Ben Weese

When I first started testing people would ask me how I could do it. It was so boring and doing the same test over and over would drive them nuts. In order to keep them some what sane they would listen to music while testing. I however loved the nuts and bolts of it all so I was able to just get into it and there were even days where I never once picked up my headphones. So yes there are certain type of people who can test and others can’t but I have rarely ever seen a qa person minus myself in the early days without headphones.

I moved to audio books as they told epic tales while i tested and was able to test. The thing about audio books is you need to do books you have read so if you get into a really good bug you don’t fill lost. Others and more recently myself included listen to podcast. Podcast are good ways to keep you somewhat entertained without having to pay to much attention cause they are short. Just coworkers my look at you like you are nuts when you burst out laughing. Another thing that helps is light chats with other coworkers. But remember you are working so keep your self entertained but also make sure you get your work done. I have never known a QA department to not have a lot of work needed to be done and tested 3 times over.

You have to keep yourself occupied. To do that you can create or use a through test plan. Giving your self a road map helps you let your mind wonder to those exploratory edges to find out of the box bugs. Have a smoke test that you need to run on every build in order to make sure a major bug has not crept in. Occasionally pair test with Developers on new features. Issues that might not even be out yet can be fixed before anyone can ever see them benefiting everyone. Another thing you can do is just go nuts and adhoc test the whole thing. Go where no tester has gone before and find that once in a lifetime bug.

Below you will find a link on Bug Huntress on how to alleviate stress while testing. More helpful tips.
http://blog.bughuntress.com/testing-tips-tricks/stressed-out-while-testing

We’re pleased to announce that ReignDesign is this weeks sponsor. ReignDesign is a mobile app development studio with offices in Shanghai, Barcelona and Santiago, Chile. They work with brands like Porsche, WeightWatchers and Nike to create amazing mobile apps. But more importantly, they’re trying to make a great place for developers and designers to work.

They’re currently looking to hire a QA Engineer in their new Barcelona office. If you’re interested, or have any friends who might be interested in relocating to Barcelona, you can visit their website jobs page.