对于在软件测试上的职涯规划, 作者非常主动地鞭策自己一直往前进. 他认为不管公司有没有提供这样的协助或是规划, 自己都有责任对自己专业生涯发展做些事情.
他发现Ian Clatworthy 提出了一个 professional development framework, M.E.T.A. - Management, Engineering, Technology and Applications.
他根据这个framework加以改良, 变成Leadership, Concepts, Business-focus & Tools. 在这里面提出在生涯发展规划中, QA应该要具备哪些能力.
A. Leadership (Ian’s Management)
作者认为不管你是不是manger, supervisor, 或者甚至你都不需要管人, 你都会需要leadership的能力. 因此他将Ian的mangement做了些调整, 变成是leadership. 以下是作者认为要有的leadership
1. Using the right side of my brain
- being organised, tidy & efficient (following concepts like 5S), being emotionally intelligent and aware, developing creative solutions.
2. Having a project management focus
- following sound project management techniques and conducting each bit of work as a small project.
3. Writing Well
- following known writing guidelines. Documenting every bit of work. Sharing all knowledge and information.
4. Communicating Well
- Documenting every bit of work. Communicating progress and issues in the right format at the right time.
5. Team Building
- establishing productive relationships with members of teams working in and with. I can’t emphasise how important this is.
6. Finding Informal Career Guiders
- always indirectly looking out for people who you can chat to informally about career stuff. This is where I have discovered great leadership styles and techniques. I call these people career guiders because I really hate the word ‘mentor‘.
7. Being ethical
- Making sure I provide value and I am honest in everything I do.
8. Sticking up for others you work with
- Making sure that your fellow team mates are well supported.
B. Concepts (Ian’s Engineering)
对于software engineering, 作者比较重视software 部分. 也就是包含software design, development and testing相关的理论和观念.
如果你能有正确的观念, 那表示你对事情将会有正确的认知和认识
这些观念通常你在大学中, 就已经学习过, 那些知识通常都历久不衰.
1. Understanding Software Development Methodologies:
- how IT software design and development works as a whole.
2. Understanding Software Projects:
- how IT software projects work.
3. Understanding Programming:
- knowing programming concepts and techniques.
4. Understanding Testing:
- understanding testing best practices, test driven development, test automation, acceptance testing.
5. Understanding User Centred Design:
- focusing on usability and designing for users. Paper prototyping and iterative design.
6. Understanding Design:
- understanding general design principles.
C. Tools (Ian’s Technology)
作者曾经打算延用Ian的technology这个term, 但是最后他还是觉得tools比较合适. Tools和concepts的差别是, tools是用来支持 Concepts的实践, 并且tools可能换一直更新, 但是concept通常是保持不变的.
作者目前比较着重在用open source 的tools, 因为他不用钱, 质量也不错.
1. Programming Languages:
- such as Ruby, Python, Jython.
2. Testing Tools:
- such as Watir, OpenQA.org and homebrew test automation tools.
3. Collaboration Tools:
- such as wiki’s, defect management, blogs.
4. Versioning Tools:
- such as SVN, Bazaar VCS.
此外还一些技术(不算是tools), 作者认为也值得了解
* Ajax (Rich Internet Applications)
* Web 2.0
* Social Networking
* Tag-based Folksonomies
* RSS
D. Business-focus (Ian’s Applications)
作者认为了解目前工作上的business是如何运作, 也是非常重要的一件事情. 通常IT人员不了解, 也不太尊重他们所工作的business.
1. Understanding business goals:
- why I am employed in the first place.
2. Understanding business applications:
- what they do and how they fit into the business processes.
3. Understanding business processes:
- how business is conducted, with or without IT.
4. Understanding how business and IT collaborate and partnership:
- Hoping that the tail doesn’t wag the dog!
5. Providing value to the business:
- continuing to be employed.
6. Keeping up to date with the business:
- knowing what the business industry/competition is doing and about the other happenings in the business domain.
7. Understanding how executive management operates:
- because they usually pay you and maybe you would like to be there someday.
不知道各位看官, 你自己是如何规划你的职涯发展? 或许和作者相去甚远, 但是这也无所谓, 指要不要完全都没有想过就好. 重点是要自己对自己负责, 千万不要等公司帮你规划, 那是会拖很久的!!
