22 Jan Your first 90 days as a Python automation tester
You did it. After months of learning Python and Selenium, building projects, and surviving interviews — you got the job. Excitement mixes with anxiety. What if they discover you don’t know enough? What if the real work is nothing like the tutorials?
Relax. Every automation tester felt exactly this way on their first day. The transition from learning to working is challenging but predictable. This guide walks you through your first 90 days, so you know what’s coming and how to handle it. For those still exploring options, this guide to Python career paths covers various directions.
Days 1-14: The Overwhelming Beginning
Your first two weeks are about absorbing information, not producing results.
What Actually Happens
Onboarding paperwork and setup. HR processes, getting laptops configured, accessing systems. This alone can take days. Don’t expect to write code immediately.
Meeting everyone. Introductions to team members, stakeholders, developers. Names and roles blur together. Take notes — you’ll forget otherwise.
Codebase orientation. Someone walks you through the existing test framework. It looks nothing like your personal projects. This is normal. Production codebases are messy and complex.
Reading documentation. Product specs, test plans, architecture docs. Most will be outdated or incomplete. Read anyway — it provides context.
How to Succeed
Ask questions constantly. No one expects you to understand everything. Asking shows engagement, not weakness. Write down answers so you don’t ask twice.
Don’t try to impress. Resist the urge to suggest improvements or show off skills. First, understand why things work the way they do.
Set up your environment carefully. Take time getting your development setup right. A good environment prevents frustration later.
Learn the product. Understand what you’re testing before worrying about how to test it. Use the application like a real user would.
Days 15-30: First Real Contributions
Now you start actually doing things.
What Actually Happens
Small tasks assigned. Updating existing tests, fixing flaky tests, adding test cases to existing suites. Not glamorous, but essential learning.
Code reviews. Your code gets reviewed by senior team members. Feedback can feel harsh. It’s actually how you learn fastest.
First real failures. Tests you write don’t work. Bugs you report get rejected. Commits break things. This happens to everyone.
Patterns emerge. The codebase starts making sense. You recognize common structures. The overwhelming feeling begins fading.
How to Succeed
Embrace feedback. Code review comments aren’t criticism — they’re free mentoring. Implement suggestions eagerly.
Document what you learn. Write notes about the codebase, common patterns, team processes. Your future self will thank you.
Complete tasks fully. Don’t move on until work is truly done — code reviewed, tests passing, documentation updated. Partially finished work creates problems.
Communicate proactively. If you’re stuck, say so. If you’ll miss a deadline, warn early. Surprises are worse than problems.
Days 31-60: Finding Your Rhythm
The initial chaos settles into routine.
What Actually Happens
Larger assignments. You’re trusted with more substantial work — writing new test suites, investigating complex failures, proposing solutions.
Less supervision. Managers check in less frequently. You’re expected to work more independently and escalate issues appropriately.
Team dynamics clarify. You understand who knows what, who to ask for help, how decisions get made. Office politics become visible.
Routine challenges. Flaky tests, changing requirements, environment issues, merge conflicts. These become normal rather than crises.
How to Succeed
Take ownership. Don’t wait for assignments. See a problem? Propose a solution. Notice a gap? Offer to fill it.
Build relationships. Get to know developers, product managers, other testers. Good relationships make work easier and more enjoyable.
Establish your reliability. Deliver what you promise. Meet deadlines. Be the person others can count on.
Start suggesting improvements. Now that you understand context, carefully propose enhancements. Frame suggestions as questions: “Would it help if we…?”
Days 61-90: Becoming a Contributor
By now, you’re genuinely productive.
What Actually Happens
Independent work. You handle most tasks without guidance. You know when to ask questions and when to figure things out yourself.
Recognized expertise. Team members start asking your opinion. You might know certain areas better than anyone else.
Performance discussions. Formal or informal feedback on how you’re doing. Usually positive if you’ve followed good practices.
Future planning. Discussions about your growth, upcoming projects, skill development. You’re thinking beyond just surviving.
How to Succeed
Reflect on growth. Compare yourself now to day one. Recognize how much you’ve learned. This builds confidence.
Identify skill gaps. What areas need improvement? What technologies should you learn? Create a development plan.
Help newer people. If others join after you, pay forward the help you received. Teaching reinforces your own knowledge.
Think long-term. Where do you want to be in a year? Start making moves toward that goal.
Common First-Job Challenges
Nearly everyone faces these. You’re not alone:
Imposter syndrome. Feeling like a fraud who’ll be discovered any day. Everyone feels this. It fades with experience but never fully disappears.
Production vs tutorials. Real code is messier than course projects. Standards exist for reasons. Adapting takes time.
Slow progress. Tasks take longer than expected. What seemed simple becomes complex. This improves with familiarity.
Tool overload. New tools, systems, and processes everywhere. You can’t learn everything at once. Prioritize what you need immediately.
Making mistakes. You will break things. Tests will fail in production. Bugs will slip through. Handle mistakes gracefully, learn from them, move on.
What Managers Actually Expect
Your manager’s realistic expectations for new automation testers:
Month 1: Understanding the product and codebase. Completing small tasks with guidance. Asking lots of questions. Not breaking critical things.
Month 2: Handling medium tasks independently. Contributing to team discussions. Starting to show initiative. Fewer basic questions.
Month 3: Reliable independent work. Taking ownership of test areas. Suggesting improvements. Beginning to mentor newer team members.
Notice what’s not expected: perfection, knowing everything, solving complex problems alone, or revolutionizing the test framework. Those come later.
Setting Yourself Up for Long-Term Success
Beyond surviving, position yourself for growth:
Keep learning. Don’t stop studying after getting hired. New tools, techniques, and technologies emerge constantly.
Build your network. Connect with QA professionals outside your company. Attend meetups. Join online communities.
Document achievements. Keep track of what you accomplish. Useful for performance reviews and future job searches.
Stay curious. Ask why things work certain ways. Understand the broader context of your work. Curiosity drives career growth.
You’ve Got This
The first 90 days are the hardest. After that, you’re no longer the new person — you’re a team member who happens to be newer. The anxiety fades. Competence grows. The job becomes genuinely enjoyable.
Everyone who succeeds in Python automation testing survived the same uncertain beginning. You will too.
Still preparing for that first job? The Python Automation Course builds exactly the skills employers need — so your first 90 days start from a position of strength.
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