Breaking the Silence: Why Testers Need to Make Their Voices Heard

Testers hide in the shadows.

In the silent corners of our tech communities, we testers tend to lurk, our voices often drowned out by the cacophony of developers, project managers, and other louder roles. We’ve allowed ourselves to be painted into a corner, overshadowed by larger-than-life figures, and hidden behind the curtain of misconception. We’ve bought into the false narrative that test automation can replace us, even when we’re the ones on the frontlines, wrestling with the intricacies of maintaining these systems. As testers, it’s time we acknowledge that we’ve been our own worst enemy when it comes to our visibility in the industry.

Why are testers not speaking up?

But why is this the case? Why don’t we, the experienced testers, speak up more often? Perhaps we’ve convinced ourselves that we don’t have anything valuable to share, that our insights on processes and lessons learned on the job aren’t as impactful. Or perhaps, we’re just too humble, content to play our parts behind the scenes while others take the limelight. But this mindset belittles our role. We are not just bug finders or automation script writers; we are quality advocates. We are to be the experts in quality, the ones who have a unique viewpoint on the software development process, a perspective that is crucial to building successful software applications.

The industry is rife with voices that speak about testing without truly understanding it, perpetuating the notion that testing is a role anyone can take on without specific skills or training. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and it’s high time we took the reins and corrected this narrative.

It’s time to speak up.

As we gradually shift our perspective from pessimism to optimism, we start to see the potential for change. This transformation begins with us, the testers. Imagine if we stepped out of the shadows and let our voices be heard. Picture a world where we, too, are seen as thought leaders, influencers, and trailblazers like Michael Bolton, James Bach, and Dan Ashby. These figures, intimidating as they may seem to some, should inspire us rather than deter us.

It’s time for us to stop being afraid. It’s time to write that blog post, to present at that conference, to start that conversation on Twitter. It’s time for us to claim our space in the industry, to become more than just the silent observers in the corner. We have the ability to shape the narrative of our profession, to contribute valuable insights, and to stand up for the importance of our role. And it’s high time we did just that.

This article should challenge us, the testers, to break free from our self-imposed silences and take control of our narrative. It will provide us with the impetus to become more than what we have been, to transform ourselves from silent observers to quality advocates for the companies in which we work. Let’s embark on this journey together, to a future where every tester’s voice is heard and valued in the wider tech community.

Check out the original article on Alex Dillon’s LinkedIn Profile.

Also, if you’d like to know more about what we do, check out Our Services.