Are you thinking about changing your career to software testing but don’t possess a tech degree? Do not despair! Maybe you do not need it after all! The tech world is changing and there are a lot of other skills you need to show to succeed as a Software Tester/Test Consultant. So please read on…
Today, I am interviewing Laveena Ramchandani, a Senior Test Consultant at Deloitte UK. Laveena has a degree in computer science and worked as a Software Tester, BI Consultant, and Test Consultant in multiple companies. She will be able to tell us first hand what kind of people can succeed in the career of a Software Tester/Test Consultant.
Hello Laveena, thank you for accepting my interview! I believe that it will help a lot of people to understand the in and outs of getting a Test Consultant/Software Tester job. You started as a Software Tester and later moved to BI Consultant and Test Consultant.
Can you please tell us what is the difference between a Software Tester, BI Consultant, and a Test Consultant when it comes to what they do?
A software tester is one who can do the above role successfully too. Software Testing is a process of verifying a computer system/program to decide whether it meets the specified requirements and produces the desired results. As a result, you identify bugs in software products/projects.
Software Testing is indispensable to provide a quality product without any bugs or issues.
A BI test consultant is someone who is testing business intelligence products, at the end of the day a tester as mentioned above too. Nonetheless has different tasks to carry out such as, tests the process of gathering data, cleansing, analyzing, integrating, and sharing data to derive insights that drive business growth. Business Intelligence Testing or BI testing verifies the staging data, ETL process, BI reports and ensures the implementation is correct.
I checked out your LinkedIn and you do have a computer science degree. Do you think it helped you when you applied for jobs as a Software Tester/Test Consultant?
I actually fell into testing, I had no idea what the testing world was about. During my career this was visited very swiftly and I actually learnt all about software testing in my first ever role. In terms of computer science as a degree, it helps in understanding the computing side of things. However in terms of jobs, I have seen individuals become testers who never even studied IT. So, I feel today what matters is your enthusiasm to learn and motivate you to become a confident tester.
Now you work as a Test Consultant and I suppose you are participating in hiring new testing talents. Do you feel like it is hard in the UK to find good quality Software Testers/Test Consultants? And if so why?
I have been part of the hiring process in most firms I have worked with. Hiring a software tester is a slightly bit trickier depending on the values your firm holds and what kind of tester you would see fit in your team. I have seen such great candidates and I have most of the time said a ‘Yes’ for that individual. Usually, I look for a positive attitude, willingness to excel and enhance their skills, share their knowledge and be up for challenges within the project and understand how they might tackle certain situations. I am an easy-going individual and will always be there to help newcomers.
What kind of personality are you looking for in software testing candidates usually? What personality types make a good Software Tester/Test Consultant in your opinion?
I look for a positive attitude towards testing, one who shares any knowledge they have that could aid the team, someone who can handle difficult situations smoothly, willing to learn and hone their skills. To become a good tester there is no checklist I go through, I just learn as I go.
The personality to become a good tester would be someone who is curious, vigilant, someone who can drive ideas to improve testing, have a good mix of business acumen and technical knowledge. I feel as a tester another thing that is important is to be open to opportunities that might come their way such as not just perform testing but also help in other areas such as UX design, pairing with developers or doing code reviews, and even helping delivery managers. In other words, be an all-rounder.
Do you have a good experience with Software Tester/Test Consultant applicants with non-technical background? Are there any pros and cons to having a more versatile work experience in your opinion?
Yes I do, and I feel this is positive! Well, someone who does not come with a technical background but has the appetite to learn is a big tick for me. Also someone with a different background might bring better or different ways of testing. Therefore technical or non-technical I appreciate what every tester brings to the table.
Is there a big difference in technical skills between software testing candidates with technical and non-technical degree?
I have kind of answered this above .
Is there a way to recognize whether a person without a tech background will have a hard time to learn technical skills? Could you check that in the interview?
You can ask them around their willingness to learn and what they already may know of. You can most certainly ask these things. Depending on what your firm has to provide as training and how much effort will go into all of it then depends whether your firm is happy with such a candidate or prefers a more senior tester who has more experience.
Do you feel like having a testing certification helps to become a successful Software Tester/Test Consultant when not having a tech background? If so which one?
This is what I used to think, I have done few testing certifications too. Back in the time I did feel very much accomplishing and would also aid in promotions. However, in this day and age I personally feel learning skills via conferences, webinars, workshops, podcasts even blogs is more fulfilling. The things you learn can be put into practicality sooner too.
I have heard many aspiring testers without a technical background willing to do certifications to help them understand this role better. In my opinion, you can go for it. But what you learn on the job, the course won’t give you that real experience.
What is the one thing (if there is one) that the Software Tester/Test Consultant candidate should not mention in the interview? For example, I heard that some candidates said that they just wanted to try testing or they wanted to do testing only to become developers etc. Would that make an influence on how you decide about such a candidate?
There is nothing like this I have come across before. Sometimes when interviewing you can get a vibe that this candidate is less interested in the role or this may not be the right fit. As hard as this can be to say ‘No’ to a candidate, in a way you are helping them find a role that’s more suited to them.
Is there anything else you would like to add that could help prospective software testing candidates without tech background when looking for a software testing job?
I would say put your opinions out there, be part of the testing community and share your learnings. There is so much out there like conferences, webinars, and workshops to learn from. Never know one day you can actually lead them too.
Thank you so much for making time to answer these questions. I believe that your input will help a lot of people!!!
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