Test automation specialist have many qualities

The range of tasks of the software tester has expanded considerably. For a long time, testing had been only one of many tasks in software development. Also, the quality of the test personnel was not always as high as during development. Some companies also used new developers as testers at first to train them and only integrated them into the development teams after a certain period of time. But the days of second-class developers are over.

The increasing importance of test automation has played a large part in the changing demands on test managers. They must be able to react quickly to changing requirements and be able to keep an eye on the productive code. The quality of test automation plays a decisive role and must not be allowed to outweigh the benefits of automation through maintenance effort. The quality of the code is always important. It must:

• Have a structured design
• The following can be maintained
• Being reliable
• be performant
• be legible

These requirements also apply when developing the productive code. However, test automation must not only meet these requirements, it must be better. This is where the capabilities of the test automator come into play. He must not only be able to automate tests, but also know how software is developed.

There are also other qualities needed for test automation:

Communication skills

Whoever is responsible for testing must understand both the customer and the developers and be able to communicate the problems in a way that is understandable to both sides. Solution-oriented work is required.

Adaptability

Anyone who tests software will often be in charge of several development projects at the same time. This requires the ability to quickly adapt to different requirements and needs.

Being able to analyze processes

Both the development of the software and the product consist of a sequence of processes. Testers must be able to assess these processes in terms of quality in order to be able to point out risks in time.

Understanding requirements

The requirements for a software are the lifeblood of the test cases. The better and more clearly the requirements are formulated, the more accurately testing can be performed. The tester must therefore have the necessary expertise to both understand the requirements and be able to assess their quality.

Conclusion

Testers are therefore not pure specialists, but all-rounders who have to prove their competence in many different areas. This also includes project management and leadership skills.