Even after having spent around 8 years testing internetworking devices features’ and the related applications, I have never felt that there’s nothing more to learn. It had always been like working in a startup, learning new things, getting domain knowledge, and exploring new functionalities.
There are interesting discussions going on in the community, where people discussed what it means to be ‘technical’. As we are inundated with tools, frameworks, and processes, it is easy to lose sight of the big picture, which is about the business processes involved in that domain.
Take for example, testing TCP/IP network stack. It’s a must that you need to know the nuts and bolts of what the attributes of the headers are, what the packet sequences are, what are the permitted values in the fields of the packets, etc. The framework that you use to record and present the results to the stakeholders, the scripting language that you use for automation of checks, etc., are required, but not the deal itself.
Likewise, every domain like SAP, BFSI, Logistics and Supply Chain, etc. have their own set of processes that the tester needs to be thorough with. Otherwise, their testing would be of little value.
Hope that gives you some idea about the importance of domain knowledge for your testing efforts. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions through the comments. All the best in your testing efforts!
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