In today’s world technology is advancing day by day. With this, many companies are adopting technology for scaling as well as to shorten the development cycle and speed up time to market (TTM). This has led to a boom in IT industry. A lot of graduates are trying their hands in IT sectors as it seems to be a lucrative career choice with progressive growth.
The QA (Quality Assurance) field seems to be quite interesting as it does not require that much coding language, just a fundamental understanding of programming languages. In this article, we will know Who is a software tester and what they do, and most importantly how to make a transition from a non-technical background to the QA field.
What is Software testing?
Software testing is the process of evaluating software for faults in its design, such as bugs, errors, or failures. Test cases are created to verify that the software meets its requirements and performs as expected. The test cases are then executed by a tester or automated tools in order to evaluate the software’s behaviour.
Source – What is Software testing?
Software testing is an important part of the development cycle because it is used to detect defects before they cause problems for users. It also helps prevent unnecessary costs associated with fixing bugs after release. The main goal of software testing is to find errors and defects in a program, so that it can be delivered with minimal risk of failure and maximum reliability
Software Testers play quite an important role in the quality of product development. The testers do a bunch of tests in each development cycle of software. i.e. SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle).
What software testers do?
Not every day you would be required to test a new piece of software, you would be reading and analyzing the testing documents, executing test cases, attending meetings to plan the testing, and other team-building activities.
To make a successful transition in any industry you need to possess skills that are common and skills that are derived towards the sector. These skills and capabilities are as important as having technical knowledge.
Skills required to become a software tester are
- Technical Skills
- Non-Technical Skills
Technical Skills
Learn about testing – If you want to move ahead in your career then you need to be familiar with Software testing and the complete STLC (Software Testing Life Cycle).
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Basics of Database and SQL
Software Systems whether they are small or large store a large amount of data which in turn makes it useful to know different types of databases like SQL, Oracle, MySQL, etc. As sometimes this data needs to be verified and tested.
Basics of Linux Commands
It is good to have basic knowledge of Linux Commands as sometimes Web Services, Databases that are on Linux Machines.
Familiar with the test automation tools and test management
A process of managing test execution is known as test management. (i.e. Planning, execution, tracking, management, etc.). Various tools help you in managing your test cases and keeping track of them.i.e. QC, Bugzilla, Testlink etc. Moreover, if you want to move from manual testing to automation testing you must know automation tools such as Selenium, Katalon, Appium, etc. Having hands-on experience in these tools will provide you with in-depth knowledge about testing.
Now, going ahead with the non-tech skills that are required to enhance your future as QA.
Non-Tech Skills
Communication: – As a tester, you always need to have communication with the development team and this is the most important job. Therefore, you need to develop good communication and verbal skills to enhance efficiency.
Planning and Time Management Skills:
QA Professional needs to have a well-planned strategy especially during the release of code as testing proves to be hard during the initial phases.
Analytical and Logical Thinking Skill:
It’s very essential to have a sharp analytical skill as a tester it’s your job to find the bugs or hidden errors and not only to prove the given piece of code or software world successfully. You need to judge a software up for testing under various circumstances thus you need to possess good analytical as well as logical thinking.
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Passion to learn:
You must be always ready to learn as we the evolving technology you need to develop your skills. Because nobody likes to have outdated software. The learning process never stops in business environments. As a good tester, you must be open to learning new processes and procedures to pace yourself with the marketplace.
Positive Attitude:
As a tester, you must have a positive attitude and a willingness to learn. An attitude test to break, detailed orientations, and suggestions for improvements. Your attitude must reflect the willingness to take ownership of the task allocated and to complete it within a certain time limit with proper planning and execution.
Other Skills
Apart, from having these technical and non-technical skills you must also consider the points that are discussed below:
Online Resources:
Always be ready to grasp the knowledge and in today’s world everything is online makes your task a bit easier. You can easily get notes and tools for practice and preparation. Be it interview preparation
Internship:
Getting an internship will also help you in making your foundation as a good software tester. The exposure to daily tasks and a culture of working environment will boost you up and if you are lucky, you might get your hands on live projects.
Certification:
Having a certification will help you show your knowledge to certain job recruiters. That you have the requisite knowledge and you have put in your efforts and are now ready for work.
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Conclusion
The International Software Testing Qualifications Board offers a different level of certifications and could be your first step towards certifications. ISTQB is recognized globally and has comprehensive syllabi with great content.
As a career in the software testing field, you need to have the above-mentioned skills. Testing is a continuous process that runs throughout the product development life cycle. If you believe you have the required number of skills don’t get afraid and start learning. 🙂
I am an engineering graduate from MITS Gwalior. I am a tech enthusiast and an avid learner. I like to read and write about technology related topics.