Rex Black at SQA Days-17: “Do not chase after empty fantasies, but focus on gaining experience”

If you’re interested, you’ll be able to take part in the SQA . You will visit this conference. What are your feelings and expectations? How do you prepare for this trip?
In May, you will participate in SQA Days-17 - the main conference on software testing in the CIS and Eastern Europe. You will visit this conference for the first time, as well as Belarus itself. What do you expect from the trip? How do you prepare for it?

RB: i'm looking for muse sites and cultural sites. When I visit a place. It will be interesting to find out how to prepare for a conference. It is also a question of how to use it.
RB: I look forward to the moment when I can see Minsk, and I hope that I will have time to visit the main museums and see the cultural monuments. I always like to learn something new about the people, culture, art and national cuisine of the country I visit. As for the conference itself, I am going to prepare an introductory speech specifically for this event, which, in my opinion, will touch upon interesting topics for the audience. I will also introduce our very popular one-day training on risk-based testing, which has already been presented to various audiences around the world so that people can learn how to apply this useful testing strategy in real-world situations.

You will have to talk about the conference before the conference. Could you tell me more details?
Before the conference, you will conduct training, and will also be presented as part of the main conference program. Could you tell us more about this?
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RB: At this point, I'm still working on the presentation. I am focusing on these topics.
RB: At the moment I am still working on my presentation. I research certain audiences to be able to concentrate on topics relevant to them.

You had to work before this region. How do you assess the software market in the post-Soviet countries?
You used to work in this region, how do you assess the software market in post-Soviet countries?

RB: Clearly, Eastern Europe, especially near-shore development for European companies. It provides a strong advantage.
RB: It is obvious that the territory of Eastern Europe is an important place for the development of software, especially in nearby European companies. Remains from the Soviet era discoveries in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, education and industry are an important advantage for them.

Many consider your book "Critical Testing Processes" to be very interesting. Read in one breath. It is noted that it can only be understood. How do you think it’s possible to make it clear even for an IT unenlightened person?
Many people find your book “Key Testing Processes” very interesting. A book that is read in one breath. But at the same time, they note that it is written in a very complex language that only professionals can understand. Do you think it is possible to write a book on software testing in simple language? So that everything written is understandable even to an unenlightened person in IT?

I have published two books for students. Text could not be translated into Russian, if the market were there.
RB: In fact, I have published two books intended for entry-level people: “Basics of software testing” in English and “Fundamentos de Prueba de Software” in Spanish. If necessary, the book could be translated into Russian.

Generally you deal with large projects. It is believed that many small companies. Do you agree?
You work mainly in large projects. There is an opinion that many processes invented and described by you are unacceptable in the realities of small companies. Do you agree with this?

RB: Certainly the project described in Critical Testing Processes is large. When dealing with smaller projects, while removing the formalities and streaming processes is necessary.
RB: Of course, the project described in the book “Key Testing Processes” is large and serious. Elimination of formality and process optimization is important when working with small projects.

It was described in detail in your book. It can be solved better with minimal losses?
The whole process is described in detail in your book: from the start of planning to the delivery of the project. And which force majeure most often occur in the process and how best to solve them with the least loss?

RB: The most frequent disruptive forces for testing come from external factors such as poor upstream development and QA practices. However, organizations can create test problems for themselves, too. For example, it is missed and false positives occur. It can be used to ensure that it can be used.
RB: The most frequent force majeure occur during testing due to external factors such as insufficient data development and poor quality assurance. However, testing organizers can create problems for themselves. For example, not coping with the flow of test data and the test environment properly, they will miss some errors, and false positives will automatically occur. Another example is the attempt to control large and complex testing without the necessary tool support, which will lead to a significant decrease in efficiency.

Being a tester, you had to fight just to survive. Do you have any advice? What would you like to follow his father's steps?
As a tester, you “spent the first few years fighting just to“ keep afloat ”. Do you have any universal advice for beginners? What would you say to your son, who just finished school, and is going to follow in his father's footsteps?

RB: Well, I have two daughters. I’m not willing to become testers, but I’m not suggesting the following:

- Get a computer science degree

- Get ISTQB certified starting with the Foundation. After three years.

- Don't follow the fads, but they’re proven over time

Read the books for all disagree

It’s not a matter of course. ”

- Learn a variety of test tools

I think that it was a tester who would be well-positioned for success.

RB: Well, apart from my son, I have two more daughters. I don’t think they want to become testers, but if they did, I would advise them the following:
-Get education in the field of computing and learn to program
-Get an ISTQB certificate starting at the basic level. After three years to reach the advanced level.
-Do not chase after empty fantasies, but instead focus on gaining practical experience that will justify itself after a while
-Read at least three books on testing a year, including books by authors who share other ideas
- Do not blindly follow any one leading specialist, do not believe in “testing schools”, do nothing that would prevent the implementation of ideas in testing
-Explore a large number of tools for testing
I think that a tester who follows these tips for the first five years of his career will have every chance of success.

Recall Rex Black will hold a training " Risk-based Testing " on May 28 in Minsk. He will also give a key report " Test Estimation " and a master class on "Case Studies in Success with the Free Test Tool" at the SQA Days-17 conference, which will be held in Minsk on May 29-30, 2015.