A study on Test Coaching in India

Hi Reader,

As I am exploring the options of coaching testers in organizations through workshops that exercise a testers mind (that includes me too), I had a learning that I value and I am sharing with you here.

I never received any training as a tester in all the companies I have worked for but did train few people as an employee of a company. I have seen e-mails from the HR - Training, announcing coaching on programming languages from external people who have a reputation of handling the class well.

Does this happen to testing too?

Yes, it does but what is being taught is a traditional approach and concepts of testing. Many Indian testers think there is nothing beyond "SDLC, V Model testing, Types of Testing and Testing definitions" to learn in testing.

I wouldn't say the above training is not good enough but instead I would say, "there is more important thing that a tester should be trained on, *acquiring new skills* to test any product". ( provided you would want your testers to do a skilled testing)

We define, a good tester as someone who knows all the definitions and is able to clear a few certification programs.

Certifications arise for a commercial value and I am not sure how much value it holds except that it can fetch you a job if the person who interviews you also holds the same certification. I know a person in India, who has 14 brainbench certifications on fields like Software Testing, Project Management.... and I am not sure what this certificate means. Does it mean you know something about the syllabus or you know most of the things in the course.

When experts like Cem Kaner, James Bach, Jerry Weinberg, Michael Bolton, Mike Kelly, Jon Bach, Mike Kelly, Elizabeth Hendrikson... might say, "there is lots to learn", I am not sure if the certification really matters when you yourself know you are a good enough tester.

In the last one year, the awareness to become a skilled tester is rising amongst testers in India and by the end of 2007, "skilled testing" is the way any Indian tester would want to think about testing.

Who is helping testers to become high skilled?

There are 5 people -

• Tester
• Manager
• HR
• Training and Development department
• Test Coach

I could see testers who have interacted with me or are my blog readers, proposing my workshop to their teams and across organization. The chain reaction came from their managers by proposing the same to the HR and or Training and Development department. Now the HR is going to play an important role in providing the workshop to the testers in their organization.

I am sure all the above 5 people would work hard enough to grow skilled testing within you and me. James Bach once coached testers in Wipro and Mindtree during his visit to India in 2003 and since then many testers in India have been awaiting his next visit. Michael Bolton too presented Rapid Software Testing in India last year and now he is going to speak in the international testing conference, Hyderabad - Dec 8 and 9. Shrinivas Kulkarni has spoken in a lot of conferences worldwide and to me he looks someone has been living with automation for a long time and that is cool to live with what you are passionate about.

Its mercury rising, Catch up with the heat!

I love to share my experiences and learning with you all. Now that I am becoming an independent test consultant, it helps me do this much better and efficient. Help me to help you ;)

Thanks and Regards,

Pradeep Soundararajan

pradeep.srajan@gmail.com or +91-98451-76817

"Pradeep's first language is not English--his first language appears to be testing." -- Michael Bolton