I love to speak to testers at all levels and am always keen to resolve their queries. One of the most common query from testers is on the Future of Software Testing. Almost all testers are obviously thinking of how to be the best at what they are doing and keep up their continuous learning practice?. Better said than done however few testers have been disappointed that their employers have not encouraged them to do so. Nevertheless, it’s inspiring to see that testers sponsor their own career path and modify their approach towards the growth path.

Within the developers community, we get to see the roles being evolved from UI Developer, Middleware Developer, Backend Developer to Full Stack Developer. While industry has evolved and granted newer roles and skill sets for Developers, somehow testers still seem to be getting the same roles OR being stuck to the same skill sets. While role or designation should not obstruct a tester from performing their best, skill set is the utmost important aspect that should really matter.

As a tester even if you are utilising manual test techniques to test a web or mobile application, it is absolutely vital for each tester to cover all the components of the application under test -> UI, API, Database, Server. Testers seem to be worrying more about whether they are using manual or automation techniques to test. In addition to the focus on manual or automation, our primary focus should be on whether we are covering the entire application that is being launched. In simple words, if a Developer is developing UI, API, Database and hosting on Server then a Tester needs to test all these components too.

Testers should definitely not be tagged as UI Tester or API Tester or Database Tester. As a tester, your responsibility is the entire application and not just the UI. Tests that can be run at different components will help you to report critical defects that do not meet the eyes. With the start of new year, here’s a shout to each tester to make a new year resolution to expand their horizon and modify their approach to be a Full Stack Tester. It will empower you as a complete tester and ultimately benefit the end clients with best quality applications.

Happy Full Stack Testing!.