Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tips for clearing Software testing job interview
The categories of skill looked out in a good software tester are:
i) Testing dexterity.
ii) Field knowledge.
iii) Technical proficiency.
Hence, for locating a vocation in the domain of software testing, the following would be the tips and advices:
a) Being Presentable: Being presentable is being clear, confident and connected with the interviewers. This is achieved not only by keeping up appearances and looks but also by the ability to reach out to the interviewers – which needs excellent communication. In software testing jobs, communication with the customer and among the team members is of utmost importance. Therefore, developing spoken and written communication skills is the first step towards clearing the interview. This also includes presenting a good resume. A resume is the perfect place to boast. Key accomplishments have to be listed clearly. Impact statements should begin with results of previous achievements. For example “cut overhead costs by 25% by streamlining workflow and centralizing operations” – the resume needs to be loaded with active verbs and keyword nouns. In other words, a resume that highlights your skills in the field of testing specifically. The resume should not be vague but should bring to light your abilities for being a good tester.
b) Possession of upgraded field knowledge: Having an expanded and relevant knowledge of the domain is the base criteria in any interview. Here in software tester job, the knowledge of
all kinds of testing methods and approaches (black box testing, white box testing, grey box testing) testing levels(unit testing, system testing, system integration testing, integration testing, regression testing, acceptance testing, alpha testing, beta testing), non functional testing, testing processes and all other related data. Any minuscule information should not be overlooked. An in-depth knowledge of SDLC, programming is a prerequisite.
c) Dexterous testing: Being a skilled tester not only requires in-depth knowledge of the field but also requires good attitude towards testing like the ability to prioritize test cases, prioritizing modules, identifying the important and complex modules, thinking out of the box, having an independent approach- yet sharing a rapport with the teammates is very necessary.
d) Being the best-prepared candidate: To make a distinct impression on the interviewer, a candidate needs to be armed with a little research knowledge about the company. In the interview, when the candidate is asked to speak out for queries, this knowledge has to be applied to ask educated questions. This makes the interviewer aware of the fact that the candidate is very well prepared and has devoted time to search and learn the company. To stand out from the rest of the candidates, bringing a portfolio of previous work samples and discussing the ideas behind them to demonstrate expertise is required.
Finer and concise tips for clearing the interview:
Know all about the company. Questions about business and software questions like how your skills will help the business will be asked. So the interviewer needs to be amazed with your knowledge of the company.
Your education in software testing needs to be made known to the interviewers. List any examples of software testing you have conducted in the past in a job or in school.
Use open ended questions to explain your qualifications. Give examples of each skill you have that are relevant to software testing.
Show your personal qualities, such your willingness to work overtime. Explain that you are a team player who can also work independently and that you are also a problem solver with great communication skills.
Identify which software testing procedures you are familiar with. Describe any experience you have with test plans or test cases.
Explain your knowledge and experience with automated testing and manual testing of software packages. Include the testing tools you used. List your knowledge of software development or programming languages like Java, Visual or C++.
Describe your willingness to learn new things if you don't know a software procedure, program or term used by the interviewer. Remind the interviewer of all your current knowledge and skills including your ability and willingness to learn more.
While questioning a candidate, the interviewer checks if the person is familiar with the basic testing types and/or its purpose etc. Even if the person has really not worked on different types of testing, he/she is expected to know them. This shows that the person puts an effort towards improving knowledge and exploring. Try to relate your theory to practical scenarios. If you do not know an answer, be honest. Let the interviewer know why you do not know this answer. You are a fresher; it is not practical for you to know everything. Beating around the bush gives a really bad impression.
So the baseline in clearing a software testing job interview is –“Be prepared, be confident and think relevant”.
How to speed up getting Software Testing jobs in recession.
In seeking software testing jobs, the following are the key methods:
1) Proficiency analysis- Making of a strong Profile :
Analyzing one’s abilities and knowing which among them suits Software Tester job is the first and foremost step in gearing up against recession. Software testing methodologies need to be prepared well. Specifically, manual testing concepts have to be stressed upon. Arming one’s knowledge with relevant applications and approaches need to be undertaken.
Unless one is multi skilled, it is going to be difficult to survive in the emerging era. When one is out of a project, it has to be considered a blessing in disguise to upgrade one’s skills. Be in testing released certifications like ISTQB, CSTE, CSQA or tools related certifications like AIS, ASE or domain related certifications in Insurance, Banking or telecom is going to be of help to improve one’s profile.
E.g.: Automation and bug tracking tools like Winrunner and Test Director.
Resume is a perfect place to boast. Resume has to good – meaning it has to highlight the qualities and the abilities of the candidate that are relevant to software testing in particular. The resume has to be made to concentrate upon specific areas that the interviewers look out for than being vague. Simple customization will land a person nowhere. The resume has to be filled with examples of contribution to the company in matters of lessening company’s expenses, avoiding external help etc. One has to know the resume inside out. Focusing oneself as focused, honest and confident candidate will definitely catch the attention of the interviewer.
2) Training: A diploma in software testing (typically of 6 months to 1 year duration) or a crash course (of 4 months) is to be taken upon oneself. This is the key to upgrading one’s knowledge to market or industry needs. Preparation for job interviews has to be carried on parallel. If one has lost a job, then beef up for the next with all your previous work experience. If one has been procrastinating about learning that new skill or technology, now's the time to get off the pot and do something about it. Rather than waiting around for the other shoe to drop, get busy and start going beyond expectations, going that extra mile, again and again. Putting in an extra effort in an extra hour will help a candidate in the long run.
3) Knowledge expansion: Testing requires in depth knowledge of Software Development Life Cycle, analytical skill and some programming language skills apart from software testing basics. One has to make sure that all the basic testing knowledge is up-to-date and that no minute part in studying testing is discarded as unimportant. In this high end competition, every single bit of knowledge counts. Collecting knowledge from testing engineers as to how they write test case, bug reporting, test matrix etc. is an added advantage.
4) Job seeking: After attending a couple of interviews, one comes to know one’s forte and failings.
Strengthening on the strong points and ruling out the weaknesses should be done after each interview to be better than before. Since employers are now interviewing many job seekers for one position, it is important to regularly remind the prospective employers that one is still available and interested. Job seeking includes:
a) Network building : Many job seekers learn about openings through their network before they are advertized. Friends, family, business associates, trade associations, alumni groups may provide a head start to the next job interview before others find out. So, initiative to reach out to the network has to be taken.
b) Being the best prepared candidate: To make a distinct impression, prior research about the company and its achievements has to be done. This information has to be used to ask educated queries to the interviewer. Here the baseline is outshining other candidates. Hence to make a distinct impact, a portfolio of previous best working samples can be brought to the interview. Compiling recent and dated samples of work to demonstrate expertise and results achieved at prior jobs can be discussed with open ideas and strategies behind them.
c) Flexibility: Any reservations, prior conditions about the job should not be held. Placing conditions before joining such as place/time preference, number of hours at work, Saturday offs etc take a backseat. Also, instead of limiting oneself to established names, searching for start-ups, middle sized and even public sector companies can be undertaken. Research shows that these companies have fared comparably better than their big counterparts in times of crisis. They offer good job opportunities and stability, which is important at this time.
Finally, be grounded and do the job search calmly. The mantra for surviving recession is “Being relevant”. To be the best and beat the rest, think out-of-the-box and outshine others - “Be a jack of all arts in the testing arena!”
Advantages of software testing online training
Software Testing is a process somewhat like technical investigation, which is performed on behalf of clients, that is it reveals the quality of the product and the intended operations it has to perform. The process includes execution of the application to find the errors if any. Software testing is not only done for error detection but it is to make sure weather the software meets its required specification.
Testing can be broadly classified into two types. White box and black box testing. These are the terms used by the test engineer to describe the point of view when designing test cases. Black box is taken as external view of the test object and the white box is taken as internal view. Best method of testing involves much more than just running the application a few times to see whether it works or not. But for a systematic testing broad knowledge of techniques and tools is a must. Software testing is closely associated with Verification and Validation. Verification includes testing of items like software for performance and consistency with an intended specification. Software testing can be said as just one kind of a verification, which uses methods such as inspections, reviews, walk-through etc. Validation is the process of checking wheather the software meets its required specification of the user or not.
Now let us move towards the main theme of our topic that is what are the advantages of software testing online training. Many companies which provides corporate training also offer software testing training through online classrooms. This is a wonderful synchronous environment with a teacher moderating the activities of the participated people in different multiple locations that interact with one another at the same time, which is similar to a physical classroom.
Information Technology project management training reduces travel expenses, it also keeps the employees and the customers up to date. Software testing training is usually provided to complement the online learning experiences, and in addition an exposure to different online tools to increase their work productivity. On an average, typical online training is divided in 60 to 90 minute schedules with a different number of lessons according to the specific subject of the course. In most cases, students themselves schedule their own sessions based on their own requirements.
Corporate training normally follows a systematic model where participant’s sign up for their required course and then they participate in a series of different modules over the course's content during the next few days until its completion. Online training courses generally require more commitment and involvement from both the student and the trainer.
Software testing, online training are normally designed in a self study format, which being affordable and convenient for students, by helping them to schedule their own learning time. You also get support via email or telephone 24 hours per day.
However, online training for software testing professionals will always be the best option because of the easy accessibility to the different courses, hands-on through practices, exercises and the valuable help of true professionals on each subject. Project management training is provided by a large number of online and land-based bodies. A large number of institutions and private bodies worldwide provide different degrees of online training, as well as computer-based programs, including software testing.
e-learning or online learning is rapidly growing in popularity. Most universities, colleges, community colleges and technical institutes offer some or all of their courses and degrees in a distant learning format which is known as online learning. These days online training is a must for busy professionals. Instead of sitting on the chairs, in a stuffy room, dreaming about what they have to do, they can take the courses when they really want, and when they are ready for it. This type of online learning is popular because of its flexibility and convenience. Students are able to study at a time that suits them and also save the hidden expences like travelling etc.
Let us list some of the key advantages of learning online.
1. It is really beneficial for the people who are either too busy to attend the classes or those who do not have access to such training environment. This is true for those people living in remote areas and online tutorials are teachers for them. In this model of teaching, technology is utilized in a best manner.
2. It is also economical as well. As some of the hidden expenses are ruled out in this.
3. The training is self-paced which includes a collection of interactive tutorials, questionnaires, case studies, self assessments, and many other features which easily assimilate to individual learning styles.
4. Since people have more control over their training experience, online training offers the best opportunity to learn in a non stressful environment.
There are also various advantages and options available to individuals who want to build their own online programs to build their own future.
How to get a software testing job in recession
For locating a software tester job in recession, you need to walk an extra mile. Equip yourself with all kinds of germane information in the testing field. Following can be the concise approach on how to bag a job as a software tester:
1) Network building: You need to stay relevant in this era where the knowledge you possess can be tagged as outdated within days. So, being in contact with the same domain persona helps a lot. The market trends and the industry needs can be studied practically and up-to-date, if you have a strong network of people with you, who are working in software testing domain. Many job seekers learn about the vacancies through their network before they are made public. Staying remote and unconcerned in this industry is of great danger and leads to loss of opportunities. Being an opportunist is very much essential in bagging a job in times of economic downfall. Don’t be afraid to keep your job antennas on the lookout for that next position, but don't do it at the expense of your current work unless it's clear things aren't going to work out there.
2) Staying organized: In times of recession, you cannot stick to one particular company. You need to keep your options open and be flexible. So you will be soliciting large number of companies and thus, a larger network. Establishing a centralized database to store information such as the company’s name, the research information, its product services and more precisely- the date of the interview, summary of the interview etc. is needed for reference. Going through such organized data gives you clear analysis of your strengths, weaknesses and the areas you need to improve upon. Scrutinizing a previous interview helps you through facing the next interview better and more confident than before.
3) Focusing your accomplishments: The interviewers need to know your positivity in the field of testing. Suppose you are skilled in manual testing, your resume needs to highlight the same fact. Your accomplishments in various projects or previous jobs have to be emphasized in order to make the interviewer feel that you are better than the rest. Your resume should stress on the sites that are related to software testing such as your programming skills, analytical skills and the other analogous information. The resume should not be blurred in the context of showing up your talents.
4) Research: This comes under walking an extra mile under the times of recession. Attaining prior knowledge of the company and its services impresses the prospective employers by portraying you as a distinct and capable candidate. The information gained about the company is to be used by the candidate to ask educated questions to the interviewers. Also, researching about the present day burning issues in software testing gives you an added advantage. Plus, getting a training through diploma or crash course is essential to be armed with formal and base knowledge about software testing. if one is working as an apprentice, and is out of a project, then that period is to e considered as a blessing in disguise to take up a course and study the newly born aspects of testing.
5) Flexibility: In times of recession, you need to be flexible i.e. keep your options open. Look out for number of companies which are not only established but also mid-sized and newly mushroomed. Laying prior conditions to the interviewers gives a bad impression. You should portray yourself as confident, dedicated and honest candidate. Pliability needs to be showcased to the interviewer so that he finds you suitable to the job in comparison to those people who pose preceding restrictions.
6) Sample work: Since you want to stand out from the rest of the competition, impress the prospective employers by bringing a portfolio of best work samples to the interview. This needs preceding research about creating striking sample works that make a strong impact on the interviewers. Your expertise in any particular area of testing can be displayed through these sample works by discussing the ideas and strategies behind them in the course of the interview.
7) Be multi-skilled: The industry today is a clear case of survival of the fittest. To outshine others, one needs to be skilled in different aspects and approaches of software testing. This is then again flexibility. Be in testing released certifications like ISTQB, CSTE, CSQA or tools related certifications like AIS, ASE or domain related certifications in Insurance, Banking or telecom is going to help you to improve your profile.
The current recession is the worst after the 9/11 aftermath and is going to persist for a considerable period of time before the industry stabilizes. To survive such kind of recession and hunt for a job in software testing the major thought is “Be different and not just efficient!”
Monday, February 23, 2009
How To Get Software Jobs in Recession SEMINAR at no cost this saturday
Hi Friends
We need your support once more.
We understand that you are busy still we request you
Please do forward this email now to all your friends & also known people
It would be nice if you can forward to people who can specifically benefit from this email.
We are doing a Free Seminar this saturday on "How To Get Software Jobs in Recession time" .
Seminar Coverage: 2 to 3 hours
Yes recession is real,IT industries are affected , there are layoffs, still there are jobs being recruited for.
Which are these recession proof jobs , why its important for you to know about these career opportunities.
How can You get into these recession proof jobs.
What are present IT industry job hiring expectations.
How is the Software Job Hiring & Interview process.
How to beat the competition & Get Interview calls.
How to write an effective resume to get Interviews scheduled sooner.
How are the huge demand in Software testing,System Testing and
Storage technology fuelling lots of jobs in India specifically Bangalore.
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Interested people need to register if they want to attend this seminar
Since many people are rushing to attend,as we want to have an organised event hence we are allowing only those
who pre-register & confirm their attendance.
Date : Feb 28th, Saturday
Time : Starts at 10.00 AM Duration : 2 to 3 hours
Place: will be communicated after you register. It is in Bangalore.
Thanks again for your support.
Regards
Training Team
Bangalore