How Can You Move From Manual Testing to Test Automation?

Manual testing is not what it was five years ago.\n\nThe number of pure manual testing jobs is low and when such a job is available, the competition is fierce. It is common these days to meet manual testers that have a difficult time finding a new job.\n\nDue to budget restrictions for the testing team, there are also cases where manual testers are let go, but test automation engineers retained.\n\nWhich doesn’t make sense since developers are not great testers.\n\nOn the other hand, it is easier for developers to learn testing than it is for testers to learn development.\n\nConsidering the market situation, many manual testers are now becoming more interested in test automation.\n\nSome want to just expand their skills by including programming and a test automation framework in their testing toolbox. Others are contemplating switching the direction completely and focusing on automation only.\n\nBut how can you find that next automation job when you do not know programming?\n\n

Change your attitude first

\n\nI know many testers dream about a company that will: \n\n

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• discover them

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• see their amazing potential

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• accept their lack of automation skills

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• hire them as automation engineers (even if they are not qualified)

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• give them time to learn programming and test automation

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\n\nSuch testers are so confident in themselves they believe that once they have the job, they will learn the test automation skills and programming quickly.\n\nNeedless to say that this rarely happens.\n\nPutting the cart before the horse does not get the cart moving.\n\nCompanies today prefer to hire automation testers who already trained and, if possible, have prior project experience. \n\nOther testers, more adapted to the real market conditions, look for automation opportunities by applying to jobs advertised by companies.\n\nAnd some work with recruiters.\n\nWorking with an IT recruiter is a fast way to get a new job, due to the wide range of companies that the recruiter has access to. Also, recruiters are directly interested in placing the tester, since they gets a commission for each hired tester.\n\nThe manual tester wants to find an automation job, but he does not know any programming. \n\n

There is no easy solution.

\n\nSo where can we find inspiration for solving this problem?\n\nIn the movies. Where else?\n\nOne of my favorite sports movies is Jerry Maguire.\n\nThe movie is quite popular, so chances are, you have watched it already.\n\nThe main character, played by Tom Cruise, is a sports agent who has an epiphany one night.\n\n

The sport agent business can become less profit-oriented and more meaningful if agents focus less on the number of managed athletes, and more on the quality of the relationships with athletes.

\n\nHe writes an inspired memo during the night, prints it, and drops copies in the mailbox of all his colleagues, including the boss.\n\nThe business does not change a bit as a result of his memo, but he gets fired.\n\nAll the athletes he managed before leave him with one exception: Rod, an American football player, played by Cuba Gooding Jr.\n\nHe tries to find Rod a better paid job. He tries and tries without many good results.\n\nIt isn’t until Rod starts to change his attitude on playing football, and starts helping Jerry to find him a better job, that they can find the best position available.\n\n“Help me to help you, Rod!” Jerry scream in one of the scenes.\n\nSo what is the lesson here for manual testers who want to go into test automation?\n\nIf you want to change your career from manual testing to test automation, and you don’t know much about programming: CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE.\n\nOf course, this isn’t an easy thing to do overnight. The book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip & Dan Heath is a great read to give you some insight into how to make important changes in your life.\n\n

Help yourself. Improve your skills and become relevant.

\n\nStart by researching the test automation skills that are on demand in your job market.\n\nIs web test automation in demand or mobile test automation?\n\nIs QTP experience required by most companies, Selenium or Appium?\n\nDo employers prefer Java, C#, or Ruby as a programming language?\n\nThe answers to these questions will help you to narrow down the new skills that you need to learn or refine.\n\nThen…start learning the new skills!\n\nLearn as much as you can about programming, and make sure to learn how test an automation framework.\n\nDo not stop after mastering the basic concepts, but continue with more advanced topics like object oriented programming, code refactoring, design patterns, and building custom frameworks.\n\nAs Steve Martin says:\n\n

“Become so good they cannot ignore you.”

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Help others to help you

\n\nConnect with local IT recruiters. Contact them and see if they are willing to meet and talk about your career.\n\nThe goal is finding a recruiter that you can communicate with, who is willing to represent you.\n\nWhile learning the new skills, keep the recruiter updated on everything that you are learning. They will be delighted to know that you are becoming an expert in automation skills, since there are so few people with automation skills available.\n\nWho knows, maybe your new job interview will be there while you are learning.\n\nSome companies will hire junior test automation engineers, so the fact that you know the programming and automation basics, and are committed to learning more, are sufficient for getting hired.\n\nIf you don’t want to work with a recruiter, find a mentor or experienced tester who would be willing to take you under their wing and vouch for you when you are ready to start applying.\n\n

Become visible, different, and interesting professionally

\n\nCreate a blog about learning test automation and programming. The blog will be your proof, and will showcase your improving automation skills.\n\nIt is also an asset that sets you apart from other manual testers taking the same route.\n\nAnother trick is to update your LinkedIn profile with your new programming and automation skills. \n\nWrite frequently on the blog about new things that you learn and publish the article links on LinkedIn. You can even publish some articles from your blog directly on LinkedIn’s Pulse platform from time to time.\n\nYour articles will be visible to all your LinkedIn contacts, which include IT recruiters and hiring managers.\n\nIf you aren’t sure how to get started blogging and networking, check out John’s free blogging course, which will absolutely help change your life.\n\n

Do not wait for others to discover you.

\n\nIf you want to change your career and move from manual testing to test automation, do not wait to be discovered.\n\nBy changing your attitude, improving your skills and experience, reaching out and tapping your hiring networks, and working to differentiate yourself by being professionally interesting, a career in test automation is easily within your grasp.\n\nDon’t forget to take a look at John’s blogging course. For more in-depth information, you can also get a supplementary workbook for the course here.