Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Just because you have a tool in your toolkit doesn’t mean you know what to do with it.

Tools tools tools. Everyone in the tech world has lots of tools. If you don’t have a list of tools on your resume, you aren’t hired.

Let’s go through some obvious things:

• Just because you own a typewriter (word processor or other fancy thing) doesn’t mean you know how to write.
• Just because you have a saw doesn’t mean you can cut something precisely.

Okay, now that we have some basis for discussion, we go on.

Person A: We have the latest thingy that automates our software testing!

Person B: Great. Can you tell me the purpose of a test? Please explain the Oracle principle of testing and its ramifications to your situation. Please explain the role of requirements tracing in test design.

Person A: huh

Who do you wish to hire? The person who has tools, tools, tools or the person who has abilities?