These days certifications are inwards corking demand! And if y'all are inwards Software Testing, hence it is assumed that y'all already accept ane of them or at to the lowest degree y'all are planning/preparing to accept ane of them soon. I discovery many people working inwards Software Testing plain amongst exactly about or other certification. How oft do y'all remove heed virtually certifications inwards software testing similar CSTE, CSQA, QAI, ISTQB, ISEB, Brainbench etc inwards your operate place? I accept seen a foreign await on many faces when they are told that I don’t ain (I purposefully used this news to emphasize the fact that certifications are forthwith considered equally commodities which can/should endure owned!) a certification yet.
Interestingly, when I tell many of my weblog readers in addition to online friends that I don’t accept whatever form of certifications, they only spend upwards to believe it! As if, I am a weird beast inwards this testing field, who does non accept ane of the most essential affair required to testify a software or fifty-fifty write a weblog virtually it! People all of a precipitous root to dubiety my credibility equally a tester afterward hearing this fact. But who cares! Rather, this farther strengthens my decision to avoid a commercial certification inwards testing. Don’t root to intend that I am afraid of appearing a certification examination. But I don’t believe that whatever of the available certification programs is capable of making my testing skills amend inwards whatever possible way. And I intend all these hence called certification programs are mere coin making tools for their respective organizations.
During a give-and-take amongst a friend (who happens to endure the fastest emerging skilled tester of India), I was told that he knows a friend who holds all available Software Testing Certifications along amongst 67 Brainbench Testing Certifications! And ironically, the pitiful chap wants to acquire to a greater extent than certifications hence that he tin brand a Guinness Record! People believe that they tin accomplish greater heights inwards their career past times belongings a certification! And the irony of Indian Software Testing Industry is that to exactly about extent they are true! Here y'all tin discovery many reputed (!) Software Companies who await for candidates belongings exactly about sort of certification spell recruiting. I intend that is the psyche argue driving these people to decease afterward certifications.
But my query is: “Can whatever of these certifications guarantee that it tin improve your skills equally a tester?” Most of the syllabi of those certifications are historic menstruation old. They accept non been updated for quite long time. They verbalize of practices in addition to approaches inwards Software Testing, which are outdated inwards electrical flow scenario. Most of those approaches were written inwards the before days of Software Testing. At a time, when Software Testing was struggling to acquire its ain identity. There were really few people who were existent experts inwards the field. But these certification courses are yet happy to follow those one-time grandad day’s procedures in addition to approaches. In what way, are they supposed to amend your testing skills?
By the way, most of those certifications are three hours examinations consisting of exactly about theoretical questions (I am non telling this out of my imagination. I accept lot of such one-time query papers amongst me). You demand non exercise the thinking in addition to reasoning parts of testing, to reply these questions, which are the most essential elements of a skilled tester. More over, the questions seldom bargain amongst other required skills similar adventure management, edifice testify ideas, exploring a software in addition to hence on. Anybody (can endure from a unlike plain other than testing) amongst a footling powerfulness of memorizing things, tin clear such a certification exam amongst flight colors! What’s the large deal? By proverb so, inwards no agency I am questioning the powerfulness of the people belongings such certifications. My aim is to betoken out the inefficiency of such certification programs inwards improving the skills of a tester.
When James Bach was asked past times Michael Hunter of interview virtually the “The biggest challenge for testers/the testify plain of report for the side past times side 5 years”, ane of his answers was “To reject the simulated prophets of certification. Bad certification programs cheapen our craft.” Think over it.
Now y'all must endure wondering virtually the championship of this post! So allow me come upwards to the point. If at that spot is whatever certification, capable of improving your testing skills, hence allow me part this footling hugger-mugger amongst you. Try to endure “Self-Certified”. If y'all are actually skilled, hence why should y'all demand a slice of newspaper to certify your skills? I know a few testers who are Self Certified Skilled Testers.
And James Bach is ane amid them. You mightiness endure shocked to know that his highest formal qualification is eighth Grade from High schoolhouse (James delight right me if I am wrong). But still, he is considered equally ane of the fathers of software testing. He is ane of the pioneers, who has helped Software Testing acquire its ain identity. To plow over this position, he never required whatever commercial certification. So why should we? Let me tell you, I am ane of those upcoming Self Certified Skilled Testers. These are the three golden rules, that I accept laid for me to decease ane of them.
1. Keep learning. There is no substitute for learning. There are lots of things which tin aid y'all inwards becoming a amend tester. Even subjects similar philosophy in addition to epistemology tin brand y'all a amend tester. Because according to James, “testing is applied epistemology”.
2. Keep practicing. Practice makes y'all perfect. And that applies to software testing too. The to a greater extent than testing y'all do, the smarter y'all decease equally a tester. So test, testify in addition to test!
3. Try to acquire the unlike skills required for a skilled tester. And I am told that, at that spot are to a greater extent than than 3000 documented skills a tester can/should have. Please don’t root bespeak me for a listing of them. Because, honestly I don’t accept such a list. I am trying to explore, discovery in addition to larn those skills. So also y'all can.
If y'all accept whatever other suggestions that tin endure added to my golden dominion list, delight experience gratuitous to allow me know (of course, past times leaving a Comment). And if that sounds credible, I hope to add together them inwards my listing amongst proper credit to you. And terminal but non the least, Wish me luck inwards becoming a Self Certified Skilled Tester from INDIA.