Software tester - what kind of profession is this? What is its essence? And how relevant is it in the modern world? All these questions are quite appropriate, since today the professions of the IT sphere are among the highest paid in the labor market. Not to mention the fact that the development of such specialties provides a person with a stable future.
Software Tester: what is it
Today, most electronic devices work correctly only thanks to the built-in programs. They are written by programmers of all stripes and level of training. And believe me, their number is really breathtaking. So, not one thousand programs are created every day: from simple calculators to artificial intelligence for high-tech machines.
And, as in any production, the product cannot be released to the masses, without first checking for defects. So, a software (software) tester is a person who is engaged in field testing of programs. At the same time, he can be either a full-time employee of the company, so working for himself as a freelancer.
Why do we need software testers
When creating programs, various programming languages are used. It can be C ++, JavaScript, Python and so on. After the product is completed, the author first checks it. But, since he is the creator of the program, he can not always objectively assess the quality of the goods received. Not to mention the fact that he may simply not have enough time to modulate all the possible methods of its application.
And just at this stage, a software tester enters the game. It is he who takes care of all the operations associated with checking the new application. At the same time, unlike a programmer, the tester does not have access to the program code. That is, he experiences the application as a simple user and is only occasionally given special privileges.
The main responsibilities of the program tester
A software tester is a profession that requires a solid approach to business. You can’t work half-heartedly here, as this will certainly affect the reputation of a specialist. As for the duties themselves, they consist of the following items:
- Create a verification plan. The software tester must think through all the application usage scenarios in advance and recreate them. Moreover, the more experienced the specialist, the faster he can determine the most dangerous factors for the application.
- Software testing , through special automated tools. Like any other master, the tester has its own devices for optimizing and speeding up work. They are universal and, nevertheless, require preliminary development and practice.
- A competent and systematic description of the problems and shortcomings found. The bottom line is that just finding a mistake is not enough. In addition, you need to be able to correctly draw up a work protocol so that the programmer can understand what caused the failure and what part of his application is guilty of this.
It should be noted that quite often testers are combined into small groups. First of all, this is necessary in order to speed up the test or to make it better. In this case, the work can be evenly distributed among all specialists. For example, some will be busy with the application interface, the second will look for errors in the calculations, and the third will model the most dangerous scenarios for the program.
Profession training
Anyone who is “friendly” with the exact sciences can be a software tester. Ideally, it is better to have a programmer's education, or at least to understand the basics of writing applications. Based on this, this specialty is well suited for those studying in IT specialties. Firstly, it will help to gain experience and look at the works of other people, and secondly, it will bring additional income, which is also not bad.
However, you can become a software tester without a specialized education. So to speak, learn everything yourself. Fortunately, today this is not a problem, since the network has many cognitive courses that can clearly demonstrate all the subtleties of this work.
In addition, you can try your luck and try to get to the prepared seminars, which are held in many organizations that produce software. For example, GlobalLogic periodically provides training courses specifically for software testers. Moreover, having graduated from them, a person can become one of her employees, and then start working in her staff or remotely, as a freelancer.
What skills a self-respecting specialist should possess
A software tester without experience can find a job, but a specialist who does not know the basics can never. However, what are the basics of the profession? What baggage of knowledge should every tester who respects himself have?
- Firstly, such a specialist should be familiar with the basics of programming in order to be able to compete in the labor market.
- Secondly, you will have to remember the principles of software construction and OS administration.
- Third, learn to work with generally accepted databases.
- Fourthly, to learn a special SQL query language, which today can not do without.
In addition, the tester must be fluent in English, as it is dominant in the programming world. Moreover, over time it will be necessary to bring its level to the ideal, as well as to study all the subtleties of the technical style.
Practical skills
Let a software tester without work experience be a common occurrence; nevertheless, such a specialist is unlikely to be taken for a decent project. Therefore, having studied the basics of the profession, you should start developing practical skills and positive feedback.
To do this, you need to go to one of the sites that provide work to freelancers. Every day there are more than a dozen proposals related to checking the health of applications. At the same time, there are many orders for beginners who do not require work experience or special programming skills.
Thus, in a month or two you can make good progress in your business and earn some reputation. The only negative is that such orders are often poorly paid. But this will have to be reconciled, since in the future such deprivations will be able to bring much more profitable orders, which will pay off the effort spent more than.
Where to look for a profitable job
So, let's say you are already an experienced software tester: where to start looking for promising work? Well, the first thing to do is look at the ads on online job exchanges and programmer forums. From time to time there come across good offers that can bring a steady income.
However, you should not rely only on luck. If you have experience and a good resume, you can submit several applications to the IT company. Management loves dedicated professionals, and therefore, such an initiative can bear fruit. Especially if you focus on those companies that produce high-quality software.
If you are not lucky with a permanent place at this stage, then you can become a freelancer. A well-proven software tester, working remotely at home, is able to earn at least a full-time colleague. The only difference is that instead of one tenant he will have several.
Pros and cons of the profession
For those who love the exact sciences and modern technology, this profession will seem very exciting and interesting. After all, every day you will have to face a new product, which will soon be able to fundamentally change the world of information technology. In addition, the work is considered very prestigious and excludes any physical activity.
Also, many are pleased by the fact that this profession is equally well suited for both men and women. Moreover, it can become a lifeline for those who, due to health problems, cannot get a harder job.
However, there are also disadvantages. The main one is high competition caused by a shortage of highly paid orders. You should also pay attention to the moment that the software tester spends a lot of time at the computer. However, he is not just sitting behind him, but completely absorbed in what is happening on the monitor. Because of this, over the years, vision problems can occur, which is extremely unpleasant.
Salary
It is quite difficult to derive the arithmetic average salary of a software tester. This is due to the fact that it depends on how successful the specialist is. So, you can take one order for 10 thousand rubles and do it in a week, or you can get a job for 20 thousand rubles and not beat it in a whole month.
Nevertheless, it is safe to say that the income of a beginner tester varies between 10-15 thousand rubles per month. An experienced specialist can earn the same money twice as fast. A full-time employee of a prestigious company receives about 40-45 thousand rubles.