Confession: I’ve never traveled using a travel agency. I am not speaking from experience, only with an imagination filled with ideas of what working with a travel agent might be like. Feel free to correct me on any points that don’t feel fair or true. I’m happy to update my article wherever it makes sense.

In my current organization, I’m a solo tester. Thankfully, I have the privilege of knowing lots of other testers.

From the Ministry of Testing to the Automation Guild and the Women in Testing Slack Channel, I’ve met testers virtually around the world. Many of us are feeling similar feelings. Technology has changed in the last two years. Nearly 3 years ago, when I was looking for a QA role, learning and using AI as a normal part of my workflow wasn’t even on my radar. Now, it’s on everyone’s mind. Should we adopt it? How should we adopt it? Am I killing the planet when I use it, or at the very least, destroying someone’s neighborhood? Will I still have a job in a few years? Am I valid? Do I bring value? What can I do that AI can’t? What can AI do that could replace me? So many questions. All valid. All necessary.

Then there are questions beyond AI. Questions about career choices, where to go, who to become, and what role a person should take in this new landscape? Do I stay in tech? Do I dive deeper where I am? What if what I want isn’t defined in the job listings? What are my options? Do I have a say in where I’m going?

All of it is overwhelming, for sure. And, while I won’t offer advice that will fit exactly what you need where you are, I do wonder if there is a mindset that we could adopt that is very suited for where we are. A mindset we turn on when we’re staring at a piece of functionality without a scrap of acceptance criteria.

The mindset of an Explorer.

Some of the best stories begin merely on a hunch and a map. In The Hobbit, all Bilbo needed was a tale sung by new companions, the promise of treasure, and a map that outlined the general areas. In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the map revealed itself as they moved throughout the game. Many times, in our careers and in life, we only get bits and pieces, inklings of an idea, a thought, or a next step. The feeling of “Maybe I could do ….” These are the next steps that could lead to something unexpected, good or bad. One experience builds on the next, and the traveler gets the chance to learn and grow from what they’ve gone through.

When I quit my office job to find a remote role, I thought that was my only goal. I landed a job a few months later and planned to settle in. Instead, over time, I felt worse and worse about my decision. I didn’t understand it. I got a remote job. Wasn’t that the point? But my body wouldn’t let me settle in (perhaps another blog post?), and I woke up feeling terrible every day. Eventually, I was able to identify some valid reasons for leaving, and I chose to job search elsewhere. Yes, getting a remote role was the plan, but the adventure required that I keep looking and learning. An explorer learns to read the signs around them, when it’s time to stay, when to leave, and when to change direction entirely. Being willing to learn and listen to these signs. If you’re off the right path and you can feel it in your soul, that doesn’t mean you’ve done something wrong; it means that you just need to change course. There is no reason to make yourself feel better when you are headed in the wrong direction. Change course, and you’ll probably feel far more at ease.

I am terrible at time-boxing exploratory testing. When I choose to explore something, it could be an hour or a day! Depends on the functionality for sure. But, if my mission is to expose functionality that might not be up to standard, then I put away all my test plans. I look at it and try to view it as someone who’s never seen it before. I’m asking several questions at once. Yes, can I break it, and how (rage-click anyone?), but also, does what I’m seeing make sense? The titles, colors. Is it accessible (hopefully we’ve addressed this question earlier in the process)? What happens if I click the buttons in this order? Like a child, I start to play and see what happens. As I explore, much is revealed. I document my findings and take them back to my team.

Explorers fully expect the unexpected. They are willing to keep their eyes out for things that frighten, things that inspire, people and places who will provide help for the journey, and roads that seem to stretch on forever. They know that to find what they need, the only way to discover it is to walk the path and see what happens. As they discover, they can document their findings and bring them back for the good of the community.

As a QA, I know I can’t do my job alone. And, in the testing community, so many of us come from a variety of backgrounds. We cannot judge ourselves or anyone else for what we are capable of. We can only hold our lamps up a little higher so that the others around us can see where to step. It only makes sense that if we get anywhere, we need to get there together.

I finished a book this week that I really didn’t care for. But one quote stood out to me as I consider the Explorer mindset.

Let go of what your life is supposed to look like. None of us was promised a specific path. Explore. Discover. Document. Tell us what you find.

I’m looking forward to joining you on the journey.

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with the ❄️ Echoes of Winter | The First Signs of Light 🕯️playing in the background