5 essential skills that a Tester must have

Software testing is a process that includes many different activities to check and evaluate the quality and correctness of a software based on the requirements/needs of the user. This includes activities to test and verify the system to see if the software works correctly according to the original requirements and purposes. One of the main goals of testing is to help find errors and defects in the software before it is deployed and widely used, helping to minimize the risk of software problems during use

And in the testing process (a series of many different activities as mentioned above), each role in it will require a different set of skills to be able to complete its job well. Particularly for testers, specifically manual testers, because this position plays an important role in the field of software development and especially today, with the constant development of technology and the trend of using software becoming more and more popular, testers are required to equip themselves with many different skills to be successful.

To become a “good tester”, in addition to specialized knowledge, testers should also equip themselves with essential soft skills. In fact, these skills are not only necessary for today’s testers but have been necessary since ancient times. However, as mentioned above, today many technologies develop rapidly and promote innovation, so the following skills are available to help “modern testers” work more effectively.

1. Knowledge and skills in software testing

Software testing is a complex and ever-evolving field. To be effective, testers need to have a solid understanding of the fundamental principles of software testing and various testing methods and techniques. You need to have a basic understanding of some software development models, at least V-model and Scrum , to be able to apply testing processes and techniques and tools that are appropriate to the context of the project to bring about the highest possible level of efficiency, helping the team detect errors earlier to minimize the risk of system failures during actual use. This specialized testing knowledge and skills are the most important, otherwise other skills will be less useful.

There are many ways to improve this knowledge and skills. You can take online courses, attend seminars, read books and articles to grasp new trends. Remember the 70-20-10 rule, 70% is learned from actual work, 20% is learned from the surrounding (through groups, or social networks, blog posts, etc.), and 10% is learned from formal classes (which give you a foundation to learn on your own and can start projects).

2. Skills in planning and developing testing strategies

This job is not only for test leads or test managers, any role or position in the software development team also requires planning skills and providing appropriate testing approaches based on the company's and project's strategy. To reiterate, test leads and test managers plan the project, and you plan the assigned work yourself. Each tester will have their own way to test a certain screen or system, which is their own "strategy and approach" to complete the assigned work well. Through your plan, you can detect early the skills and knowledge needed for this project that you are lacking, helping you to proactively equip yourself with this missing knowledge and skills.

To improve this skill, you can learn about different test planning and strategy development methods, practices for different types of software. For example, SMART goals (which stand for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound).

3. Note taking and bug reporting skills

During the working process, testers are like detectives, they are always curious to learn and explore all information related to the project, thereby helping them clarify requirements and write complete and effective test cases. If you have the ability to take concise notes, it will help you a lot when asking questions (especially in writing because there is not always an opportunity to talk directly with customers, PMs or BAs) and in reporting bugs. When programmers understand the bugs you report, the chances of these bugs being fixed will be much higher. If you report a bug that others do not understand "what it is about", what is the percentage of chances that this bug will be fixed? This skill helps you report bugs focusing on the information and the bug instead of criticizing the person who created it (programmer or PM/BA - if related to errors in the document).

To improve this skill, you can refer to sample reports from many sources, change the way you think, think about problems and information (what) instead of people (who).

4. Interaction and teamwork skills

In addition to reading and analyzing documents, more and more companies are adopting the Agile model, so human-to-human interaction is becoming more popular, especially with customers or PMs, and other roles such as developers in software development teams are very important. Coordination and teamwork skills help improve communication efficiency and ensure that everyone understands the customer's requirements correctly, thereby helping you plan effective testing. This also helps testers build relationships with team members and communicate more effectively.

To improve this skill, you should be more open to feedback from others, willing to share your ideas and developments with others, support other team members and work towards the common goal of the project. It is difficult, but sometimes you have to cooperate and support ideas that are contrary to yours but are voted by the majority of the group.

5. Self-study skills and knowledge updating

In the context of the software development industry (including testing activities) constantly evolving, to always be the best in the assigned position, you need to be able to learn new things yourself. This is especially true when participating in different projects in software outsourcing companies, every time participating in a project in a new field (domain), testers have to learn about that field, usually through self-study online, there are not many places that teach knowledge about a certain field in a few short courses, for example banking, insurance, securities, etc. And learning and cultivating new knowledge, testing methods and techniques, a certain programming language or a new tool that people talk about like playwright, etc. is very important to help you always be proactive.

In short, to grow further in your career and improve your testing skills, you need to put in more effort. Here are some ways to help you improve your skills and grow your software testing career:Stay up to date with industry knowledge: Follow industry websites, forums, and communities to stay up to date and learn from other industry experts. Reading software testing books and articles is also a great way to learn about the latest testing techniques and tools.

1. Find practical opportunities: Learning goes hand in hand with practice! Always try to find opportunities to apply the knowledge you have learned to real work. If you are a tester looking for a job, you can join community project groups or intern – without paying – to have the opportunity to experience. Or join freelance testing platforms such as TestIO, uTest or Upwork
2. Participate in software testing forums and events: You should regularly interact and connect with the testing community (both online and offline). You can meet and exchange with many experienced experts in the industry. This is the fastest way to learn and share experiences.