does it support all devices? Does it work under every possible use-case, every time? Keep asking these questions at every level of your test to ensure that you get maximum output from the software.
8. Think as a User
Having a user’s mindset helps you to imagine his expectation and experiences of the software. This will help to evaluate the software from a user perspective, even before its launch at a consumer outlet. It will also help you identify the most valuable bugs.
9. Improve Bug Report
To ensure that the developer gets proper information which he/she needs to understand the bug and fix it, try attaching screen shots and providing detailed bug reports. Where, when, how many times, on what devices, which operating system and under what circumstances will throw light on the bug. A bug is useless to a development team without the right details.
10. Let Your Passion Drive You
Passion is the key to succeeding in any field. Always be a step ahead of you competition and be informed, seek new training opportunities, engage with your fellow testers, attend testing conferences and classes. Try getting close to all things QA.