In the beginning, software testers really love their work. They are eager for projects and strive to put forth their best effort. Somewhere along the way, though, many become bored. They grow tired of the same routine day after day. If you are a software tester who has begun to get bored of your job, do not worry. There are six things you can do in order to get rid of this boredom and make your job fun again, just like it was in the beginning.
1. You need to create challenges for yourself. You may not think that creating challenges is possible because testing work is so routine; however, this is far from the truth. You can challenge yourself to learn a new skill or find a set number of critical defects within a day’s time.
2. If you are associating with people who feel negatively about your line of work, then you will want to think about cutting ties with them. It is a known fact that negative people bring others down, as their mood rubs off on others around them. Associate with people who are enthusiastic about software testing and find joy in their work. This will cause you to continue to feel motivated.
3. Set some long term goals and work towards them. If you are sick and tired of your current lot in life, you can work towards advancing in your career. Set goals to attain a variety of certifications in software testing and development. When you receive certifications, you will quickly climb the career ladder and make tons more money. If you are making a great deal more money, you will love your job even better than you do presently.
4. Acquire new skills. There are other skills that you can acquire that will help you to do your job better. Some of these skills include, but are not limited to: leadership, problem solving, time management, communication and team building. You can learn these skills by reading self-help guides or taking courses at your local college.
5) Write something about the skills you learned on your job. Write article/how-to guide on subject of your expertise and share it with your co-workers or all testing teams across your company. Don’t hesitate to show off your knowledge.
5. Make yourself feel good by showing off your strengths and accomplishments. There are a variety of ways you can show off what you can do. You can write articles online to be used as guest posts for software testing blogs. You can also frame any certificates you have earned and put them on a wall in your home for everyone else to see. Showing off will cause you to feel good about what you are doing, thus you will want to continue.
6. When you make any sort of accomplishment, reward yourself. No matter how large or small the accomplishment is, it warrants a reward. You can see a movie or go out to dinner with your friends. You can also splurge by treating yourself to something you want, such as a new pair of shoes, a new outfit or a cool gadget. Rewarding accomplishments will give you the drive that you need to continue doing your job. Everyone needs rewards because they provide a form of encouragement.
If you apply these six tips, it is guaranteed you will love your job in the same way you did when you first became a software tester. No longer will you feel bored and want to leave the field.
Eric Blair writes about load testing tools, mobile application testing tools and other related services offered at soasta.com.
