Before talking about our story, let's find out what is Full-Stack Tester. As we know, fullstack developer is a developer can capture, set up each layer, each part of the program and the technologies used in that program from the back-end to the front-end. Similarly, the Full-Stack tester is a person who understands the qualities required in the product as well as the various test methods (Performance test, Usability test, Automation test, Security test) for each type of program to test their program. The Full-Stack tester is a person with diverse knowledge, skills and expertise in testing.
Why do we need a full-stack tester? Most companies now follow the Agile development model. Products are made in a short time and fast means that the time required for testing is also short and fast to ensure product progress. Testing is not simply a must-do and pre-launch process, but a process that needs to be completed at every Sprint. Therefore, the tester must know how to test and ensure the quality of the product. To do that, Tester must constantly study and research new technologies.
Surely everyone knows that today's films, as well as novels and old myths about heroes all have one thing in common, a familiar motif repeated over and over again is "The Hero's Journey" and today we will talk about the journey to become a Full-Stack Tester with such motifs.
How was the hero's journey that we can get it simulated as journey becomes Full-Stack Tester? Think of it as a cycle, the journey begins and ends in the ordinary world of the hero but the task must be done in a strange and mysterious world. During the adventure, there will be many important events happening. And the cycle of a full-stack tester would be the same. Please refer to the image below.
Status Quo
You are a new tester with no experience. Your initial luggage includes basic knowledge of testing (usually manual testing), a passion, the desire to develop yourself on the test track, a serious attitude that is willing to learn and is not afraid of pressure and obviously the most important thing is an environment for you to develop, a company gives you the opportunity to make your passion and dreams come true.
Call to adventure
A new project at your company has been kicked off and then you are invited by the Project Manager to participate in the project as a tester. There are so many new things you do not know about this as if it is a completely different world. You accept the invitation to experience and enhance your experience.
Assistance
Obviously, no matter how good you are, you can not do everything by yourself. You will need advice from the seniors in your team to be able to do a good job in the project. Besides, you also need help from other members with that new project.
Departure + Trials
The project starts, you get acquainted with the project by reading and analyzing the requirements or user story, then start writing the test plan, test case and executing the test, knowing what the bug is? And when the bug is found, what are you going to do?
Approach + Crisis
But the project is not always smooth, there will always be difficulties inside. For example, the deadline is approaching, demo day is tomorrow but today Dev team has just finished code and deployed to server test. You only have one day to test. You try to work overtime as hard as possible to test, find all bugs, urgently prepare demo scenarios and then also on demo project. But your demo failed as it could not be any worse. Although you tested very well yesterday, today there are still bugs, even very serious bugs. Then the customer sends a complaint to the whole group. Project Manager discusses with you privately. Even if they do not say bad words to you or scold you, just remind you. But your mood can not get any worse. You start asking yourself: "Should I give up?", "I do not have meticulous, how to be a tester if ignore bugs", "My English is not good, maybe that is reason I did not understand all the requirements and missed bugs","working for eight hours day by day is enough, no need to try", "I'm prepare to find another job, okay, I can not do this". Negative sentences are formed, mood affects the work. All tasks assigned to you begin to be delayed, not completed in time.
Then the senior tester on your team gives you advice. You finally know the key. You stand up and continue your work but with a solid spirit, and valuable lessons for yourself.
Treasure + Result
Of course, after each journey, each of us is reaping something. Here our treasure is the knowledge we have in the projects we go through, expensive lessons from the mistakes. Experiences help us to be more stable on the career path in the future.
Return + New Life + Solutions
Ending a cycle, we return to reality. But now we are different because we have reached another level through what we have experienced. We start knowing what to do, what to face, what to do to overcome those difficulties. And start preparing for future projects, as well as further plan to develop our career.
Maybe your journey will be different from this motif a little bit but in general everyone in the world is living and experiencing this cycle with different perspectives, different environments and different challenges. Journey to become a full-stack tester is not a simple and can be achieved in a short time. It is a long nonstop adventure from one cycle to another. Because technology is constantly innovating, we must constantly innovate ourselves to keep up with technology. As a tester, we have to get rid of old prejudices, expand our minds to accept new ones. And as a Full-Stack Tester, you have to know as much as you can.The most important thing is to learn from the failures we have experienced, stand up from those failures and overcome our weaknesses.
