Software Testing at adesso – Anyone Can Do That?

‘Testing is easy’, “Testing is boring” and “Testing only costs time and a lot of money” are just a few of the top 10 phrases that you hear over and over again in projects when it comes to testing.

So not only do you have to deal with the sometimes hair-raising quality of the software, you also have to defend your professional ethics both internally and externally.

But we won't start in the middle of the book, but at the very beginning.

Software testing is deeply rooted at adesso and runs through all business areas. This is not the case in every company. In addition, we have a wide range of communities and exchange channels, so that you don't have to stay alone with questions about testing for long.

We have been doing this job for years and are passionate about it. In our daily work, however, we also encounter issues that make young Adessi in particular hesitant to get excited about testing and consider this development path for their professional career.

This is how junior testers perceive testing

• Young graduates or career changers new to the industry who start at adesso (understandably) still need support to fully understand the organisation of the testing processes.
• Lack of prestige.
• Testing work often contains no creative elements.
• Lack of integration into the processes, resulting in a lack of understanding of backgrounds and decisions.

Junior testers have these prejudices

• Once you're in testing, you're in it for life.
• Career paths are unclear.
• Testing is considered less skilled than development.
• Testing is boring.

We have encountered the perceptions and prejudices listed above in the public sector or in our previous experience. It is possible that there are further or different statements in other areas of adesso. We have dealt with these arguments in the public sector and developed the following solutions:

The added value of testing in relation to a high quality of the software project must be presented more transparently not only to the customer but also internally at adesso. Testing and other quality assurance measures can reduce the risk of delivering a defective programme.

Setting up a project-specific test process is complex and requires project-experienced test managers and testers. Testing software is not a one-time activity shortly before delivery, but must be established as an integral part of the entire software development process in the project. To do this, internal and external training opportunities must be better communicated and utilised. These are also available in various test communities. Our test community in the public domain is available to anyone interested. Feel free to contact us.

Software testing is a good stepping stone for adesso's junior staff to create their own long-term development opportunities at adesso. Through testing, you not only get to know the actual project object (i.e. the software), but also the interaction of the various processes (requirements engineering, software development, project management, stakeholder management) within a specific project, and thus gradually build up your own, practice-oriented know-how base.

Who am I and what am I?

In the following, we will show you what is required of a tester. We will focus less on technical skills, as these can change with new test tools, for example, and ultimately your own project career determines which knowledge and skills you acquire and master.

A good software tester is characterised by a combination of technical skills, analytical thinking and certain personal qualities:

• An understanding of software development processes: knowledge of agile, DevOps or other software development models helps you to effectively participate in the development process.
• Problem-solving skills: analysing and diagnosing complex problems and finding solutions.
• Attention to detail: a keen eye for detail helps you to spot even the smallest errors and inconsistencies.
• Critical thinking: the ability to critically question situations and requirements and not take everything for granted.
• Patience and stamina: Testing can be repetitive and frustrating. Patience and the ability to keep going despite setbacks are crucial.
• Communication skills: Documenting errors and problems clearly and accurately and communicating effectively with developers and other stakeholders.
• Teamwork: The ability to work well in a team is especially important in agile environments.

So, you are someone who is not only technically adept, but can also think analytically, has an eye for detail, can communicate effectively and is willing to constantly learn and develop.

What makes adesso stand out and what support do you get in your career?

You don't have to commit from the outset. As a trainee or associate in particular, you may not yet know where your professional journey should take you. But once you've caught fire, what then? Can you develop into a manager? The answer to this question is a resounding YES!

Specialisations

For example, adesso offers the following specialisations for testers within the DEVelopment and CONsultant model:

The awarding of...

• ...career levels is possible in all business areas.
• ...is based on the main focus of the role.

ISTQB career(s)

In addition to the wide range of internal training opportunities, there are also official further training paths.

What does that mean for you?

By trying things out, they gain new insights into the diverse consulting tasks within the broad IT world.

We support our newcomers in finding their way through the various consulting specialisations. We have made it our mission not only to give future consultants an insight into the importance and procedure for testing technical requirements, but also to convey that project assignments in the testing area are a good opportunity to get to know the processes involved in software development and the dependencies between the roles of requirement engineer, developer and tester under project conditions. Dealing with the customer's technical requirements strengthens one's own understanding of the customer's needs and processes, which is indispensable for one's own consulting work later on.

We repeatedly find that the young Adessi have developed a clear career vision, but lack information on how to get there. And here it is definitely advisable to put aside your own ideas of project roles and assignments for a while and to take on project roles (tester or test manager) that you may have prejudices about and that seem far removed from your own professional goals.

A recent survey among our adessi has very impressively shown that working in different project roles was described as very beneficial for one's own development as a consultant.

With its numerous software development projects, adesso offers a wealth of challenges for one's own development - at the beginning, nothing seems to fit, but with each project assignment, one's own horizon of experience expands and helps you on your way to becoming a consultant.

So be open when your supervisor offers you a project role on a trial basis, for example. Stay curious and set yourself the goal of mastering this challenge too and growing with it.

Would you like to learn more about exciting topics from the world of adesso? Then take a look at our blog posts published so far.