Attention to details
If you ask ten testers to each test something, you will typically see a varied number of detected defects. This will still be the case if all the testers had exactly the same experience and knowledge of testing. This is often due to how focused the tester is when looking at something (attention to detail). While at first glance something may appear to be good, on closer inspection, the flaws can be seen. Attention to detail is what makes a great tester stand out from a good tester.
Diplomacy
During the daily tasks of a software tester, there will invariably come a time when the tester needs to converse with others, most often software developers. When talking to a developer about a bug they found, the tester should always keep in mind that they are essentially finding fault with that developer’s work. Diplomatic skills are a key asset for any software tester, as they are critical to building and maintaining a healthy working relationship with the development team. A bad relationship between software testers and developers can negatively affect any software development and put unnecessary risk on the project.
Learns fast
Software testers working for outsourced QA companies will often find themselves switching between a wide variety of projects, which today can include web, mobile, smart products, and wearable technology. Being able to speed up a product saves precious time during a development lifecycle. Sometimes it will be necessary to test software that does not have documentation. Therefore, the software tester must be able to navigate the software and quickly extract the information he needs. This key information can be used to create a test plan, a set of test cases, or a QA estimate.
Passionate
It’s easy to spot software testers who are passionate about the software they’re testing. They usually find more bugs and show enthusiasm during meetings not only for the product they are testing, but also for software testing in general. Customers are much more likely to hire software testers who are enthusiastic about your product again. On the other hand, unenthusiastic software testers quickly stand out, and that invariably reflects on the quality of their QA work.
business oriented
A good software tester can see the product as a whole and take on the mindset of the intended audience. This ability is extremely useful for reporting issues that end users might encounter after the product is released. Another aspect of business targeting is the ability to understand why a certain functionality is being introduced and apply this knowledge to your tests. This information can improve the tests that are being performed and provide a more complete set of results. A tester must also be able to appreciate that deadlines must be met (and as is often the case) this may result in a reduced amount of time for quality control. Being flexible and understanding the business impact of a release deadline is extremely important to the test team’s relationship with the rest of the product’s stakeholders.
Conclusion
There is no specific criteria as to what makes the best software in the world, as each company or project may have a different requirement or goal as to what they want the software tester to achieve. Our QA team’s experience of testing a wide variety of software products for clients around the world has given us great insight into what kind of testers we need to make those projects a success.