Automation tester – a career path responding to the current needs of the labor market
Today’s IT market offers many opportunities to change your career path. The demand for new specialists in the industry is not decreasing at all, especially in the area of test automation. Therefore, if you are thinking about changing jobs, you should consider this career path. It combines elements of programming and testing and it’s an interesting alternative for a manual tester career that. What should you know and what to focus on to increase your chances of finding a job as an automation tester?
Automation tester – what does he do and what does his career path look like?
Test automation is becoming more and more popular, and therefore the demand for testers specializing in this area is high. An automation tester writes scripts checking if a given functionality is working properly. What a manual tester verifies manually, an automation tester transcribes into code using one of the programming languages such as Java, C #, Python, etc.
– The demand for automation testers is huge nowadays. The area of automated tests is developing dynamically. New, better test tools are being developed all the time, and the scripts are written in new programming languages. Each new software developed for more than six months must have a solid test coverage, which is why we currently see so many job offers for automation testers – says Maciej Kowalczuk, Automation Tester and Trainer at Sii.
The road towards test automation is one of the basic development paths for testers, which is why people who were previously manual testers often wok on this position. Thanks to the knowledge about the test process, tools, and cooperation with programmers, it is easier for them to adapt to new tasks.
However, you can also apply for the position of an automation tester without experience in manual tests. Currently, many people want to start a career in IT as a manual tester, but few choose junior positions for automation testers. The entry threshold is too high for most people. But what will be an obstacle for others may be an opportunity for you.
Test automation – where to start?
- General knowledge about testing
Before you start your career as an automation tester, you need to understand what the idea behind testing is. ISTQB – Foundation Level will be a signpost for you. Thanks to it, you will gain knowledge about how to test, how much to test, what to test, and when to stop testing.
- Object-oriented programming
The most popular programming language used in test automation is Java. There is no need for you to master it as much as Java Developer. You don’t need to know additional libraries like Spring or Java EE. The most important thing is that you have a very good command of all aspects of object-oriented programming.
- Automation tools
If you’ve been interested in test automation before, you’ve probably noticed that there is a huge number of tools available on the market. In the beginning, you should focus on testing the user interface of web applications. Selenium is the leader in this field. It is the most popular test automation framework. So if you want to fit into the market needs, you should focus on learning Java in combination with Selenium.
- Git – version control system
This is the most important point in the entire listing. Without knowledge of Git, you won’t be able to save the effects of your work or work in a project team. At the very beginning, we suggest that you use the Git console to have a good understanding of all the most popular commands. After learning the Git related content, you can search for the Git GUI that suits you best.
What’s next?
When you learn the above-mentioned basics. You can start looking for your first job. In the meantime, start working on the next steps, which will be additional assets.
Databases and SQL language
The first is databases and the SQL language. They are used in almost every project. First, focus on the basics. Set up a simple database and learn to extract data with the help of ‘Selects’ from various tables.
Configuring Continuous Integration tools
The next step is to configure Continuous Integration tools to run tests remotely. At the beginning, it’s best to choose Jenkins, because it is free and, as in the case of Selenium, it is very easy to find learning materials about the tool.
REST Webservices
At the very end of your learning, you can get acquainted with REST Webservices. Try to understand how they work and you may be tempted to implement it on your own. As an automation tester, you should know the basic types of http queries and distinguish between REST and SOAP.
If you want to start your career as an Automation Tester, check out our courses’ website. During the training, you will learn Java from scratch and create your first framework using Selenium WebDriver at a commercial level. You can also join trainings for those who want to start their career in IT as a manual tester.
Don’t forget to read:
The 5 most frequently asked questions on our “Become a Tester” training
The 5 most frequently asked questions on our “Become a Developer” training
