Automatic and manual testing with Alex Gatu

We talked to one of the test experts about what automated and manual testing entails, the time it takes to learn, and how a reskilling program changes learners' attitudes.

Alexander Gatu graduated from the Faculty of Automation and Computers at the Bucharest Polytechnic and has a master's degree in security. He has been working in the field of testing since 2010 and for more than 7 years he has been responsible for the area of “technical excellence” in the training programs for Endava Bucharest.

He has recently taken on a regional role (Romania, Moldova, Poland and Bulgaria) for the security testing community and coordinates the blockchain initiative within Endava.

Alex Gatu is also a trainer at the “Informal School of IT” since 2015, where he has mentored hundreds of learners in the area of manual and automated testing, but also for Digital Stack, where he helps employees make a career change, for the benefit of them and the employing companies.

What exactly do automated testing and software testing entail? And what is the difference between them?

Testing generally involves a process by which the application's requirements are validated with what is actually happening. In other words, the purpose of a tester is to verify and validate the functionality of the software as requested by the customer.

Manual testing requires the execution of manual validation and verification steps, while the Automatic involves learning a programming language that will help us train the computer to test it for us.

Although it is a more laborious process, automated testing eliminates human error when it comes to running many tests, as well as reducing their validation time.

How long can automated testing be learned and what basic knowledge is needed for learners

The duration of an automated testing course is 80 hours, 5 hours per week, plus homework, individual study and recaps, as the learning effort is constant and must be sustained throughout the course.

The recommendation for automated testing is to go through or experience gained in manual testing, since in the programming area we will start from scratch.

What skills should a person doing reskilling have in manual testing?

First of all, it needs curiosity, patience, meticulousness and the desire to explore. If you like to find out what happens when you press a button you wouldn't normally press, then testing is a good candidate for a career.

When is the best time to hold classes so that learners are responsive and efficient?

I noticed that the best results are obtained on Saturdays, even if it is the free time of the students. During the week, each of us is preoccupied with the current duties of the job and we lose focus quickly.

A good interval would be between 8:00 and 10:00, at the beginning of the working hours. I would not recommend that the sessions take place in the evening, as most learners are exhausted after a day's work and thus the strength of concentration decreases.

Tell us about the course you are taking at Digital Stack

Digital Stack courses are a little different because we try to fit the internal needs of the company as well as we customize the course for each client. We had only automated or manual testing courses, but also others, in which the curriculum included both, plus utilities and methodologies desired by our clients.

What changes did you notice in the attitude and/or behavior of learners upon successful completion of a reskilling program?

We have seen a revival of hope in society, in life in general. Many start the course scared and sometimes disillusioned, but not often at the end they tell us that they will miss the sessions with us, because we try to train mentors in every way to make this transition.

Sometimes, even a little encouragement from us increases their self-confidence, and at the end of the course they seem to be different people than when they started.

In the following article, we will talk with Alex Gatu about the reskilling programs he runs within Digital Stack, the benefits that these courses offer for employees and companies, but also about the challenges of career change.

You can meet Alex Gatu at the course Performance Testing — From Zero To Hero and on LinkedIn.

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