Testing for beginners

New to Testing? Don't know how to start your career path so as to become a successful software tester.
Here are some of the tips that I learned along my way and I hope they help you achieve what you want.

First you need to have following know hows:

• Idea about terminologies used in the field of testing like methodologies,test strategies,testing types and all.
• Reading articles to get into the frame of mind of a tester. Read good blogs and books on testing. Begin with a quote "You are here to break the software":-).
  
• Technical skills: If possible go for courses that are offered but even if you don't,its Ok.Get yourself exposed to automation tools and keep in mind,they are not just "record and playback".There is so much more to them.

A good tester has superb soft skills which I would put as "testing skills":

• Be a brilliant observer. Look for what usually doesn't catches the eye.
• Be curious.
• Its very important to be intuitive. As you go along in this field,you will start feeling that your intuition is going strong and strong.Slowly,you start identifying the areas just intuitively where bugs can be found.
  
• Have the perseverance because bugs you find are not always reproducible.You have to try again and again with possible combinations.
• Good communication skills.You will find them so handy in tricky situations when dealing with developers and PMs(project managers).
• Habit of digging deep will not pay you best anywhere but in the field of software testing.
• Out of box thinking. Believe me,this would make you stand apart in the crowd.
• Knowledge of how the user will be using it. You have to be in th customer's shoes.
• Team work. You cannot achieve anything on your own,it has to be a team effort and a good team member is the one which inspires others and take them towards a common goal.
  

Domain knowledge also proves helpful because it allows you to have an idea about the flow of control and data which is bound to uncover series of bugs. And if you feel having a list of test cases in front of you will take you through,you are badly mistaken,always remember its the tester who finds the bugs and not the test case(Courtesy: Its a tester).So go for the kill believing in yourself and not any external help.

Software testing is a very challenging field that helps you grow not only professionally but also personally. Its creative,interesting,intuitive and a great career option.