Software Testing: An Exciting Career Field with A Myriad of Growth Opportunities!
The present age is the age of technology where we every day see new technological inventions around us. Computers and software applications have permeated almost all spheres of life, whether it is related to our personal or professional life. The world is turning more and more digital by each passing day, which has also benefitted us in many ways. Today, we can’t imagine life without our PC’s, laptops, and smartphones. All the digital devices in use today, including the computers, tabs, and smartphones, make use of software applications, which render all the functions. In order that a digital device remains effective, it needs to have an impeccable software and/or application; otherwise, it would turn into a useless piece of equipment. The professionals who ensure that a software or software application functions as intended are called software testers.
Software Testing is basically the process of checking and re-checking a newly developed software to ensure that it is functioning according to specified requirements and recommendations, and to find out any possible shortcomings, errors, bugs, or other defects, in the software, before releasing or launching it. Since, it is relatively easy and economical to rectify the defects in a software at the development stage, rather than the post-release stage, many medium and large scale IT organizations nowadays are spending huge amounts on software testing. These organizations are willing to pay handsome pay packets to capable software testers. Not only are there many lucrative job opportunities for these professionals at present, but the future is also quite promising for them and it has been revealed by several industry surveys. Isn’t it enough reason to venture into the field of software testing?
Now, the question arises that how to become a good software tester or what qualifications are required to become a competent software tester. Well, following are the skills and qualifications required to become successful in the software testing domain:
Analytical Skills: Sharp analytical skills are indispensable for the software testing profile because a tester has to perform certain tasks like breaking complex codes into smaller parts for the purpose of better understanding and creating test cases, which demand good analytical and reasoning ability.
Communication Skills: A tester has to prepare certain reports such as test cases, bug reports, etc., which should be easily understandable by the development team. Also, he has to interact with developers and engineers in connection with the errors or defects found in the software, which require some degree of discreteness and diplomacy. Hence, good communication skills are a must for the tester profile.
Time Management: A testing professional has to manage several tasks and, at times, several projects simultaneously. Therefore, he is expected to have good time management skills, so that he can efficiently manage workload and deliver maximum output.
Passion for Work: Passion is the sine qua non to excel in any field of activity, and software testing is not an exception to it. So, how to know whether you have a passion for a work that you have never done before. Simple, try it out and see whether you feel excited towards it or not.
Knowledge of Automation Testing Tools: There is a good demand for automation and performance testers in the industry. Therefore, if a candidate has a good command of the scripting languages of these tools, it would prove to be a big asset in the software testing field.
Academic Qualification: An app testing professional should preferably be a graduate in computer science. A B.Tech, B.E, MCA or BCA degree is considered a suitable academic background for these professionals.
Professional Certification: If you want to get hired in a big IT company at a decent package, merely the above qualifications would not prove adequate. Nowadays, big tech companies prefer to hire candidates having professional training and certification in their respective domains. So, if you have done a software testing certification course, such as ISTQB, CSTE, and ALM/QC, your chances of landing a good job increase considerably.
The above qualifications can get you an easy and assured entry into the software testing field. You would join as a Software Tester and your further career progression would be something like this: Test Designer > Senior Tester > Technical Tester > Test Manager > Senior Test Manager > Test Consultant. This career path may differ depending upon your initial position and area of specialization, for example, some candidates may opt for the QA Analyst profile, who would ultimately become a QA Manager at a later stage in their career.
Multisoft Virtual Academy (MVA) is an online training organization and consultancy offering job-oriented professional training and courses in various domains such as software testing online courses, MS domain courses, artificial intelligence courses, SAP courses, CAD/CAM courses, and many others. They are an accredited training partner of tech giants such as Microsoft, Oracle, and Cisco. The online software testing courses offered by MVA, along with other professional courses offered by the institution, can surely launch your career in the sky of limitless possibilities. You may get detailed information about the training courses and certification provided by them at www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com.
