How to become a Junior Tester in less than 3 months? (Part 1)

Hi, so if You are here, you want or thinking of starting the work as a tester in IT, and i can assure You, that You are in good place, especially when you don’t know where to begin. And yes, it can be done in less than 3 months.

I started to working as tester 1,5 year ago, in bank in Poland. They accepted me as a “Junior Test Specialist”, which obviously relies on testing. In this simple guide i wanna show You what i needed to study, to start sending my CV to companies. Im thinking about making 10 parts of this guide — every part will focus on something else. If You think that 10 parts is a lot, and you now terrified that there is much to learn — don’t be! I wanna make this as simple as i can for You, and most of the things You need to learn is simple theory. Okay then, let’s start!

First part focus generally on list of things You need to learn to start, focusing from simple to the hardest.

• ISTQB
• How does the Agile works?
• SQL
• REST API
• How to test?
• Console log in browser
• HTML & CSS
• Writing test scenarios
• Reading documentation and user stories
• Soap UI and POSTMAN
• Learning how to code

There is bit of this, but most of them are simple things, which You will spend few days on it (for example — learning Agile is few hours, You just have to know how it works). So let’s have a look at particular ones.

1. ISTQB — absolutely must have if You want to even think about wanting to work. It’s glossary, bible for testers — it involves all dictionaries with technological words (such as bug, retests etc.), tells You how to write test scenarios, how to differentiate one type of tests from another. It’s absolutely necessary to read it whole — but don’t worry, You dont need to have exams from ISTQB passed to start job, You can do it later. All You need to learn will be in Part 2. The ISTQB can be learned in two weeks.
2. Agile — agile working is how most of the companies in the world are working, as teams in IT. Since 1970, companies were using a Watefrall methodology, and since few years back now on it started to change — the Agile methodology is just simplier, better. Part 3 will be about it. To learn about Agile you need few hours, it’s just simple theory.
3. SQL — is a standard language for storing, manipulating and retrieving data in databases. As tester, You gonna use it a lot. And i mean, a lot. It’s not like typical code language — the only thing You create when coding, is just databases, and as a tester You don’t do it at all (mostly), You just retrieve data, such as names, credit cards numbers or adresses (in bank for eg.). The most simply thing to learn which is gonna be enough for start, is to learn CRUD — CREATE READ UPDATE DELETE. Part 4 is gonna dispel doubts. To learn SQL, you need few days.
4. REST API — an application programming interface (API or web API) that conforms to the constraints of REST architectural style and allows for interaction with RESTful web services. Simplier — the way to communicate between services in web application. More of it in Part 5, and to learn about REST you need few hours — max few days.
5. How to test? — Well, this is what it sounds like — You gotta know how to test, what to test, and what to pay attention to. Im gonna make simple guide, will get You list of web pages, which are bugged (yes, the once that I was learning from — They still have bugs!), how to test them, how to see what’s “inside” of them, thats why console log will be usefull for too. Part 6 will dispel doubts, and You need few days to learn about it.
6. Console log — like I said in last step, console log will help you test a lot. And i mean A LOT — You gonna see what’s inside of web page, what is the “skeleton”, in HTML and what services does the page is using. Part 7, and time to be learnt is few hours to day.
7. And like i said about HTML in step before, you gonna read HTML too in console, so You gotta know how the page is made. HTML and CSS, are both used to making pages, HTML is like the “skeleton” of site, and CSS is how the website looks like. You gotta learn it, to know which is code and which is website stem. Also, You gonna be needing the HTML to learn XML, wich is used in services. Part 8, both of them will take you to learn about 3 days.
8. Writing test scenarios and reading documentation — it’s simple, We will learn how to create test scenarios, after You will read documentation — making a scenario is easy, when You know what to test and how, after reading the user story, when You “touched” the functionality, and then You start to making scenario, which is used to simplier test. Part 9 will be about both topics. Time to be learned is day or two.
9. Soap UI and POSTMAN — these two programs are used mostly by testers, to simplier way in testing — both are used to faster Your work. You don’t need to learn them completely — You will use them in Your job later, but just to know how They work. Part 10 will be simple guide how to use them, and time You need to know them is maximum few hours.
10. Learning how to code — ah, yes. The hardest from this list, probably will take as much time as all other from this list equally. You have to know at least basics of code — even when You will have job interview, You will be having simple exercises to do (SQL exercises too). It’s necessary, and i think about it will be at least 3 parts — what language to take, what to learn and how. How much time the coding (at least basics of basics) will take is month.

So there is that — as You can see, there is a bit of that, but most of them are not hard things. Im gonna soon write Part 2, about ISTQB, so if You still think (You should think that! It’s really not hard to learn) You wanna be tester — let me welcome You to Part 2.

Have a good day,

cheers.