Last Tuesday, I had 30 minutes between two meetings.
So to get refreshed, I went to the cafeteria for a cup of tea.
Krishna walked in.
He is a Test Engineer in my company. He works for a different product though.
He got his cup of tea. We discussed the build from the previous night, a flaky test that wasted his time, the usual things.
There was a pause of a couple of minutes. Then Krishna said : “Jay, I feel like I am doing good. But I am not growing”.
“Can you help me?”
He didn’t sound upset. Just tired.
I asked : “ What do you mean by ‘doing good’?”
He talked about the test automation he had built. The bugs he had uncovered. The weekends he had spent stabilizing tests before releases. All hard work. All good work.
His concern: No promotion. No sense of growth.
I have heard this story many times – different people, different companies, same pattern.
The Mistake:
Most testers believe that executing well = growth.
It feels logical.
- You learn the tools.
- You understand the product deeply.
- You become reliable during releases.
So you assume someone will notice and promote you.
But here ‘s the problem: Execution, no matter how strong, fades from memory. Impact doesn’t. After a release, people remember whether things went smoothly. They remember confidence or chaos. Clear decisions or rushed ones.
They do not remember who ran how many test cases. Or who uncovered how many defects.
In my 2 decades of experience, I have seen testers become indispensable for delivery. And still remain invisible when there are leadership discussions about role expansion, pay hike, or leadership opportunities.
And this invisibility is not because they lacked skill. Because their work is framed as “tasks completed”. Not “risk reduced” or “decisions enabled.”
The Shift:
(Image created using Napkin)
A mindset shift changes that perception.
At some point, you need to stop asking, “What am I responsible for testing?”
And start asking, “How am I impacting the company?”
Think:
- User empathy and experience
- Business impact of bugs
- Helping company’s growth
When you see and perform from that perspective, their discussions change.
You will see a shift in your thoughts. And actions.
- Bug patterns.
- Prioritizing what truly matters.
- Influencing direction without waiting for permission
I have seen testers with fewer tools grow faster than those with impressive skill lists. That is simply because they made their impact visible and relevant.
They showcased outcomes. Not Outputs.
What I Suggested Krishna
It was almost 25 minutes into our discussion.
Before leaving the cafeteria, I gave this suggestion to Krishna:
For the next week, don’t add anything to your learning list.
Instead, after each activity, pause and ask yourself: ‘If this had failed, what would the business impact be?’
Then document it. Share with team mates and manager.
Not as self-promotion. As context.
That single habit slowly changes how people see your role. And how you see yourself.
Krishna left with a smile. Not just because of the tea – because he finally had a path forward.
If you are reading this and relate to Krishna’s situation, you are not alone.
Many good testers reach this phase and wonder why hard work alone isn’t enough.
Want to work through your specific challenge? Book a coaching call with me: https://topmate.io/jayateerth_katti/
I would be happy to help