8 Ways Domain Knowledge Can Help You Become a Better Software Tester.

Software testers are often underestimated and underappreciated. Let’s change that.

While there is no such thing as a perfect tester, there are ways to make yourself more valuable to the company you work for and to the software development process as a whole. Here are some ways domain knowledge can help you become a better software tester:

• Knowledge of your company culture and what they value most.
• Knowing which bugs might be more important than others.
• The ability to take initiative and fill in gaps where needed.
• Knowing how to work efficiently with other teams on issues.
• Easier time learning new software tools and techniques.
• An increased likelihood of finding those hidden production bugs everyone else has missed.

Why domain knowledge is important

Domain knowledge is your understanding of the domain you’re working in. In software testing, this means having a solid understanding of the software and how it works.

Working as a tester can be difficult. You have to be able to understand how the software should work and what the end goal is, all while trying to identify bugs or errors in the product. Domain knowledge gives you a better idea of where to look for those bugs.

In addition, if there are any specific features that are important to your company culture, you’ll be more likely to know about those as well as their importance. This will help you find those critical issues more easily and quickly, meaning less time wasted for everyone involved.

Domain knowledge also makes it easier for you to communicate with other teams within your company on projects or issues related to the software being tested. And because it’s so closely tied with testing, domain knowledge can help make training new testers faster and easier—especially if they already have some familiarity with the domain being tested.

Knowing the software development process

Knowing the software development process is an important aspect of being a good software tester. Software testers are often in charge of testing the entire software system, from the user interface to back-end functionality.

However, not all testers are required to be experts in every aspect of the software development process. It is best that you know what your responsibility is during each phase, and where you might need help or input from other team members.

Knowing your role and responsibilities will make it easier for you to maintain a checklist of tasks and stay on top of what needs to be done next. This will also enable you to communicate with the rest of the team on how they can help you more easily find bugs or implement new features more quickly.

Knowing your company culture

is key

Knowing your company culture can help you decide what bugs are more important than others. For example, if the development team has a deadline they must meet and your company values quality, then it is more important to find bugs that pose an immediate risk to the timeline than it is to find bugs that don’t affect the timeline.

There are also certain skills that may be needed in order to complete these tasks or know how much time should be spent on them. All of this knowledge will help you become a better tester because you’ll know what to look for and where your efforts would be most valuable.

The importance of knowing which bugs are more important than others

When it comes to software testing, there are always more bugs that need to be uncovered. You might think that all bugs are important, but that’s not the case.

Software testers need to know which bugs are more critical than others and should be prioritized first. For example, if you’re testing a simple mobile app and you find a bug that causes your phone to crash every time you open the app, then that would be a priority issue.

If instead, the bug only causes an annoyance with minor issues, then it would be categorized as a lower priority item. The same goes for any other software or technology being tested – knowing which bugs are most important is essential.

The need for initiative, filling in gaps and collaborating with other teams

Software testers are often more involved in the software development process than some people realize.

It’s not just about identifying bugs. Software testers often have to work with other teams to find bugs, fix them, and test again.

In this capacity, the tester’s efforts may not always be rewarded or recognized. This is large because it’s tough for companies to measure the impact that a tester has had on a project.

But by taking initiative and filling in gaps where needed, you can demonstrate your value as a tester and make yourself invaluable to the company you work for.

Domain knowledge can help you learn new software tools

Domain knowledge is an important asset for any software tester.

Software testers need to know how to use testing tools which can be difficult to learn if you don’t have experience in the domain.

For example, imagine you’re a software tester with little experience in front-end development. You may not be able to easily learn how to use Selenium for testing. If you had more experience in front-end development, however, you would likely find it much easier to pick up Selenium for testing purposes.

Domain knowledge can help you find those hidden production bugs.

Domain knowledge is often overlooked as a valuable asset in the software testing field. With this knowledge, you can more easily find those hidden production bugs that everyone else has missed.

Software testers are often underestimated and underappreciated. Let’s change that.

Those who know their domain—the company culture and what they value most, which bugs might be more important than others, and how to work efficiently with other teams on issues—are most likely to succeed as a tester.

Conclusion

Software testing is not just about knowing how to find bugs, it’s about knowing how to find the right bugs.

The more you know about the domain of the software you are testing, the better you will be at finding bugs. To be a great software tester, you need to know more than just how to test. You need to know how software is developed, which bugs are the most important to find, and your company’s culture. If you can combine all of these things together, then you’re well on your way to becoming a great software tester.