Quality Insight: How to Prepare for Your STEC Journey
The Ministry of Testing released the Software Testing Essentials Certificate. This certificate, in many ways, will fill the gaps that many Testers experience in their knowledge and skill set of software testing.
In my own career, I’ve always been a “boots-on-the-ground” and “learn-as-you-go” tester. This means that while I’ve gained valuable experience, there are lots of skills I don’t have because the opportunities I’ve taken part in didn’t expose me to the knowledge and tools required to do the work.
I’m so excited about STEC! And, I’m in a very interesting stage of life. My kids have almost flown the nest. I have two more years with my youngest. I have aging parents, and there’s the part of being a wife, friend, and dog-mom. Then there’s my career 😅. Yeah, there’s lots to do. I tried to work through the certificate once but lost my way among my daily work and life tasks.
This time, I’m circling back and making shifts that will stick. I want to offer you the changes I’m making in the hopes that a few of these ideas will also help you.
Is STEC right for you?
If you are curious about STEC , consider the following questions to decide if taking this certificate is the right step for you.
Is it worth the investment?
For many testers, myself included, finding education on Quality Engineering can feel overwhelming. There is a wealth of resources online. As a beginner, it’s hard to know what information is up-to-date or even relevant to your current role and skillset. At times, I learned a skill but didn’t know that it had an official name until I was exposed to it in some form of training or conference. Being in QA, the unknown unknowns are scary, and it felt like it was all up to me to learn what I needed for my personal growth.
What helped was finding and immersing myself in online Testing Communities. The most valuable ones for me are the Ministry of Testing Club and the Test Guild Community. I would ask the dumb questions and find the help and resources I needed.
Still, I could feel the skillset gap. It felt unnerving knowing that as my years in QA increased, my skill level wasn’t following the same trajectory. Having access to certificates like this gives me a new opportunity to upskill, regardless of my current role.
For me, this is worth the investment. I can move beyond searching online for answers that may or may not be up-to-date. I can learn relevant information that I could apply in my present-day role immediately, and ask questions in the community to make sure I am making the right choices.
What’s the cost?
$1,399. Let’s think about this. What’s more expensive? Learning valuable information while having an online portfolio of what you’ve learned, while being surrounded by people who care about the craft of Quality, and being armed with tools and insights that you can add to your testing role right away, or going without? You are worth the investment. And what’s being offered in this certificate is something you can brag about in your current role and in whatever job interview you decide to take part in. Having confidence in your own value is worth the price, in my opinion.
When is the best time to start?
As experience has taught me, there are times in your life that are easier than others to start projects. And, sometimes, it’s best if those projects are shelved for a later date. Only you know what you can take on. In my opinion, as long as there isn’t anything absolutely traumatic happening in your life, it’s fine if you take the time to invest the time to complete this. You can learn on your own time.
Even 30 minutes a week is more than nothing. Baby steps, friend. Baby steps.
What I’m doing differently
Yes, I’m starting over. Thankfully, you can do that with STEC. No one is on you to get it done, but that means you’ll need a little drive and a bit of organization to prop you up in the process. Here’s where things went wrong for me and what I’m doing differently.
🕰️ Make the time
🫠 What went wrong:
Yeah, I set aside time. I set time on a Friday, at the end of the week. By Friday, I was exhausted, and there were other priorities that felt more pressing.
😁 What changed?
Switching my study time to Monday. Monday’s are more of an open day for me, and where I can study first, then switch over to the next priorities. I’m taking time to learn, and then I have the rest of the week to focus on what needs to be worked on. Nothing is lost, and my energy and time feel like they’re well spent.
This leads to…
⏰ Manage your time
🫠 What went wrong:
I am easily distracted. My brain likes to make all kinds of connections while I’m trying to focus. Like comparing my dog, Princess, to an MOT character in the curriculum. I really have to guard my time to make sure it’s not spent in other ways.
😁 What changed?
Creating an event on the calendar and honoring it like anything I would normally do makes a huge difference. I listen to music while I read to help me focus (no lyrics!!!), and when there are videos, I set them to full screen to help keep away any notifications I may get on my desktop. And, if a notification pops up, well, I ignore it. This is my learning time!
If you are learning during time that might normally be spent with family, let them know before you start studying that you are going to create a calendar event to take some learning time for yourself. Let them know when you will be done and that they can talk to you after that time is complete. Put a movie on for the smaller kiddos if you have them. Put a sign on the door letting them know when your time is up. It may take a little time for your family to get used to the change. If you take your learning seriously, so will they. Soon, they’ll start cheering you on. You're changing your life! Everyone can get excited about that.
📓 Prepare your portfolio
🫠 What went wrong:
The STEC program recommends creating an online portfolio. I did not. This meant that I wasn’t taking notes and had a hard time remembering where I left off in between sessions. I had nothing to show for my progress, which wasn’t building the confidence I’d hoped to create in the process.
😁 What changed?
My portfolio will exist in two places: this newsletter and GitHub. I’ll share what I learn and anything else that sparks my interest. Feel free to follow along! If you’d like to figure out where to create your portfolio, there are a couple of great discussions on the topic. You can find them here and here.
🪩 Create a rhythm
🫠 What went wrong:
Since I wasn’t making the time, I wasn’t making learning a normal part of my experience. I’ve learned that it’s easier to do something you repeat often. If learning doesn’t become part of your daily rhythm, then it feels awkward and hard to complete
😁 What changed?
By making and managing my time and normalizing learning, it’s much easier to follow through with what I said I would do. Learning something new becomes a little easier when it’s a part of your daily practice. Yes, at some point, it might feel like a bit of a slog. It’s going to take time and effort. But this won’t last forever. This is who we are! We’re learners. Make learning a normal thing, as normal as breathing. And, all that work will, over time, pile up into something that you can be proud to show the world.
I hope you’ll join me. I hope this helps. In my spare time, I crochet. One thing I’ve learned when crocheting something is that if a stitch or two goes sideways, the only thing to do is pull out what’s not working and start again.
I’m fixing my stitches. Hopefully, it will all turn out right in the end. And, if not, then I’ll circle back and start again.
That’s what makes the work worth it in the end. Because when you’re a lifelong learner, after taking the time you need, you become someone better than when you started.
Till next time…
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Written with Spacefolk Banjo - Ambient Chillwave | Dream, Relax, Game playing in the background.