1 idea how to choose skills to learn to get a job in testing.

So you want to get your first job in software testing? Good! It’s a good career.

You know what’s the good question you should ask here?

What do I need to learn to get the job?

When you know the answer, you’ll know what to focus on. The issue is that software testing is a huuuge field. It covers a lot of different skills, tools, techniques and ideas. It’s easy to say: “You just need to learn how to test applications.” But “learn how to test” is not just one skill. It consists of a number of different areas.

Hmmm, but where should you start? If you need to make a list of skills you need, how to prioritize them?

The idea seems to be pretty simple:

1. Make a list of 10 most important skills.
2. Take them one by one. Learn and practice. When you’re done with it, choose the next one and keep learning.

But which ones are the most important? How to choose them?

Here’s an idea for you:

Start with analysis of the job market. Check what kind skills are required by companies for junior testers. Make an analysis of a number of job offers for junior testers. Go through 20 of them. Check what are their requirements. Prepare a list of 10 the most common must have skills.

Example list:
(it’s just a sample, prepare one for yourself, based on your local job market)

1. Test management tool: Jira
2. bug reporting
3. API testing – Postman
4. Android system
5. mobile apps testing
6. analytical/critical thinking
7. test case design
8. test documentation
9. SQL
10. communication skills

Focus on this list. Take each and every item from it. Think what it takes to learn the skill. Then gather info, tutorials, blog posts, youtube videos, whatever you can find about the chosen subject.

Then learn, learn, learn.

If the skill is a practical one, practice, practice and practice until you’re good at it.

Let’s take communication skills. Think why companies require good communication from testers. Find lots of resources on this. You will learn that a tester needs communication to talk to people, to write good test reports, bug reports, test documentation, to learn about requirements, to learn new technologies, to give presentations, to talk to the team and so on, and so forth.

Then learn how to improve your communication skills and practice them a lot.

When you learn these skills, you’ll get closer to what they require from you. Does it mean you’ll win the race for the job? No. But it’s gonna increase your chance.

That’s what it is about. The chance.

Now go to a job portal and make the list.