Career Path for Testers

Yesterday, I got to thinking about what I like to do. I want to be an expert. I’ve always wanted to be an expert. I’m aspiring to be that.

I recalled that Steve McQueen played my kind of expert, in the movie The Towering Inferno. So, I found a clip and added subtitles to turn it into a testing situation. I hope you enjoy it.

Pay attention to how McQueen throws questions at a rapid fire pace. He knows what he needs to discover, he organizes people around him, and he forms specific plans, quickly, to get the job done…

7 Responses to “Career Path for Testers”

  1. Anne-Marie Says:

    I love it, though its hard to read and listen to what is being said.

    If it was a different actor (B grade actor) would you still want to emulate the part? I think as well as asking the right questions, you have to have the confidence and authority that Steve McQueen brings to the role. Looking like him too might help, not for me though.

    Anyhow I’m more a Paul Newman fan, and I think he handles Steve McQueen pretty well.

    More please!

    [James Reply: I look more like Jack Black... But at least I have a good scowl.]

  2. Santosh Shukla Says:

    Hi James,

    Very nicely done. I like Steve McQueen and I like your testing and presentation…

    I added link to your post as an addendum to my blog post on Career Path of a tester.
    http://proudtester.blogspot.com/2010/03/testers-life-career-path-of-tester.html

    Thanks,
    Santosh Shukla
    http://proudtester.blogspot.com

  3. Jassi Says:

    Wow,Awesome , the video subtitles are awesome & very informative,Thanks.
    You are my Hero a.k.a Steve McQueen.

    Cheers,
    Jassi

    [James' Reply: Thank you, Jassi.]

  4. Tania Says:

    Hi James,

    I was just frisking around testing blogs & came across your post. What touches me is that I also want to be an expert. I’m a software tester & I want to be an expert in this field. But the problem is I’m yet to know in which area I want to be an expert. Surely I can’t be a software testing expert…..it’s too vast a field. But anyway its nice to know that somebody thinks like you :)

    Regards,
    Tania

    [James' Reply: How do you know the field is vast? Maybe you can start there. Make a list of the different parts of the field. Maybe that will help you figure out what parts you are attracted to.]

  5. Jason Says:

    Hi James,

    I planning to make a career switch into software testing, and you blog posts and you tube videos have helped to inspire me to think about the type of tester I want to be.. one day I may even get to be an expert.

    thanks,
    Jason

  6. Eagle Eyes Says:

    Hey there James – haven’t been here for a while, but I must compliment you on 2 things:

    1 – your own eagle eyes :-)
    2 – this brilliant video subtitling, it made my week (meeting you last week made that one).

    All the best,
    Debi

  7. The Conscious Life Says:

    I just stumbled on your site and is intrigued by this video in this post. Believe it or not, I actually knew about you from a Chinese translation of your book, which I casually browsed through in the bookstore.

    The subtitles in the video are fantastic and the passion for your work shows through from those lines on the various software checkpoints. Nothing beats passion. Keep it up!

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