🏊🏽 STEC Deep Dive: Fresh Eyes, New Insights

STEC Deep Dives are extended reflections on portions of the Ministry of Testing’s Software Testing Essentials Certificate. If you’d like to know about STEC and how it can boost your career, you can learn more at the Ministry of Testing.

In lesson 1 of Module 2, Melissa Fisher and Cassandra Leung take us through an important conversation about the value that Junior Testers bring to any organization. Many times, organizations want seasoned testers who have been in the game for many years. What they could be missing out on are people who bring fresh eyes and new ideas to the organization.

One point that Melissa and Cassandra touched on is how being the new person gives you the opportunity to see the application you will be testing from a different vantage point.

This is a practice that I recommend when taking on a new position, even as a seasoned tester, and something I practice myself! Consider this your guide to testing an application as a new hire!

Why test now?

You, being so new, have so much to learn. Taking on the task of testing an application (or several) entirely will do several things.

First, you’ll learn about the current state of the application. You’ll discover its strengths and weaknesses, and this can be a great way to determine which parts of the application you could automate first to build confidence when releasing new or updated features.

Second, you’ll be able to spot things that other people, after years of being in the same organization, gloss over. Functionality that feels the same ole, same ole to everyone else will be brand new to you. Your reflections will be fresh, and your reactions will be more deeply felt. Really, you are the equivalent of a brand-new user introduced to the system. Being able to provide feedback like that is a gift!

Finally, you will learn so much. You’ll learn the application at a deep level, and you’ll learn more about the people who built it, either past or present. As you take a deep dive into the functionality, you’ll find yourself asking lots of different questions from lots of different people. This will help you discover who they are and how they like to communicate. It’s a chance that can’t be replicated after being there for a few years. Take advantage of the opportunity!

Outline the plan:

As a new person on the job, you’ll be reporting to your supervisor and outlining how to best spend your time when it comes to learning the application you will be testing daily. Make the suggestion that you’d like to spend dedicated time learning the application. If there are several applications to test, ask which ones would be best tested in terms of priority. You don’t have to test everything right away. However, there may be a particular piece that your supervisor would like your feedback on sooner rather than later.

Gather Your Tools:

If you prefer writing test cases, figure out where you will write and track them. Make them accessible so that others can see them. If the company already has test cases written, take what they already have and test the test cases! You’ll be able to see what is valid and what can be removed if it’s no longer viable.

Start making QA documentation when necessary. Are there test cases that require specific files? Are they in a public domain where everyone can use them? As you are testing, keep your eyes open for the needs of your team members. Where are they struggling when it comes to testing the application? Being able to fill these gaps quickly brings immense value and removes frustration when people know where they need to go to do their job.

Discuss the best place to ask questions:

It’s important to let others know ahead of time that you will be asking lots of questions or making a variety of observations. You don’t want to be spamming people or putting questions in a place where a lot of people will feel irritated during the process.

Before testing, find out where the appropriate place is to ask questions. Many times, Product teams are excited about feedback like this and will direct you to a specific chat or channel. Or, identify key stakeholders and ask if they would be willing to give feedback on your questions while testing. Someone will be interested in what you find. If you aren’t sure, you can ask your supervisor who the best person to talk to would be.

Ask, ask, and keep asking:

When you start testing and following workflows as a new user, some things will make sense straight away. Others won’t. Point out, respectfully, what doesn’t make sense. If you notice a bug, before you write it up, ask if what you are seeing is a bug. It could be a “fug”, a feature that wasn’t designed as well as it could have been. If it’s determined to be a bug and you’ve been given the confirmation to write it up, go for it! Most people will celebrate the fact that you found a bug within the first week or two on the job.

An additional guide to asking questions can be found in my article, Wide open spaces: A thought worker's guide to asking good questions.

Be respectful

Don’t ask, “Why was this built like this?” A better response would be, “I’m noticing that this workflow is going in a direction that I didn’t expect. Can someone tell me what the intention was here and what we are hoping the user will experience?” Yeah, it’s a lot more words. But it shows that you aren’t out to embarrass anyone. You are curious about the design and want to know why something was made in that way. Showing respect while asking questions is a great way to build trust as a new hire.

Track your journey

Depending on the size or the number of applications you’ll need to test, you may need to break the application into chunks. Keep documentation on where you are in the process and what you’ve learned so far. You can use whatever documentation your company uses. Be sure to publish your findings in a common space where people can offer feedback.

Provide a Testing summary

In the end, what did you discover? What gaps did you find? How many bugs did you write up? Any feature requests you submitted? Any problems you solved for the team? Create a document you can present to your supervisor that showcases what you learned and how your fresh eyes brought a new perspective to the organization. Brag, brag, brag! You brought value. This is a great way to put your Testing foot forward.

Starting a new job can be daunting. Imposter syndrome can set in. If you embrace your newness, you’ll learn quickly that you have so much to offer. Use those fresh eyes and offer a differing perspective. This is exactly what your team has been waiting for.

Till next time…

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Written with What It Feels Like To Forgive Yourself. playing in the background