"Would you like to know the secrets...
To motivating your team, having more credibility,
and increasing your team's value?"

Does this sound familiar:

• Your company hasn't paid for you or anyone on your team to attend a training event in two or more years, yet expects you to stay current in software testing.




• Your management always seems to release software even though you have worked hard to find problems that are still not fixed.

• No matter how much you test, you feel you can't make a dent in the amount of testing that could be done.

• Your test schedule continually gets reduced because the developers are late, but the deadline doesn't change.
  
  
• You are asked to provide accurate testing estimates, but they usually get reduced to meet a deadline.




• You know you're capable of doing far more than you are allowed to do, but you never get the chance.

• Your team needs a boost in their skills and attitudes.

If any of these sound like you, you're not alone. In fact, the sad, unfortunate truth is you're probably in the majority of test teams.

Do YOU know why software testers struggle?

I surveyed over 5,000 testers for the past 12 years to answer this question and have arrived at ten things, which I describe in detail in my book, Surviving the Top Ten Challenges of Software Testing.

However, I'll give you a sneak peek of the top 3 challenges: 1) Lack of management support, 2) Lack of adequate requirements and 3) Having to deliver bad news to people who don't like to hear bad news.

Just dealing with one of these challenges can keep you awake at night. But combined, these challenges form a toxic potion that can take its toll on you in a short time.

Secret #1 - All of these challenges exist because people in power do not understand and appreciate the true value testing adds to the company's bottom line.

So, why is the "value" message so important?

FACT: There is someone out there who can test cheaper than you can (and your management might be very willing to give your job to them.) The reason testers can be in a dangerous position is because to some managers, testing is a commodity that can be performed by anyone. However, it's up to you to promote your added value in software testing and software quality! No one else is going to do that for you.

Even without the threat of outsourcing, the best way to increase your salary and position is to increase your value to your organization. You energize your career and take charge of your life!

The loss of passion for your career has happened to so many people, including me.

I’m Randy Rice, and I was once a frustrated software tester and test manager. I had no knowledge of what worked or didn't work in software testing, no training, no tools, no idea of how the software was supposed to work and very little time to perform testing. I was being asked to find all the defects in the software at our company, but given very little budget and no authority. 

“How do other people do it?” I would go to the free meetings at my local QA chapter and hear people talk about the measurement programs and process improvement models and wonder, “This all sounds great, but they are at Level 5, while I'm firmly at Level 0! What’s the best thing (or things) I can do right now to make a difference?”

Sound familiar? Don’t blame yourself. Nobody said it would be easy, but it doesn’t have to be so hard, either.

One day while listening to a self-improvement program, I heard something that changed my life!

Secret #2 - "If you spend 30 minutes a day reading or listening to any topic, in 5 years, you'll be an expert on that topic."

So, I started reading everything I could get my hands on about software quality and software testing. Believe it or not, even after 13 years as a software developer I had never once seen a functional requirement. I had to go to a university library to see an example! By the way, at that time there were only five books available on software testing!

However, I kept at it and five years later I was getting my feet on the ground as an independent testing consultant. Now, I have written over 50 courses on software testing and software quality so people like you can profit from my mistakes and my collection of knowledge over the years.

Now, I help software test teams all over the world build their skills and re-ignite their passion for testing software. I want to bring those skills and excitement to your company!

Secret #3 - Being recognized as skilled test professionals in your organization adds value to your career and to your company!

You know you’re a skilled professional when…

• The number of projects you take on and your inspiration to work on them is in perfect balance.

• You are sought after for your advice - and your advice is followed!

• You have high credibility - people trust you.

• You command respect from your peers and from senior management.

• You are knowledgeable but don't act like a "know-it-all".

This entire site exists to help people like you build your skills and advance your career so you can be successful in software testing and software quality. Although I have many free resources on this site, such as articles, podcasts, narrated conference presentations and The Software Quality Advisor Newsletter, I also offer ways to go much deeper such as my very popular and affordable live and e-learning courses!

If you’re ready to get unstuck, become a skilled professional, advance your career, stand out from the crowd and change the habits that got you where you are, don’t stop now.

I have been working the past five years experimenting (and, yes, testing!) to see what makes e-learning effective. I have arrived at a combination of ways to deliver ten of my most popular courses PLUS engage with you in the learning process.

• Train at your convenience. If you have to juggle work and training, this gives you the option to spend a little time on a regular basis for training without sacrificing your productivity.
  
• No travel. Forget airport security, bad airport food, and hard hotel beds. Relax and spend time with your family and friends.
  
• You can repeat lessons. In a live class, you get one chance to hear something. In our online classes, you can repeat the lessons as many times as you like. In fact, we give you a full year of access to the course. For my certification prep course, you get access for one year or until you pass, whichever is longest!
  
• Consistent quality - You know exactly who the trainer is and what they are going to say.
  
• Geographic coverage - You can train people around the world at the same time without huge time and expense commitments.
  
• Interactivity - You have e-mail and forum access to interact with the instructor and other students. We know there is no substitute for the human touch, but we try to get as close as possible with e-mail, forums and chat sessions.
  
• High value - The cost is less than either a public course or an in-house course. Our team prices allow you to train your entire team at a very attractive rate.
  
• It's a great way to integrate new team members. This is true just-in-time training!
  
• It's a great way to build your team. Train as a team, discuss as a team and improve as a team.
  
• Certification Preparation - If you are preparing for certification exams, the basic training course is a great primer.
  
• Continuing Education - If you already have a testing certification and need Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits, online training can allow you to get those credits right away - you don't have to wait months for a class to come to your city. (Of course, you will need to verify with your certification provider if our training is accepted. QAI does accept it for CPE credits.)
  
• Quizzes and feedback - There are exams at the end of each module to help you assess your learning. You get instant feedback on each question. You can also review the quiz to see the correct answers versus your answers.
  
• There are also fun training games throughout the modules to help you reinforce your knowledge.

Compare the Costs

And, this is just for one person!  Think about these costs for a team of five people!

If you do the math, you'll see the benefits add up fast. With the money you save, you can buy a test tool, buy some books, hire an assistant...

While there has been scholarly research on the question of e-learning effectiveness that indicates it is just as effective as live training, I'll let some of our past participants give you their comments:

Still Have Questions?

Just check the Frequently Asked Questions page. If you don't see an answer to your question, just contact me!

Still not sure, but want to start building your team's skills?

The one thing you don't want to do is wait and do nothing!

Waiting until next week, next month, next year does nothing to move you closer to your goals. Just think of what you want your next performance review to look like. Do you want it to show that you have built the skills of your team to be a high-performing team (and get a raise or promotion)...or, do you want to maintain (and hopefully not get worse) the current levels of performance?

Even if your team is already good, remember that the very best performers are always working to be better!

Take action today!

Fill in your name and email address to get your FREE Test Team Leader Skill Building Packet. Start on your journey to becoming a your team's skills today!