Software testing is a challenging and time-consuming job. Manual Software Testing is one of the most critical types of software testing that requires testers to have attention to details, excellent analytical thinking, risk management skills, and more. It all comes down to our soft skills as these are the things that make us human, not just machines doing a monotonous jobs. Testors need to be able to think outside the box to identify test cases for every scenario, understand user needs and behaviour in order to create a user story for each test case, monitor risk on each test case until it’s resolved or retired, and so much more. Testing is all about having the right attitude towards your work, which is why we’ve compiled this list of soft skills required for software manual testing:
Communication Skills
Communication is often referred to as the heart of collaboration, and for good reason — it’s absolutely essential to any type of working relationship. With manual testing, communication is more than just passing information back and forth — it’s about building relationships and trust within your team that allow you to become a better tester. There are a few elements to strong communication skills:
Active listening – This means really hearing what your colleagues are saying, not just waiting for your turn to speak. When you actively listen, you’re making eye contact, summarising what the other person just said to make sure you understand correctly, and asking questions to clarify anything that’s not clear.
Clearly conveying information – This means speaking at a volume and pace that your colleagues can easily follow along with. You should also break complex ideas into smaller pieces, use visuals whenever possible, and break out any acronyms you use to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Building trust – This goes hand-in-hand with clearly conveying information and actively listening to your colleagues. The more you put these soft skills into action, the more your colleagues will feel like you’re on their side, which will help them trust you.
Empathy – This is the ability to put yourself into someone else’s shoes and really understand what they’re going through. You can apply this skill to both your colleagues and your users.
Analytical Skills
Analytical skills are absolutely essential for manual software testing; you’ll use them on every test case you create. You’ll use analytical skills to identify the right user story, create the right test case, and analyse the results to make sure they’re accurate. Every test case will have its own level of complexity and risk, so you’ll need to use your analytical skills to find the right level of testing to complete the user story. You’ll also need to analyse the results of each test case to make sure they’re accurate. You should also use analytical skills to create and identify patterns when you’re testing the software. This will help you catch bugs more quickly as you use your analytical skills to look for certain trends and patterns.
Problem-Solving Skills
Manual software testing is a never-ending problem that requires you to constantly look for new problems. You’ll use problem-solving skills to find bugs in the software and to create the right test cases to identify them. You should use problem-solving skills to identify any risks that may interfere with your testing, as well as any risks that the software may pose to users. You may also use problem-solving skills to identify any pain points users may experience while using the software. You’ll use problem-solving skills to break down every user story into smaller pieces so you can create test cases that identify every aspect of the story.
Risk Management Skills
Risk management is similar to problem-solving but with a different focus — instead of finding problems in the software, you’ll identify risks that could impact your software testing. There are three types of risks that you’ll want to look out for as a manual software tester:
Risks to your testing – Risks that interfere with your ability to test the software, like interruptions, a team member who isn’t following testing protocols, or a lack of time to complete a user story.
Risks to your users – Risks that impact the users who interact with the software, like an unstable app or one that doesn’t meet their needs.
Risks to your data – Risks that impact your ability to collect accurate results, like a test environment that’s not clean.
Computer usage skills
You’ll use computer usage skills to log your testing results, create and edit test cases, and report on the progress of your user stories. You’ll need to know how to use a variety of different testing tools to log your testing data and generate reports, so make sure you’re familiar with each one before you start testing. You may also need to create test cases using a testing management software like QualitySoft Testing, so make sure you’re familiar with these tools as well.
Conclusion
When you’re just starting out as a manual software tester, it can be easy to get lost in the details. And when you’re in the thick of testing, it can be even easier to forget about the big picture. These soft skills will help you keep your eye on the prize and will help you reach your career goals as a manual software tester.