With the technological advancement in every industry at an incredible pace, there is huge demand for software companies to provide bespoke services. Along with the development of custom-made software, there is a parallel requirement for software testing services. Software bugs can have mammoth consequences and hence debugging is an integral part of the development world. But before we discuss whether Software Testing is a good career option in the upcoming days, let us briefly understand what Software Testing involves.

What is Software Testing?

Software Testing is the process of verifying a program or a computer system and determining whether it meets the requirements from the customer’s point of view. Software Testing involves analyzing software or system components and ensuring a bug-free and issueless software.

What skills are required of Software Testing?

A Software Tester also is known as a QA (Quality Assurance) Analyst requires both Non- Technical and Technical Skills:

Non-Technical Skills:

1. Analytical Skills – An efficient analyst should have the proper debugging methodology to analyze software. Proper investigative techniques help analysts break down complex software into smaller sections for better understanding and write better test cases.

2. Time Management and Organization – An analyst must have the ability to manage workload efficiently with high productivity. They must be able to showcase optimum time management and organization skills especially when the release date is near.

3. Communication Skills – A software analyst must have good verbal as well as writing skills. Every testing aspect written by the analyst, be it reports or strategies, should be easy enough to understand and comprehend. They should have the art of finesse and diplomacy to deal with developers.

4. Passion and Attitude – An analyst handles each project with a ‘test-to-break’ outlook in order to improve oneself technically. An analyst must have a strong personality to handle the allocated task independently without support. In fact, one cannot achieve success in any field without being passionate about it.

Technical Skills:

1. Knowledge and Experience of Test Management Tool – A Test Management Tool manages the test related aspects of the software and is a significant part of testing software. So, without any proper knowledge of various Test Management Tools testing would be a failure.

For example, ‘PractiTest’ is a Test Management Tool for an end-to-end organization for quality assurance. 

2. Basic knowledge of Linux commands – Most software applications like Web-services and Application servers are established for Linux machines. It is essential for Analysts to have proper Linux commands knowledge.

3. Basic knowledge of Database/SQL – Software Systems have huge data stored in the background in different types of databases like SQL, Oracle, etc. in the backend. All this data requires validation, and this requires basic knowledge of  SQL queries. 

4. Knowledge and Experience of Defect Tracking Tool – It is important to track and manage defects before handing over the final product to a customer. A defect tracker makes sure nothing is left unfixed before delivery. As the entire team is involved in defect tracking, an analyst needs to have a good hands-on knowledge of defect tracking tools.

Educational Qualification Required:

To make a career in Software Testing your educational background should encircle Computer Science.

To get minimum consideration for this position you need to acquire a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a B.E/B. Tech degree from a recognized university.

Aspiring candidates can also opt for a BCA/MCA degree to be an analyst.

Apart from the above degrees, a Software Testing certification is required to learn software testing approaches.

Software Tester Career Path:

Career scope in the field of testing is enormous and anyone can consider from the following options based on their field experience:

1. Trainee Tester (Fresher)

2. Software Tester (1-3 years’ experience)

3. Sr. Analyst (2-3 years’ experience)

4. Test Engineer (3-5 years’ experience)

5. QA Team Coordinator (5-6 years’ experience)

6. Test Manager (8-12 years’ experience)

7.  Senior Test Manager (14+ years’ experience)

Making a jump from one job role to another requires a few years of experience in testing.

Remuneration:

Salary of the various profiles in software testing in India are quite different and are as follows:

Alternate Career tracks for Software Testers:

Once you have gathered enough knowledge for software testing you can broaden your career options and pursue the following specializations:

1. Automation Testing Engineer – is responsible for the automation of manual test case execution to make it less time-consuming. They use tools such as Silk Performer and QTP.

The average salary of an Automation Testing Engineer is INR 4,48,391 per annum.

2. Performance Test Engineer – is responsible for examining software responsiveness like the time it takes to load or the maximum stretch it can handle. They work with tools like WebLoad, LoadRunner.

The average salary of a Performance Test Engineer is INR 5,53,710 per annum.

3. Business Analyst – Software testers have the advantage of end-to-end business knowledge. This makes an obvious career advancement in becoming a Business Analyst. They are responsible for evaluating and estimating the company’s business structure and workflow.

The average salary of a Business Analyst is INR 6,10,537 per annum.

Where can you apply for jobs?

With expertise in Software Testing, there are several significant websites to apply for a job as an analyst. You can surf the web for a suitable job role based on your prerequisite. However, here is a small list of websites you can consider:

1. Indeed.com
2. Monster.com
3. Naukri.com
4. SoftwareTestingJobs.net
5. ITJobs.net
6. TestingJobs.com
7. JobCentral.com
8. Jobs.com

Scope of the Career:

With the growth of the IT industry, the ultimate demand of a customer is quality. There is a high demand for Software Testers as their job is to provide quality assurance of a developed product and verify whether it meets the requirements. 

Software Testers are handsomely paid and almost more than a developer; there is huge prospect for growth and on-site opportunities. A person can choose to freelance too if they are not comfortable with the 9 to 6 work schedules.

However, no amount of opportunity can prove to be beneficial unless the foundation of your knowledge is not strong enough. A degree in Computer Science after 10+2 is the first step for being a software tester.

Here is a list of Top Colleges in India to pursue a degree in Computer Science:

1. Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

Course: B. Tech in Computer Science and Engineering.

Fees: INR 8.46 lakhs approx.

Eligibility: Passed 12^th from a recognized board and cleared JEE Advanced.

Duration:4 years.

Website: http://www.iitb.ac.in/

Contact: +91 (22) 2572 2545

2. Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Course: B. Tech Computer Science Engineering.

Fees: INR 8.34 lakhs approx.

Eligibility: Passed 12^th from a recognized board and cleared JEE Advanced.

Duration: 4 years.

Website: http://www.iitkgp.ac.in/

Contact:+91-3222-255221

3. St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai

Course: B. Sc Computer Science.

Fees: INR 21557 approx.

Eligibility: Passed 12^th from a recognized board.

Duration: 3 years.

Website: http://xaviers.edu/

Contact: 022 22620661

4. Acharya Prafulla Chandra College (APCC), Kolkata

Course: B. Sc Computer Science.

Fees: INR 7812 approx.

Eligibility: Passed 12^th from a recognized board.

Duration: 3 years.

Website: http://www.apccollege.ac.in

Contact: (033)-2537-3297 / 2537-8797

5. Symbiosis International University, Pune

Course: Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA)

Fees: INR 4.89 lakhs approx.

Eligibility: Passed 12^th from a recognized board and cleared Symbiosis Entrance Test (SET).

Duration: 3 years.

Website: https://www.siu.edu.in/

Contact: + 91 20 28116200/20 28116208

6. Christ University, Bangalore

Course: Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA)

Fees: INR 4.09 lakhs approx.

Eligibility: Passed 12^th from a recognized board.

Duration: 3 years.

Website: https://christuniversity.in/

Contact: +91 8040129100/8040129600

The last question that remains – even though a software testing career opens many doors of opportunity and prospects, is the career right for you? Do you have the required qualities to shine in this career?

Career aptitude test guides you through the process of understanding what type of job role is most compatible with your personality traits.

I hope you find this blog helpful to guide you in your career journey as a Software Tester or a QA Analyst.