Once upon a time I cared about tester certification. I’m tired to be. There is but one lesson I learned - just as scripted and exploratory testing are two extremes of all the possible testing approach, there process-oriented and people(skill)-oriented test management styles. And it does matter which one your manager is… I don’t like to work with process-oriented managers – this is something to remember when new opportunities will appear either within my own organization or outside.

It seems to be a fact of organisational life that the further up the chain of command you climb, the more removed from reality you become.

For example, the chairman of Acme Supermarkets Plc might genuinely believe that their stores offer a friendly, enthusiastic and efficient service.

And the director of the IT department in Acme Supermarkets Plc might genuinely believe that the systems they create and support are reliable and of a generally high quality.