The Gate Keeper!

Software Tester Day. Although the holiday is unofficial, but still testers have their own holiday and it shows how important this profession is in the world. It is worldwide, not just in the world of software development. Your multicooker or washing machine was also tested by specially trained testers. I'm afraid to think what would have happened if they hadn't been tested before they went into production.

Why September 9? It was on this everyday more back in 1947 when Harvard scientists were testing a computing monster called the Mark II Aiken Relay Calculator, yes it was just a calculator, remember 2+2? However, don't let the word "Calculator" in the name confuse you: the weight of the first "Mark" is precisely known and was 35 tons, that's 6 large elephants combined weight. And it was the "first computer bug" that was recorded in the history of testing.

A Software Tester - the Gate Keeper

A decade ago, tester were not as popular compared to other professional in software development industry, well because most software and applications were very similar and testing did not require extensive knowledge. Fast forward to today, software and applications became integral part of our daily life and they use complex logics and architecture. That creates a huge competition among all companies to deliver the best products to the users and keep them satisfied. And when we say "best product" it means it has no bugs, logical errors, broken links or other issues that can cause unpleasant experience for users, to avoid them companies hire testers . Only after performing series of testing, the software or application can be launched to the markets with more confidence and less possibility of critical issues. The software testers are the gate keepers who will approve the product before it meets the client and users.

The Software Tester is someone who is in charge for finding the bugs and logical errors in the software and application, so users will not have to deal with them.

The responsibilities of the software tester include:

1. Testing by documentation     (a.k.a. Requirements Documentation)
2. Running automation and     manual testing
3. Forming test suites     (organizing testing sequence)
4. Finding bugs (as many as     possible)
5. Staying in touch with     developers and business analysts
6. Writing code to automate     the processes

Also, attending daily meetings with business owners and tech team to discuss the project, plan the next steps and review completed pieces of the project. As you can see, the list of requirements and responsibilities is very solid. Hopefully, now you won't think that a tester is just someone who presses buttons and checks if the program is glitchy. It requires attention and skills to deliver all above mentioned duties.

Future Perspectives

What prospects might a software tester have? First of all, there is the prospect of an increase in salary as experience grows. Today software testers get $40-$70 an hour (multiply by 2080 for annual salary) depending on skills and experience. What's not to look forward to? Even if your current company doesn't offer you that kind of money, you can always move to another one: you already have experience. Another possibility is to become a programmer. After a few years as a Software tester it's easy enough to move into another IT field: for example, to "turn" into a developer, analyst, or even an executive. It all depends on you and your interests.

Salary range for the Software Tester who can do Automation and Manual testing is between $85,000 - $135,000 a year!

How can I become a Software Tester?

Despite the fact that the profession is very relevant and there are many vacancies, there is no such specialty in universities, except few. It should be noted that the study at the university is not always justified, especially when it comes to software testers. First of all, it takes a long time to study at the university. And if you already have higher education (even not technical), and you want to master the profession of a software tester, then there is no sense to go back to university: at the second higher you will be forced to attend lectures for 2.5 years. Lose as much as 2.5 years! And if you do not have higher education then you can lose 5years, during which you could not only master the profession, but also become a highly sought-after specialist.

"Colleges are basically for fun and to prove you can do your chores, but not for learning" - Elon Musk

Secondly, having received a diploma of programmer (and having spent from 2.5 to 5 years for that), you still will not be able to find a job in your specialty, because you have no experience in practical development, which they do not give at the universities.

As an alternative, you can offer courses that allow you to master the profession of a software tester. For example, courses from Duotech Academy. The advantage of these courses is that you save both time and money: they last only 24-weeks, and will cost you much cheaper than studying at the university to be a "Software Tester". In addition, the course provide you with:

• Effective online and on-campus learning tailored for beginners;
• Video recordings of all classes, all presentations and tutorials.
• Interesting homework to consolidate the materials;
• The opportunity to ask the instructor any questions through dedicated chat apps;
• The opportunity to participate in software testing process of real startups and create your own projects;
• Real portfolio and resume to start your career;
• Knowledge and skills that will payback the cost of the courses in a month of work in the company.

In as little as 24 -weeks you will have the following skills:

• Experience in creating test cases and forming test kits, development and writing acceptance tests;
• Skills of testing according to a test plan prepared in advance;
• Ability to assess the effectiveness of testing;
• Knowledge of errors and problems encountered by users when working with software products;
• Experience of developing testing scenarios, documentation of defects found;
• Understanding of functional testing of software;
• Running automation tests and create test scripts;
• Complete knowledge about Software back-end, front-end, database and APIs;
• Intermediate level coder in Java programming language;
• Skill in manual testing of software+ live project;
• Knowledge of most popular testing methodology and techniques (Agile Scrum);
• Knowledge of types and types of testing and their various classifications;
• Experience of working with bug-tracking systems (Atlassian JIRA);
• Understanding of the software development life cycle, different methodologies of software development, and the place of testing in this process.
• And most importantly, you won't have to wait several years and can start working right away!

Generally time costs are minimal. Training lasts about 6 months, but it's online, on-campus and all sessions are recorded, which means that you can work/study and learn a new profession in parallel. There is no need to go somewhere and waste precious time. You can get all the skills you need to start your IT career, and earn hands on experience testing our custom built software and applications. Give yourself a chance and start the new chapter in your life.