Do new testers really need to learn automation? Ep 86

This Week in Testing #86: Testing Skills, Career Growth & Community Wins In Episode 86 of This Week in Testing, hosted by Mariem Safi and Simon Tomes, the global software testing community came together for a sharp, empowering conversation. Key themes explored: Testing Careers & Growth: How today’s testers are navigating career paths, building skills in automation, and staying focused in a fast-moving world. Agile Testing Insights: Real-world lessons switching between Kanban and Sprints, and empowering teams to shape their own ways of working. Test Automation & Market Trends: What entry-level testers face in a market demanding automation skills — and how manual testing remains crucial. Global Community Updates: News from Ministry of Testing meetups in Tunis, Berlin, Munich, Ghana, and beyond. Plus, a look ahead to TestBash Brighton 2025. Building Confidence and Trust in Testing: Subtle but essential strategies to communicate value when outcomes aren’t immediately visible. Guests who joined the stage: ⭐ Mariem Safi ⭐ Simon Tomes ⭐ Jane D'Cruze ⭐ Oleksandr Romanov ⭐ Nataliia Burmei ⭐ Ben Dowen ⭐ Elisse C Each brought unique perspectives on quality engineering, continuous learning, leadership, and resilience in testing.