Software Testing is a critical function within any business. A career in software testing is very challenging but satisfying, requiring you to solve problems, manage risk and improve the quality throughout all phases of the software development cycle.
This may not be the first word that comes to mind when you think of a role in software testing. However, you must get a little innovative when testing a software application, and creativity is the way to get there. The process isn’t going to be spelt out for you – in fact, it takes a little detective work. By acting as the end-user, you’re the one who must think outside the box when contemplating places where there may be inconsistencies.
When asked what they liked best about the role, one thing that came up frequently with our software testers is that they are constantly improving and learning new skills. Whether you’re starting to code, automate or security test, there are always ways to excel further in a software testing career. Additionally, it’s likely you’ll have a very supportive team behind you to make sure you have all the resources you need to be your best. Plus, your work will never be stagnant, as you’ll be continuously growing and enhancing your practice.
Testing is a very flexible career pathway because of the business and technically-focussed roles available. This means the opportunities for progression are endless and can go in any direction. Testing is a great starting point for those looking to kick-start their career in technology as you gain cross-functional skills that can be utilised across the whole software development cycle.
You’ll work with many different groups of people as a software tester, from shareholders to developers, as well as additional team members to speed up and improve product delivery. As you’ll work in an agile environment, this means you’ll be communicating with intelligent and passionate people who share the same interests as you. You’ll work on projects from start to finish, which includes presenting to high-level stakeholders, so your communications skills will also be practised.
As a tester, you get to use new, cutting-edge technology before anybody else. You could be testing software for websites, mobile apps or content management systems. Many people are enticed by this, as it means no two days are the same and work can get very exciting.