The latest Cambridge Exploratory Workshop on Testing (CEWT) came along, asking “What Makes Good Testers and/or Testing?“. It made me think: Isn’t it rather nice that I can learn something new about testing everyday, so why try to define based on my knowledge of days past? Would I rather limit myself with a definition? And from looking through job adverts, talks, discussions – it seems we’re circling round the same core skills of testers for some time anyways, is there a need for me to re-iterate – regardless of how valid they might be? Maybe not. So in the end, this is the pitch I’ve handed in:
It’s a truth universally acknowledged, that a good tester must have attention to detail, is of a curious nature, thinks outside the box, likes to break things (sic!) and is a fiendish asker of questions. Admirable qualities. Must haves. At least that’s what the job adverts, our colleagues, social media and the internet tells us. But is this really it? And is this necessarily helpful?
The last year was a bit of a journey into pairing for me. Not that I hadn’t paired before and didn’t appreciate and enjoy it. But pairing got amplified in the last year as a more conscious effort and an initiative in the groups I was working with. It took place in different forms, but often would mean (two) people working on something together, as a dedicated session, potentially time boxed (to an hour), where we set ourselves a goal or a mission, did the thing, and debriefed. 