I was delivering my tasks on time.
Be it writing or executing test cases, automating, bug reporting and client communication. I had worked hard, stayed late and worked on weekends too.In one of the projects, I was the one who executed the maximum test cases (it was in 2003).
The manager was happy because we delivered on time.
Then came the appraisal. I went into the discussion room happily. Reason – I played an important role by executing maximum test cases. I told this to my manager. He was happy.
He told me, you did a great job now. But you are not ready for your next role yet !!
I did not know what the expectations were for the next role. Sadly.I was expecting it to be discussed by my manager.
In another project, I was lucky.
I had a good manager. He was hand holding and guiding me in that project. I was following him and his suggestions. I was hoping for a promotion in the appraisal cycle.
But in a few months, my manager left the job.
He joined another company. It was good for him. But I was not only following him, but was dependent on him.
The new manager had no clue about me or my potential.
These two incidents taught me a lot.
I should be responsible for my career. I should not wait for my manager to plan my growth. I own my career – Manager won’t.
In my 20 years experience, I have worked for multiple projects. For different companies. With different managers and fellow testers.Pattern is the same.
The manager won’t plan your career.
Let me tell you why a manager doesn’t own your career.
Why Managers Don’t Own Your Career
Some testers don’t grow because they assume career growth is something managers will plan for them.
Here is the uncomfortable fact.
Managers have their own priorities. They may not focus on your growth.
Reasons can be:
- Product delivery is their priority
- They may not know your aspirations
- They may not be good leaders
- Managers may change
I am not blaming or biased. Because I was an individual contributor and now a manager. So my experience says: Accept this – your manager is not responsible for your growth.
It forces you to own your career.
Growth Loop – Your Growth Framework
Coming back to me.
When I realized that I am the owner of my career, I changed my mindset. Now I believe that I am my CEO.
So, I adopted my own approach to plan my career.
I call it a ‘Growth Loop’.
The growth loop :
Deliver -> Expand -> Showcase -> Ask -> Repeat
As you can see, it is a 5-step cycle.
Let me explain this Growth Loop.
Deliver
This is the foundation.
I made sure to deliver what was expected from me. Never missed deadlines. I delivered what I had committed. I communicated the risks and test reports on time. This helped to build my credibility.
The tasks you do can be anything – Designing tests, running them, bug advocacy, clear and transparent communication or anything.
Do it consistently. This builds trust. Your manager believes you. S(h)e allocates tasks to you. You complete it. On time. Every time.
If you are thinking that your automation can give you growth, you are not fully correct. Your automation or any initiative has value only when you have built the trust.
Do NOT think about bypassing this step. Never !
Expand
Once you have foundation, you are ready to build on it.
Expand your reach. This does not mean to ask for a new role – promotion or role change.
You need to be proactive. Ask for additional tasks.
Those tasks can be:
- Understanding pain points and fixing them
- Possibility of automation in your process
- Volunteering for code review
- Preparing the documents
- Supporting your team mate
- Supporting other stakeholders
- Taking up your manager’s tasks.
How I adopted ‘Expand’ in my career ? Here it goes.
After completing my tasks, I used to approach my manager.
Not to communicate that I completed quickly. Instead, I used to ask how I could support him.
I still remember, he once smiled and showed me a monthly report. He used to collect data for different teams, prepare and send that deck to clients. He asked me to try that report.
I started preparing slides for my team’s report. For 2 months straight I did it with very minimal support of the manager. Then from 4th month onwards, I started collecting data from other team leads and started preparing the report.
No one asked me. Since it made my manager’s life easier,I prepared it. That is the key: expansion that scales.
Note that, you are not just helping yourself – you are increasing leverage for the team and the business.
That is how leaders start to see you as “more than your role.”
Note: To decide where to ‘Expand’, you can do Self SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity & Threat Analysis.
Showcase
This is where most testers fail.
Most testers do the work. Many even expand scope. But they assume someone will notice.
In reality, no one notices.
Leaders do not have time to go through Jira. They do not see your test execution report or how many test cases you have written.
You added value.
You did it by delivering and expanding your work. Now you need to showcase what you did and the impact of your work.
It is not a show-off.
You need to communicate what value you have added. No exaggeration. No bragging. It is framing.
That is speaking the business language. You need to frame your message in a way that leaders understand. And they appreciate your effort.
I adopted this when I automated the test cases.
I did not just communicate that I automated 120 test cases. Instead I wrote that – ‘By automating the smoke test suite, I saved 60% of the testing time.’
This you can do by sharing a single page report.
You can share that report once a month to your manager and other leaders.
To showcase and gain visibility. I suggest you follow the Visibility Flywheel.
If you do not showcase, you are replaceable.Period.
Hard work is honorable.It does not move careers. Your work only counts when it reaches the leadership.
Ask
This is the hard part.
At least for me. In my career, especially in the initial years, I thought seeing my work will lead me to promotions. But I was wrong.
Managers have limitations.
Generally they need to manage within the allocated budgets. Hence, based on the budget available of the number promotions allowed, they decide whom to promote.
I went ahead and asked.
It was challenging for me to ask. But still I said ‘ My work has impacted the project. We could save time by automating and identifying the risks early in the test cycle. I am confident that I am ready for my next role. Can you recommend me for a promotion this year?’
I will give another example- here I did not ask for promotion.
I wanted to learn about Product Management. I wanted to expand my skills beyond testing. So I asked my manager if I could collaborate with the Product Manager. Also requested the Product Manager to share her tasks with me. I got a green signal from both of them.
Go ahead and ask what you need.
If you have strong credibility and evidence of your impact, nobody will deny it. There can be delays. But you will get it.
Most managers will not resist.
In fact, you make their job easier. Asking is not arrogance. That is how you turn credibility into solid growth.
Repeat
Growth is not an event.
It is a loop. Repeating the loop gives the growth. Each time you deliver, expand, showcase, and ask, your scope grows a little more. Over time, those small wins compound and you will see growth.
After two or three loops, you are no longer just a tester.
You are the person who owns the testing of a product.
After a few more loops, you are not just “doing testing”. You are shaping the growth of your company by delivering quality products. You are supporting your users by solving their problems.
This compounding effect is what I call “Growth Loop”
Not just a growth step. It keeps spinning. The faster you spin it, the faster you become irreplaceable.
Conclusion
Looking back at my 20 years in testing, the biggest mistake I made was waiting.
Waiting for my managers to recognize me. Waiting for opportunities to be given. Waiting for someone else to write my promotion case. That waiting cost me years.
Later, I realized this: I can not outsource my career.
Then I adopted the Growth Loop. The result ? Growth !
Note that your manager may support you. But they will not design your future. That responsibility is yours.
Remember this:
“Do not wait for permission to grow. Build it, show it, ask for it and repeat.”
That is the loop that turns quiet testers into leaders.
Note: This was first published on ShiftSync
