While I don't do Free Test Automation Coaching, Motivated Testers Can Still Get Nearly-Free Help if They Are Really Serious About Test Automation, Part 1

This is an abridged version of my article on Medium (2023-06-26)

Consulting or coaching services, as a business, of course, clients should not expect to get help for free. Yes, that is common sense. I have been receiving free coaching/mentoring requests since 2009, from my book readers, conference audience, former colleagues, former mentees, blog readers, and even LinkedIn contacts (i.e., can be total strangers).

I do understand the eagerness for help when one frustrating automated tester is stuck with one test automation issue. In this article, I will share my thoughts on that, and offer some advice or nearly-free help.

An entry-level or intermediate Automated Tester can not rely on Google Search, Stack Overflow or Reddit.

Programmers, as we know, usually depend on Google and Stack Overflow for coding work. Automated testers may do the same to a certain degree. However, those, who are serious about test automation, need to engage a dedicated test automation coach.

Real Test Automation Engineers are extremely rare.

The chances that you get the wrong information are quite high from Google search or Stack Overflow.

Demand for test automation solutions is immediate.

A programmer might have a few days to work on a user story. For test automation, almost every issue requires immediate resolution, e.g. clicking a button in a Shadow DOM. Automated testers do not have the luxury of waiting a day or two for a good response on Stack Overflow.

You must get all the steps right.

A complete test script consists of many test steps, if a single step is not done properly, the whole test script is forfeited. Moreover, all test scripts require that user operations are forfeited, as well.

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Automated testers must not expect timely and correct solutions from the Internet, the only reliable source is your dedicated test automation coach. There are many more reasons to get a real test automation coach for any software project, which I might cover in a separate article for teams and senior management. But for individual automated testers, the above three reasons shall be enough, right?

A dedicated Test Automation Coach would be nice, but I don’t want to pay for the service.

This is back to this article’s topic. Having been on both sides (test automation engineer and coach), I fully understand the thoughts behind it.

1. “I know I should pay for the test automation service”

In any society, we pay for professional services, such as lawyers, doctors, piano teachers, tennis coaches, …, etc. Of course, paying test automation coaches is normal, maybe even more so, as it is directly to help you financially (keeping your job or promotion), also different from your child’s tennis coaching fee, this is tax deductible too.

2. “I might get useful info from the Internet, free”.

We have just talked about this wishful thinking, which really not practical in the context of test automation. Good luck with that.

3. “I don’t want to get help via the company, because I don’t want to be exposed as ‘Fake’ ”.

Employees don’t want to pay for a work-related service, which is understandable (even if it might be great for his/her career). Logical thinking is to get the company to seek professional help. However, this rarely happens.

A typical senior automated tester thinks like this (yes, one told me so directly): “I know my test automation skill is very basic, a real professional comes in and will reveal that”.

Check out this article, An IT Graduate’s frustration with a Fake ‘Senior Test Automation Engineer’.

4. “I haven’t yet met one real test automation engineer, I don’t trust so-called ‘test automation coaches’.”

This is understandable. Real test automation engineers are rare. Thus, many automated testers cannot imagine the great benefits of learning and working with a hands-on test automation coach. The reason I highlighted ‘hands-on’ here, there are many fake ‘test automation experts’ who are only good at talking (and fear hands-on working with test scripts).

Thanks to the Internet, you can access test automation experts globally. After the Pandemic, most IT people are comfortable with working with others via Video Conference tools like Zoom.

My Nearly-Free and Commercial Test Automation Coaching Service

I usually solve most web test automation problems for clients in a matter of minutes. That’s what I have been doing for over 10+ years. The reasons are simple:

• Web technologies (our target) have not changed much over the last 20 years.
• I have been doing hands-on testing (and coaching) since 2011, exactly the same way. Solved many test automation challenges in various projects.
• I am still maintaining large test suites for my own apps: ClinicWise (660 selenium tests), TestWise (330 Appium tests), and WhenWise (569 selenium tests). Long-time readers have seen test reports. For each app, I do daily production releases.

Long-time readers have seen test reports like this one. For each app, I do daily production releases.

The simple principles of my test automation coaching services:

• Only free and open-source frameworks, such as Selenium WebDriver and RSpec. Therefore, absolutely no vendor locking!

• All tools can be used in 100% feature-complete free mode and the clients can get all test scripts created during coaching 100% free.

• No lock-in contracts. The customers can book a minimum 2-hour session. If they don’t feel getting the value within the 2 hours, simply don’t book the next one.

• Simple pricing, no hidden fees. The price is quite competitive for such a service in a developed country. For ambitious testers in developing countries, read on. There are nearly-free services as well.

Absolute beginners can start with my one-day “Web Test Automation with Selenium WebDriver” training (info pack).

Nearly free or complimentary services

1. 30-minute Test Automation Coaching for $1. limited to 1 session per month, book now.

2. AgileWay’s Web Test Automation Creation Service: One Test Step for $1

3. Complimentary free coaching for TestWise Customers

Replicate your questions against our sample web app: WhenWise, Customers who purchased TestWise may raise tickets on our support site (attaching your TestWise project), and our staff will provide the solutions, for free!

If one doesn’t even bother to make it easier to help them, why do we bother to help them for free?

“OK, I admit that I really don’t want to pay for test automation coaching. Any Advice?”

Test Automation can be self-taught. In 2005, I was lucky to receive mentoring on coding and test automation (project-paid) from a world-class programmer, who opened my mind. I wrote down the experience in this article, “My Test Automation Journey”. Since then, I remembered the mentor’s advice “practice daily”, pretty much self-taught (practice almost every night).

I have written a lot about my experience, lessons learned, test case studies, and tools that I used and created, …, in my books and articles. Frankly, if one is really keen, the free information and tools I provided are far more than what I started the test automation journey in 2005. It is not about the money, but rather a question about the effort you really want to put in.

“No one can master real test automation without lots of hands-on practice. Real test automation coaches can greatly speed up the learning process. But first, one needs to have a mindset of daily hands-on developing/maintaining test scripts.” — Zhimin Zhan

For specific advice, check out

1. Selenium Training Workbook series, suitable for ages 10+
2. Advice on Self-Learning Test Automation with Selenium WebDriver