30 Days of Automation in Testing | Advice For People Getting Started

Best Possible Advice

..from someone self-taught

Dear Reader, If someone were to ask me how did I get started in test automation, my answer would end up being some derivative of, "I just installed Selenium and poked around for a bit." Then as I got more curious, I started asking more questions.

My top 5 list of things I would recommend are:

• Always Be Curious

Coding skills are great and all, but never accept that you know everything. Keep learning new things and asking the question, "how do I do ?"
Also its worth learning how the pieces fit. Not just how the feature works, but how the feature integrates with the other sections, or how the page interacts with the database.

• Always Be Learning

Never accept that you are good at just 1 test framework or language. Be open to try a new language or new way of doing things.

• Do As Devs Do

And by that I mean learn how to be a part of code reviews and the integration process.
If you code in their language, you may be able to learn more and ask the kind of questions / test in a way that adds more value to your role on the team.

• Advocate for automation

If your QA team or company does not have an automation process, or your project could benefit from this, be a strong advocate for implementing this type of a solution. Work with your team and propose a viable solution that can benefit the project development lifecycle.

• Pass On What You Have Learned

Once you get to a strong level of confidence in your skillset, pass on what you have learned! Be prepared to give a presentation on your findings, or be ready to mentor others who may be interested in learning.