How to become a software tester

What is software testing?

Software testing consists of a wide range of activities that aim to check whether the actual results of a software system match the expected ones. The other goal of software testing is ensuring that the solution is free of any bugs or defects. Software testing is essential for identifying errors, missing requirements, or requirement gaps. It can be either carried out manually or with the help of automated tools.

What does a software tester do?

Software testers play an essential role during application development. They are the Quality Assurance experts who test new digital products thoroughly to ensure they have no bugs, eliminate poor performance, and get rid of interface issues. To do this, testers perform various tests at different stages of the software lifecycle. Some examples of such tests are stress, performance, functional, scalability, or user acceptance. Since software testing is so critical to the quality and usability of the final product, testers are usually brought in at the early stages, such as planning and design. They remain involved throughout the process and later during support as well. Most testers work in development teams. Today, many software products are created following the DevOps methodology, which combines development and operations. In this methodology, development, testing, and delivery work in a continuous loop with the help of agile, lean, or Scrum frameworks and approaches. All in all, software testers make sure that the software looks good in the eyes of customers and works just as advertised.

Technical skills every software tester need

Here are the most important technical skills and hands-on experience you need to become a software tester.

Non-technical skills you need to become a software tester

These skills and capabilities are just as important as technical knowledge. They indicate whether you have the potential of becoming a good software tester or not.

So, how do you become a software tester?

It all comes down to getting the right education and training. Employers looking for software testers don’t necessarily search for candidates with a bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology. In fact, hands-on experience, technical skills, and certifications (for example, ones issued by the International Software Testing Qualifications Board) are far more important. Knowledge of scripting or coding isn’t necessary, but it will always be a great bonus for employers – and it might widen your job opportunities a lot. Let’s dive into the details now.

1. Learn how to code – p rogramming is often the first step to becoming a software tester. After all, since you will be performing tests on software, you’d be far more effective if you could tell what the code means. You don’t need to have any programming experience at a commercial company to become a software tester. But it’s good to know a few things about programming. For example, software testers should know some programming concepts and fundamentals like the basics of architecture, algorithms, object-oriented programming, etc. You should also know how to read code in various languages and have a high-level understanding of several. Since programming languages rise and fall, knowing the fundamentals is essential – they work across different languages.

2. Learn the particulars of software testing – t he next step is learning what software testing is all about. You need to know everything about all the different types of testing, what testers use them for, how to run tests and determine the result, and how to create test reports. If you’re a software developer, you probably learned about this at a high level. As a software tester, you need to have more in-depth knowledge. Most of the time, this is the gist of an online course about software testing from an experienced and qualified provider.

3. Learn performance testing – p erformance testing is a key area where you need to learn not only the concepts but also the tools. When learning to become a software tester, you can enhance the experience with performance testing tools. If you don’t have access to them, you can always get trials and then train using them to get the hang of performance testing.

4. Learn automated testing – y our next step is learning more about the concepts of automated testing. Automated testing is based on manual tests that have been running originally and putting them into a tool that runs them automatically. This is a very effective approach if you need to run a lot of similar tests. If you don’t have access to automation tools, it’s something you will learn on the job or during your online course.

Become a software tester

Software Testing as a Career Path: Tester Skills, Salary & Growth

Updated June 25, 2022

This guide will take you through the In’s and outs of software testing. If you plan to make a career in software testing, this is a MUST READ!

What is Software Testing?

Software Testing is a process of verifying a computer system/program to decide whether it meets the specified requirements and produces the desired results. As a result, you identify bugs in software product/project.

Software Testing is indispensable to provide a quality product without any bug or issue.

In this tutorial, you will learn-

Skills required to become a Software Tester

We will discuss the Technical and Non-Technical required to become a Software Tester

Non-Technical Skills

Following skills are essential to become a good Software quality tester. Compare your skill set against the following checklist to determine whether Software Testing is a reality for you-

Non-Technical skills of a Software Tester

Technical Skills

This list is long, so please bear with us

For example – A tool like Testlink can be used for tracking all the test cases written by your team.

There are other tools available that can be utilized for Test Management. So, it is important to have knowledge and working experience of such tools because they are used in most of the companies.

Note – Only knowledge of any Automation tool is not sufficient to crack the interview, you must have good hands-on experience, so practice the tool of your choice to achieve mastery.

Knowledge of any scripting language like VBScript, JavaScript, C# is always helpful as a tester if you are looking for a job into automation. Few companies also use Shell/Perl scripting, and there is a lot of demand for testers having knowledge of the same. Again, it will depend on the company and which tools are used by that company.

There is also a lot of scope for performance testing tools because applications need to be tested for their performance which is a part of non-functional testing.

That’s it to technical knowledge. Please note you do not need ALL the technical skills listed above. The technical skill sets required vary with the Job Role and company processes.

Academic Background

Academic background of a software tester should be in Computer Science.

A BTech/ B.E., MCA, BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications), BSc- Computers, will land you a job quickly.

If you do not hold any of these degrees, then you must complete a software testing certification like ISTQB and CSTE which help you learn Software Development/ Test Life Cycle and other testing methodologies.

Remuneration

Also, a software tester is also given health insurance, bonuses, gratuity and other perks.

What Does a Software Tester do?

On any typical work day, you will be busy understanding requirement documents, creating test cases, executing test cases, reporting and re-testing bugs, attending review meetings and other team building activities.

Software Tester Career Path

Your Software Testing career growth as a software tester (QA Analyst) in typical CMMI level 5 company will look like following but will vary from company to company

Alternate Career Tracks as a Software Tester

Once you have got your hand dirty in manual testing, you can pursue following specializations

Common Myths

Software Testing as a Career pays Less Developers are more respected as compared to Testers

Contrary to popular belief, Software Testers (better known as QA professionals) are paid and treated at par with Software Developers in all “aspiring” companies. A career in Software Testing should never be considered as “second rated.”

Software Testing is Boring

Software Testing could actually “test” your nerves since you need to make sense of Business Requirements and draft test cases based on your understanding. Software testing is not boring. What is boring is doing the same set of tasks repeatedly. The key is to try new things. For that matter, have you ever spoken to a software developer with more than 3 years’ experience? He will tell you how boring his job has become off-lately.

How to Become Software Tester

For a complete newbie, here is our suggested approach to learning Software Testing

Process to become a Software Tester

You start with learning Basic principles of Software Testing. Once done you apply for freelancing jobs. This will help you gain practical knowledge and will fortify the testing concepts you have learned.

Next, you proceed to Selenium – Automation tool, then JMeter – Performance Testing tool and finally TestLink – Test Management Tool. All the while you are learning, we suggest you apply for freelancing jobs (apart from other benefits you will make some moolah too!).

Once you are through with all the tools, you may consider taking a certification. We recommend ISTQB. However, this is optional.

Also Check our list of Best Software Testing Tools Tools:- Click Here

Certification Exams:

ISTQB Foundation level is the basic certification in Testing field.

It is not mandatory, but it will help increase your chances of getting the job. Most of the companies have this criterion.

A software tester with ISTQB cleared will be given more priority as compared to others.

After this, when you apply for permanent jobs in big corporations you will have many Software tester skills to offer as well some practical freelancing experience which may be of value and will increase your chances of being selected.

You can also pursue certification in a Testing tool of your choice.

Learning Guides: –

Hope to see you at a QA conference some Day!

Here is a tool to help you make a career choice

How to become a software tester

Что пишут в блогах

Что пишут в блогах (EN)

Spacing in Galleries

Разделы портала

Онлайн-тренинги

Итак, для чего мы идем на курсы тестирования? Цели две: 1. Получить работу тестировщика и 2. Освоить азы профессии, чтобы после получения работы тебя не выгнали на второй день из-за того, что ты не знаешь, например, разницу между веб-браузером и веб-сервером.

А это значит, что начальное QA образование должно быть сфокусировано на двух вещах: 1. Подготовка к интервью и 2. Основы тестирования и интернета.

Чтобы решить эти вопросы, я начал сотрудничество с американской компанией QA Mentor, с которой мы в апреле 2018 выпустили видео-курс по тестированию и разработали методику для помощи студентам в трудоустройстве.

Наш курс называется «How to Become a QA Tester in 30 Days». Вот что мы предлагаем:

— 45 видео-уроков по тестированию (все на английском).

— Домашнюю работу (для каждого урока).

— Онлайн тесты (для каждого урока).

— Мои личные консультации по емейлу и через форум. Я планирую вести курс и работать со студентами до конца 2018, а может и дальше.

— Личные консультации CEO компании QA Mentor Руслана Десятникова.

— Учебник на 600 страниц со всеми материалами курса.

— Профессиональный экзамен и сертификат.

— Дополнительные услуги: написание резюме, пробные интервью, стажировка и проч.

Новый курс будет интересен и профессиональным тестировщикам для повышения квалификации, прокачки профессионального технического английского и трудоустройства в США.

How to Become a Software Tester | Ultimate Guide

Do you want to know how to become a Software Tester? You’re in the right place.

I would like to share my personal experience with you about how I became a Software QA.

I always wanted to become a Software Developer. But I got a college placement as a Software Test Engineer. I didn’t want to accept this offer. But I had to accept the offer. I was only hoping that somehow I would get an opportunity to switch to Software Development. Since then I have never left the Testing profession because I enjoyed this profession.

Few of you may also have the same state in life. An experienced QA Tester knows the value of it. Check this out to learn more about “Why I Choose Software Testing As A Career“.

Hope this guide will help you to start your career as a Software Test Engineer.

Many people don’t have a programming background so they want to start their career in Software Testing. I will list the most trivial skills that you must have to become a Software Tester.

Must-Have Skills To Become A Software QA

#1. Logical Thinking

Although candidates appearing for Software Tester roles should know the basics of Software Testing yet good Software Tester is evaluated on the basis of logical thinking rather than theoretic concepts.

Employers look for the approach to a problem and out of the box thinking ability with a good educational background.

#2. Education Qualification

I was asked what is the software tester education requirements.

Most companies demand a Bachelor’s degree in computer science for software testers. But along with education requirements, I would say communication skills also play a crucial role in succeeding in this profession.

#3. Communication Skills

Effective communication skills are crucial for Software Testers. Your job involves much time sitting in meetings (not only within the team but also with stakeholders and C-level executives) providing or receiving status updates.

Testing artifacts (like test cases, test plans, test strategies, bug reports, etc.) created by the software tester should be easy to read and comprehend. Also, you have to respond to tons of emails, calls, and meeting invites. You need to communicate with both technical and non-technical people.

Dealing with developers (in the event of bugs or any other issue) will require a shade of discreteness and diplomacy. Also, you need to understand the technical jargon. This will become easy only when you are thorough with Software Testing Concepts.

#4. Software Testing Concepts

Basically Software testing is important in the IT industry as it is cost-effective, it provides security. It provides product quality and provides customer satisfaction. Software tester ensures that software is free of bugs and is working completely fine. Testers identify the gaps in the requirements or missing elements in the projects.

Talking about technical skills, basic knowledge of software testing is required such as Functional Testing, UI testing, knowledge of HTTP, Website testing and mobile testing, etc.

Testers need to test software according to an end-user perspective in order to ensure the satisfaction of the end-user. You should know the software development lifecycle and software testing life cycle. You should know how to write test cases, design test plans.

You can refer to this Manual Testing Tutorial to learn Manual Testing concepts and approaches required to perform Software Testing effectively.

#5. Certifications

Definitely, Certifications are an added advantage to get the attention of hiring managers. You can appear for ISTQB certification.

While preparing for ISTQB your basic concepts of Software Testing will be cleared. Also, certification will help in appearing for jobs in well-reputed organizations. If you don’t want to mug up yourself with lots of resources, I will advise you to check this guide on how to prepare for the ISTQB exam to get detailed knowledge about exam structure and tips and also good approaches to clear the ISTQB exam in the first try.

#6. Analytical skills

A good software tester should have sharp analytical skills. Analytical skills will help break up a complex software system into smaller units to gain a better understanding and create test cases.

#7. Passion

To excel in any profession or job, one must have a significant degree of passion for it. A software tester must have a passion for his/her field. As the IT industry is growing day by day, testers can survive in the IT industry if he/she has a passion to learn new technologies and tools.

#8. Testing Tools

The core area of Testing lies in Test management. There are lots of Software Testing tools for Test management. The IT industry is moving towards Agile. So you should know the bug lifecycle. You should know about defect tracking tools like JIRA or Bugzilla to report, manage, and to deal with the developers’ team and the project managers.

#9. Technical Skills

If you ask me what exactly a Software Tester has all the technical skills, then the list will be very long. Different skills are required at different stages of the Testing position.

For example, an entry-level Tester would be required to know just the basics of software testing and 1-3 years experienced would be expected to know about database testing, Linux commands, and any test management tool. Further for 3+ years experienced professionals, Load testing tools, UI automation tools, API testing knowledge would be preferred.

#10. Database Testing

There are lots of areas to learn in the IT industry. If you are an entry-level Tester or you are appearing for a Software Testing role, Basic knowledge of databases will ease your job search. It is good to have but not mandatory to enter a Software Testing career.

If you have 2+ experience in Software Testing, you are required to have database knowledge at least basic level if not Pro level. You can learn SQL in a week or less. You just need to have the zeal to make Software Testing a profession. Don’t worry I have a good database testing tutorial too.

In the end, I would say if you are really interested in Software Testing, keep updating your technical knowledge as well as Soft skills.

#11. Software QA Tester Resume

Once you complete learning Software Testing Concepts, prepare your own resume. Follow our guide to prepare a Software Tester resume that lands you your dream job.

Bookmark this post for your future reference.

Final Thoughts

Hope we have mentioned all the good stuff here. If you have any other queries related to Software Testing, let us know in the comments.

How to become a QA tester

How to become a QA tester

The world becomes more digitalized by the passing day, and the need for software testers and developers rises. QA stands for Quality Assurance, one of the most demanded positions at companies today.

So, this post will review how to become a QA tester, a QA engineer, a software tester, and more. By the end of the guide, you’ll know what to do to become a software QA tester and land an entry-level job!

Table of contents

How to become a QA engineer

A Quality Assurance engineer helps improve the software by detecting errors and preventing them from happening again. This specialist works closely with engineers and software developers, though their responsibilities are not the same.

As a software developer, you ensure the program runs and does its job. As a QA engineer, you assess risks, plan tests to determine whether everything runs smoothly, check the product to see if it complies with the requirements, and come up with ideas to enhance the program.

You then work with the developers to test these new ideas, fix and debug errors, and much more. But how to become a QA engineer? According to Upwork and other sources, the most important step to becoming a QA engineer is to pursue high-quality training. Most hiring companies prefer candidates with degrees in computer science or engineering, but you can make the cut without these requirements.

You must prepare for the upcoming interview and technical test you’ll undergo if preselected. Here are some things you must be familiar with:

Some automation and bug tracking tools testers use all the time are as follows: Appium, Bamboo, GitLab, Bitbucket, qTest, Zephyr, PractiTest, and Test Collab. There’s no need to master them all (trust us, there are many more tools than these!), but you should be familiar with one or two.

You can learn these on your own or take online courses to prepare you for the tech world.

How to become a software tester without a degree

Software testing means checking whether the software matches the requirements and functions properly. Long story short, you’re responsible for software quality – Ensuring the software product doesn’t have errors.

Your purpose is to identify gaps or errors that could lead to a bad user experience (UX), negative reviews, and an overall profit loss. Software testing is vital in any corporation, as it helps solve potential problems before the final product is released.

But how to become a software tester without a degree? It seems like every company requires certifications these days. Nevertheless, here’s good news: Becoming a software tester without a degree is possible. The trick is that you’ll need vast experience before applying for jobs.

That’s where bootcamps and courses come in. Bootcamps have one mission: To help you land a job after a few months of experience and hands-on learning. Many tech positions benefit from these camps, from software development to quality assurance engineering.

If you want to become a software test engineer without a BA or MA degree, this is your opportunity. You’ll need to build an impressive and promising portfolio during your training. If you do enroll in one of these courses, ensure to make the most of it.

Becoming a quality assurance specialist

We have distinguished quality assurance specialists from the others since their roles differ. A quality assurance specialist creates and implements standards and procedures to ensure reliable and repeatable results. If you work as one, your mission is to create a product that meets all the industry standards, ideally without inspection.

Yes, you read that right. A QA specialist will try to manufacture such a great program that there’s no need for further testing. It’s about creating something so good that it can’t fail! To do so, it engages in:

As you can see, it radically differs from the QA testing and software development and testing mentioned above. So, how to become a quality assurance specialist?

The path to follow depends on the job you want to land. Be that as it may, there are some requisites to keep in mind:

Other skills you’ll need, as expected, are analytical skills, a passion for productivity and organization, attention to detail, and logical thinking.

Absolutely! Though companies appreciate degrees, you can make the cut without one. Just make sure you build a portfolio, earn hands-on experience in a bootcamp or course, and develop the necessary skills.

Say you’ve followed this guide, earned high-quality certifications, built a portfolio, and still no company hires you. You can always become a freelancer! As long as you meet the requirements of your clients, you’ll build a reputation, even if you don’t own a degree.

Each person requires a different time and schedule. Some will learn the basics fast, while others might need months or years. It also depends on your background – If you’re already familiar with coding languages and management tools, the journey will be shorter.

Conclusion

Becoming a quality assurance tester, engineer, or specialist is possible, even without formal education. You can learn the necessary skills on your own via online courses, bootcamps, and learning from experts in the field!