The strategy "Transitioning to a Testing Role" in fintech involves a comprehensive plan to move from a tech specialist to a tester. It is designed to achieve this goal by fall 2025 through self-education, practical experience, and networking. Initially, the plan focuses on enhancing testing skills through self-learning. For example, it suggests enrolling in online courses, reading books on software testing, and setting up a schedule for learning, emphasizing important certifications like ISTQB.
Practical experience serves as another pillar, where involvement in testing tasks, even within a current role, is encouraged. This could include volunteering for testing phases in projects or working on side projects that emphasize testing techniques. Finally, networking with testers forms the third strategy, which highlights the importance of attending industry conferences and joining professional groups. Through this, one can engage in informational interviews and collaborate on small projects to gain insights into the tester's role and build valuable connections.
The strategies
⛳️ Strategy 1: Enhance Testing Skills Through Self-Education
- Identify key testing skills required in fintech and create a learning plan
- Enroll in online courses focusing on software testing certifications such as ISTQB
- Read at least three recommended books on modern software testing practices
- Practise testing by setting aside two hours weekly on open-source projects
- Join online forums and communities related to software testing
- Engage in webinars and workshops on testing trends in fintech
- Arrange regular knowledge-sharing sessions with testers in your network
- Follow influential testing thought leaders and blogs to stay updated
- Create a dedicated study schedule to commit time each week to learning
- Perform self-assessments monthly to track skill progression and adjust focus areas
⛳️ Strategy 2: Gain Practical Testing Experience
- Request cross-functional experience within your current team to assist in testing tasks
- Volunteer to participate in testing phases of current or upcoming projects
- Create a portfolio of hands-on testing experiences to showcase skills
- Collaborate with testers on projects that require user acceptance testing
- Explore internship or shadowing opportunities to observe and learn from testers
- Develop knowledge of common testing tools used in the fintech industry
- Work on side projects to implement various testing techniques
- Engage in mock projects specifically focusing on automation testing
- Seek feedback from experienced testers to improve practical skills
- Document testing experiences in a blog or journaling format to reflect on learning
⛳️ Strategy 3: Network and Build Connections with Testers
- Attend fintech and software testing industry conferences to network
- Join professional groups or associations related to software testing
- Connect with testers on LinkedIn to expand your professional network
- Participate in local meetups or testing community events
- Request informational interviews with testers to gain insights into the role
- Attend workshops where testers share their experiences and best practices
- Collaborate with testers on small projects to build rapport and learn
- Engage actively in online discussions with community testing experts
- Share your testing experience updates on social media to attract engagement
- Utilise networking opportunities to seek mentorship from experienced testers
Bringing accountability to your strategy
It's one thing to have a plan, it's another to stick to it. We hope that the examples above will help you get started with your own strategy, but we also know that it's easy to get lost in the day-to-day effort.
That's why we built Tability: to help you track your progress, keep your team aligned, and make sure you're always moving in the right direction.
Give it a try and see how it can help you bring accountability to your strategy.
