My slides at Knowit Developer Summit on 3 Feb 2023 in Copenhagen. I talked about different skills and backgrounds that make a tester, then about adding roles to your profiles, learning those skills, having the alternative visions or futures for you so that you can take the opportunities when they arrive. At the end I shared my journey to be what I am today, and gave some practical tips into learning continuously. More info at https://www.dragonsout.com and at https://www.knowit.fi

1. How to become a multitalented tester
Kari Kakkonen
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karikakkonen/
Dragons Out Oy & Knowit Solutions Oy
At Knowit Developer Summit, Copenhagen
Feb 3, 2023
© Dragons Out Oy 1

2. ROLES
• Knowit Solutions Oy, Director of Training and
Competences, Lead Consultant, Trainer and
Coach
• Children’s and testing author at Dragons Out
Oy
• TMMi, Board of Directors
• Treasurer of Finnish Software Testing Board
(FiSTB)
ACHIEVEMENTS
• Tester of the Year in Finland 2021
• EuroSTAR European Testing Excellence Award
2021
• ISTQB Executive Committee 2015-2021
• Influencing testing since 1996
• Ranked in 100 most influential IT persons in
Finland (Tivi magazine)
• Great number of presentations in Finnish and
international conferences
• TestausOSY/FAST founding member.
• Co-author of Agile Testing Foundations book
• Regular blogger in Tivi-magazine
Kari Kakkonen, Lead Testing Consultant
SERVICES
• ISTQB Advanced, Foundation and Agile Testing
• A4Q AI and Software Testing
• Knowit Quality Professional
• DASA DevOps
• Quality & Test process and organization development,
Metrics, TMMi and other assessments
• Agile testing, Scrum, Kanban, Lean
• Leadership
• Test automation, Mobile, Cloud, DevOps, AI
• Quality, cost, benefits
EDUCATION
• ISTQB Expert Level Test Management & Advanced Full
& Agile Tester certified
• DASA DevOps, Scrum Master and SAFe certified
• TMMi Professional, Assessor, Process Improver certified
• SPICE provisionary assessor certified
• M.Sc.(Eng), Helsinki University of Technology (present Aalto
University), Otaniemi, Espoo
• Marketing studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
the USA.
3.2.2023 2
BUSINESS DOMAINS
• Wide spread of business domain knowledge: Embedded, industry, public, training,
telecommunications, commerce, Insurance, banking, pension.
twitter.com/kkakkonen
Dragonsout.com
MORE INFORMATION
linkedin.com/in/karikakkonen/
© Copyright Knowit Trainings 2022

3. A Nordic powerhouse
for digital solutions
4,000+
/ Professionals
6 countries
/ Sweden, Norway, Finland,
Denmark, Germany and Poland
4 business areas
/ Solutions, Experience, Connectivity and Insight
468.0 MEUR
/ Net sales
Nordic ESG champions
/ Clear vision to accelerate the sustainability agenda
47.5 MEUR
/ Adjusted operating profit (EBITA)
[CONFIDENTIAL] KNOWIT
3.2.2023 3

4. ISTQB GLOBAL PRESENCE
• Number of exams
administered: over 1,1 million
• Number of certifications
issued: 836,000
• In 130 countries

5. TMMi for test improvement in all kinds of testing,
including agile and DevOps

6. Agenda
• Skills needed in testing
• Backgrounds of testers
• Routes to testing
• Routes within testing to
become
multitalented
• Kari’s journey
• Tips
• Q&A
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7. What is a
multitalented
tester?
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8. Why be a
multitalented
tester?
• To secure yourself in the job market
• To benefit the team in the best way

9. Skills needed in testing
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10. The four cornerstones of testing skills
Tester
Domain
Tech
People
Testing
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Finance
Public
Defense
Exploratory
Automation
Test Design
Java
Robot Framework
Puppet
Listen
Motivate
Trust

11. Wildcard – the fifth cornerstone
Tester
Domain
Tech
People
Testing
Another
IT role
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Scrum Master
Main User

12. Testing skills
provide the
basis
How much?
e.g. coverage,
heuristics,
techniques
What?
e.g. test types,
test levels,
quadrants
How?
e.g. exploring,
checking,
automation
When?
e.g. processes,
plans,
strategy

13. Why?
i.e. asking
questions
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You need to
understand the
Big Picture
What is the
Product?
Who are the
Customers?
Why do we Test?

14. Attitude
Curious
Systematic
Patient
Courageous
Learning
Holistic

15. Domain skills overlap
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Banking
Insurance
Pension
Public
Operator
Network
technology
Devices

16. Technology skills build up,
for both Test Automation Solution (TAS) and
Software Under Test (SUT)
HTML
Python
GIT SQL
Java
CI/CD
Android
Windows
Robot
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17. The next technology or
another next thing
is easier to learn
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18. People skills
Lead Communicate Report Talk
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19. Other roles
support
tester role
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Business
Scrum master
PO
User
Developer

20. Backgrounds of testers
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21. Education
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IT studies Self-learned
IT / hobby
Other
university
studies
Any other
profession

22. Backgrounds
Tester
Business rep
Main user
Programmer
From outside IT
Straight from university
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23. Routes to testing
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24. Education
at the job
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Induction to company
Pairing with a senior
Tester programs
Complementary programs
Career path learning – life long education

25. Transformation
programs
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From other IT roles to testing
From other professions to testing
Women transformation programs
IT studies enhancing programs
Unemployment programs

26. Routes within testing
to become
multitalented
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27. Switch a role or add roles
Tester Exploratory tester Another domain
Another
technology
Test automation
(Portfolio) test
manager / testing
PO
Test type
specialization
(performance,
security, usability)
Coach Trainer Speaker
Author Scrum Master Scrum PO Agile Coach DevOps Coach
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28. T-Shaped Profiles in Agile and DevOps teams
• T-shaped profiles have deep
knowledge/skills in one or more
areas and a broad base of
general supporting
knowledge/skills on all skills.
• T-shaped people are generalists
with some in-depth knowledge
• General skills
• Agile, DevOps, Understanding of all
areas
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https://www.devopsagileskills.org/blog/why-t-shaped-professionals-are-desirable/
https://collegeinfogeek.com/become-t-shaped-person/

29. Learn more
• About what is needed for your new role
• About what interests you

30. Is there a
number of
skills to be
multitalented?
• The more skills and roles you handle, the more
you are multitalented!
• You are already multitalented, you just need to
realize what is your unique combination of
multitalentedness

31. Kari’s journey
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32. A journey with changes
• Test automation tool specialist & testing sales and presales
• Testing Trainer
• Testing Consultant
• Test Assessor
• Test Manager
• Test Process Improver
• Test Director
• Agile Coach & Trainer
• DevOps Coach & Trainer
• AI and testing trainer
• Test author
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33. Coach
Consultant
Sales
Undercurrents
• Test automation tool specialist & testing sales and presales
• Testing Trainer
• Testing Consultant
• Test Assessor
• Test Manager
• Test Process Improver
• Test Director
• Agile Coach & Trainer
• DevOps Coach & Trainer
• AI and testing trainer
• Test author
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34. Tips
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35. Continuous learning
• Read about testing and things around it (tech, leadership, agile, DevOps,
change…) – use a GoodReads shortlist
• Add to your CV continuously – another experience, another course, another
certificate, another book, another technology
• What can I learn this year?
• Create a vision of what you could be
• Alternative visions
• Identify things that can be intermediate steps
• Try new things – have courage to fail, then try again
• Get feedback from all directions – how can you be better
• Be friendly – a smile is returned, a favor comes back to you
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36. Further reading
• Range – Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialist World; David Epstein
• Drive; Daniel Pink
• https://www.devopsagileskills.org/blog/why-t-shaped-professionals-are-desirable/
• https://www.istqb.org/
• https://huddle.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/
• https://www.ministryoftesting.com/
• https://www.scrum.org/
• https://www.scaledagileframework.com/
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37. Any questions?
Order the books:
https://www.dragonsout.com/p/order-dragons-out-book.html
Follow and share the book project:
• https://www.dragonsout.com
Social media
• Kari https://www.linkedin.com/in/karikakkonen/
• Dragons Out https://www.facebook.com/DragonsOutOy
Ask questions:
kari.kakkonen@dragonsout.com
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