Tester Resources
Videos
I highly recommend videos for learning about being a Tester. For me the voice and physical emotions expressed by the speakers really motivate me in this format.
Here is my first proper video I watched on the topic of Software Testing that changed the course of my career. Please take the time reduce the distractions around you and listen up. Open Lecture by James Bach on Software Testing
The role of the tester has been in question of its importance and relevance. I found this to be a good video on the topic: The Future of the Testing Role - James Bach
A lot of testers are talking about ‘Test Automation’. In the school of testing I follow we might call this ‘Automated “Checking”’ or ‘Tool Supported Testing’. Check this out: Examples of Tool-Supported Testing with James Bach
I really like the opening part of this video showing off Fedex Drone service and thinking of how things could go wrong. This helps set the tone for the rest of the talk. Quality Jam 2017: Michael Bolton “A Ridiculously Rapid Introduction to Rapid Software Testing”
Additional Videos:
- Risk-based Testing with James Bach
- Beauty in Code 2018, 1 of 7 — James Bach: “Beauty or Bugs: Using the Blink Oracle in Testing”
- Michael Bolton - Testing is Testing - Agile is Context / Change 2018
Recent Discoveries:
- Ilari Henrik Aegerter : This person seems to have recorded or curated a list of software testing videos
- Robert Sabourin - Reality-Driven Testing
- Dan North: “BDD Is Not About Testing”
Books
Here are some archaic formatted education tools. Books may not be as popular for the new generation of Testers, but sometimes I like to slow down and physically have a textbook in hand. If the book has exercises to follow, I like that it doesn’t take up screen real estate while working on it.
Here are books by Pragmatic Programmers that I had read and can recommend:
- Explore It!
- Pragmatic Unit Testing in Java 8 with JUnit
- The Way of the Web Tester
- Test-Driving JavaScript Applications
This book is geared towards developers but I also found it useful for my career. It inspired me to write this blog. I listened to the audio book so that is what I will link here. It is narrated by the writer John Sonmez. The Complete Software Developer’s Career Guide
Sites
- Satisfice
- I highly recommend James Bach’s blog.
- Develop Sense
Training Material
Avoid
During my journey I was looking to ways to up my credentials as a tester and I stumbled upon the ISTQB. Their website looks nice and displays a suggested career path with additional certificates. I’d like to turn you away from this organization. Some companies might recognize their certificate, but currently from what I have seen, those I know with the certificate came from large pools of testers doing low pay regression testing (think of outsourced workforce).