Career as a Software Tester

With growing demands in the IT industry, software testing has now become a hotshot profession for anyone aspiring to make it big in the software industry. The expansion of the industry and its potential market for foreign investments are the reasons for an increasing trend in the need for a competent software tester.

What is Software Testing?

Software testing is the process of identifying the efficacy of a software product developed. A Software Tester checks for any bugs or faults in the application before it is released in the market. A Software Tester ensures the quality of product, user satisfaction, and security aspects of the application developed.

Educational Qualification to become a Software Tester:

You should have completed your grade 12th or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry, Maths/ Computer Science as compulsory subjects and acquired a minimum of 50% aggregate marks.

Courses to Become a Software Tester:

To pursue a career as a Software Tester, you can study any undergraduate program, but having a degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or Mathematics is an added advantage.

For B.Tech and B.E, the scores of Joint Entrance Examination Main (JEE Main) are considered during admission.

For M. Tech and M.E, the scores of Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) are considered during admission.

Top Colleges in Karnataka:

• Christ Academy Institute for Advanced Studies, Bangalore
• National Institute of Technology, Surathkal
• Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal
• Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur
• BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore
• Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore
• NMAM Institute of Technology, Udupi
• School of IT & Mathematics, AIMS Institute, Bangalore
• Aditya Institute of Management Studies & Research, Bangalore
• Baldwin Methodist College, Richmond Town, Bangalore
• School of Computational Science & IT, Garden City University, Bangalore
• Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bangalore

Skills of a Software Tester:

Besides having a suitable educational qualification, it is important for a Software Tester to possess few technical and non-technical skills. 

Non-Technical Skills:

• Communication Skills: A Software Tester is required to have good communication in terms of verbal and written skills. They are integral to write test conditions, test cases, test strategies, test data, test results, bug status reports, and collaborate with other Developers.
  
  
• Analytical Skills: Their analytical skills should be top-notch to understand complex coding systems and break them down into simpler systems to write test cases.
  
  
• Time Managements: As a Software Tester, it is pivotal to be highly-organized and productive as the release of code is a time-sensitive task. One has to prioritize their work and deliver the results on time.

Apart from these, a few other mandatory skills such as attitude, organizational skills, eagerness to learn and ability to comprehend the software system are expected from a Tester.

Technical Skills:

• Knowledge of STLC: Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) is an integral part of software development and testing. It involves a sequence of actions performed by a Software Tester to ensure the quality of the software or product developed. 
  
  
• Basic Knowledge of Database/ SQL: Usually, the data gets stored in a database such as Oracle, MySQL, etc. at the backend. Software Testers should have a basic knowledge of these databases to validate the product developed.
  
  
• Fundamentals of Programming Languages: It is essential for a Software Tester to know fundamental programming languages like JAVA, C#, Python, Ruby, Shell/ Perl, VBS. These programming languages help them review the codes during the testing process.
  
  
• Linux and other OS Fundamentals: Operating System (OS) tools & commands are needed to set up test environments and execute test cases. Since most of the projects are Linux-based, one should be aware of Linux fundamentals.
  
  
• Understanding Test Management, Defect Tracking & Automation Tools: Test management tools like qTest, TestLodge, TestLink, etc. are used for test case planning & tracking, and preparing test strategies.
  
  Defect tracking tools like Bugzilla and Mantis Bug track and monitor the defects in the project systematically. Automation tools like Selenium, Appium and Eggplant are used to execute a test case.

How to Become a Software Tester?

Let's analyze how to become a Software Tester to have a lucrative career in the field. The first step to being a Software Tester requires coding knowledge. You should have a clear understanding of the fundamentals of programming and its concepts including architecture algorithms, object-oriented programming, etc. On becoming a Software Tester, you can undergo a number of certification courses such as:

• ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualification Board) Certification 
• CSTE (Certified Software Tester) 
• CAST (Certified Associate in Software Testing) 
• CSQA (Certified Software Quality Analyst) Certification 
• CQE (Certified Quality Engineer) 
• CMST (Certified Manager of Software Testing)

Furthermore on how to become a Software Tester, it's crucial for you to learn performance testing and automated testing. Performance testing is done to assess the stability and responsiveness of a product developed. In automated testing, first a manual test is done to run the program and then test automation tools are used to run them automatically.

Scope of Software Tester:

The scope of Software Tester is booming and ever-changing.  Some of the job profiles are:

• Quality Analyst (QA)/ Test Analyst (Fresher)
• Senior QA/ Senior Test Analyst (1 to 3 Years in Experience)
• Team Coordinator/ Test Lead (5 to 6 Years)
• Testing Manager/ Testing Architect (7 to 10 Years)
• Senior Test Manager/ Quality Head/ Delivery Head (More than 10 years)

The scope of Software Tester expands to being an Automation Tester, Performance Tester, Developer or becoming a Business Analyst. 

Software Tester Salary:

A Software Tester salary depends on multiple factors such as location, experience, skill, employer and several others. In general, the salary of a Software Tester ranges from 1.8 - 7.81 LPA. The average Software Tester salary is 3.5 LPA. An entry-level Software Tester can earn about 2 LPA. Those with 1-4 years of experience get 3 LPA. Software Testers with 5-9 years of experience earn somewhere around 6.5 LPA and those with 10-19 years of experience can expect to earn 9.76 LPA.

Top Recruiters: 

Some of the A-list companies in India where you can thrive as a Software Tester are:

• HCL Technologies
• TCS Limited
• Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation
• Accenture Technology Solutions
• InfoSys Limited
• IBM India Private Limited
• Wipro
• Capegemini
• Amazon
• Tech Mahindra

Conclusion:

With Technology and Artificial Intelligence ruling the digital world, software testing has become an inevitable process. As long as there is a client demanding for a quality output, there will always be a service provider looking for an adept tester. The digital world is an ever-progressing realm and the opportunities are bountiful for a Tester to flourish. So, if you want to make a career out of this enticing profession, then think no more and dive in.