Is learning Selenium/UFT enough to secure Tester Job?

Is learning Selenium/UFT enough to secure Tester Job?

Let me introduce myself first.

I am Sudhakar most of you may recognize me as QtpSudhakar. I worked in projects like all of you started from junior tester to project manager and then Test Architect. Now I am a freelancer giving training and working on freelance assignments using UFT, Selenium and Appium…etc.

My career started on WinRunner -> QTP -> UFT -> Selenium -> Appium -> ***

What’s the problem?

Automation. It’s not a problem. In fact it’s a solution. The real problem is in people mindset. They do work in same way for years. They created comfort zone and working like a machine. So machines are introduced to do their work. When technology becoming old, Automation will be introduced and replaces manual.

It’s a game time. Instead of people doing work, make the machines to do people work. Machines are available but the skilled people who can handle those machines are not available. This is the real problem.

Fear of change and Lack of confidence

Its hard time for manual testers. There’s a myth that testers doesn’t need programming knowledge. But the world is expecting programming knowledge to every person who works in software. It is an added advantage for nontechnical jobs.

Most of the people coming to me for learning Selenium or UFT. The first question they ask is “I don’t have programming background. Is it possible for me to learn Selenium or UFT?” We are in world of survival for existence. We should be able learn and implement any software that is related to our work. Even after reaching to ten years of manual testing experience they ask the same question.

Join in institute or learn from YouTube videos… But everyone in software should be able to learn anything related to software. You should first learn How to learn and implement.

Why companies are firing mostly Manual Testers?

Most of the manual testers are functional experts in their project because of working in same project for months and years. Mostly they are secure until project lasts. If automation introduced or project completed then how companies utilize them? Either to keep them in other manual project or if no project available send them out. Though companies arrange training, give goals to learn other technologies but people never react until they lost in race.

What options do Manual Tester have to secure job?

Learning is a never ending process especially in software world. Keep on update yourself with latest technologies depends on trend. Test Automation, Mobile Application Testing, Web Services Testing and BigData testing… list goes on at present market situation. Become technically strong in what you choose.

Is learning Selenium/UFT enough to secure Manual Tester Job?

It’s been twenty plus years since the beginning of Test Automation. Initially it was mercury tools who ruled the market. Later mercury acquired by HP. Selenium is in market from past ten plus years, but it can automate only web applications. It started becoming strong when market is making more web applications to expand their services to multiple OS platforms with less cost. It increases even more with smartphone market. Finally Selenium Web Driver became default for web testing. But still UFT has its share in market.

The market is expecting multi skilled people in software. You may not survive in market if you restrict yourself with experience of one software. You should become an Automation Tester but not Selenium/UFT tester. One skill may not be enough in on fire situation. Having multiple skills is the only savior to stay in market. Observe below google trends on automation.

Selenium vs UFT: June 2012 to April 2017.

Selenium: Blue, UFT: Red

Selenium vs UFT: June 2016 to April 2017.

My Analysis

UFT and Selenium are two big players in Test Automation market. Many companies are introducing Automation using Selenium because it is open source. But they don’t have skilled people to make automation successful. They have to spend more money on selenium resource when compared with UFT resource. Though programming/scripting knowledge is required for both of them, UFT comes handy with some features where beginner can easily learn. But that knowledge is not enough for making Automation Successful. Selenium requires more programming skills to make automation successful especially advanced web user interface like AngularJS, Infor UI etc.

UFT is still in the market because it supports different application technologies and also the steps taken by HP towards increasing business. Like reducing license cost, introducing execution engines, technology support for latest web, desktop and mobile applications. In 2015 HP introduced selenium like software called LeanFT (Now UFTPro) which is cross platform and has support for multiple languages. They are giving it for free with UFT license.

Selenium never dies unless technology dies. It is default for web application testing and for mobile application testing Appium is available which is an open source software developed using Selenium WebDriver Protocol. The biggest asset of selenium is Open Source, cross platform and support for multiple languages.

Indian Job Market Selenium vs UFT (Naukri.com)

3099 jobs for selenium and 1072 jobs for UFT are posted in Naukri.com. Assumption is ¾ + ¼ market share. But from past 2 years every month at least two thousand people are coming to learn selenium and less than hundred members are coming for UFT in Hyderabad market. The same is going on almost everywhere. The jobs on selenium are high but competition is huge. Compare to selenium, the jobs on UFT are less and competition is also very less.

Conclusion

To become safe at present situation you must have both Selenium and UFT skills. If you can work with these tools then you can easily work with Selenium, Appium, UFT, LeanFT (UFTPro) and also mobile application testing using HP Mobile Center.

I wrote this based on my experience in Test Automation as an Architect and also a Trainer for Selenium and UFT software in Mind Q Systems hi-tech city location.