You want to become a QA tester or software tester. You think you have the right set of skills but are unsure where to start. Should you get a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree? What about gaining experience?
Worry no more -This post will help you understand what quality assurance is and how to get a job within the industry. You’ll also discover whether it’s a good fit for you. Let’s begin.
The modern world is tech and data-driven. Everything relies on lines of code and electricity, From smartphones to laptops and more day-to-day tools like refrigerators.
But that’s a good thing if you plan to become an entry level QA tester – It means more jobs are waiting for you. Let’s understand UX design and competition in the technology field first.
When technology and Web 2.0 first appeared, the only thing tech companies needed was some innovation to succeed. That’s why Zuckerberg became a millionaire after developing and launching Facebook. But now, with Web 3.0 and many similar apps on the Play Store, you know you can’t succeed just by launching a social app.
That’s where UX Design and quality assurance come in handy. They ensure that users are happy, even when you provide a service that’s nothing exceptional. CEOs and leaders now rely on user experience and software quality to ensure a higher ROI.
As its name suggests, quality assurance ensures the delivery of a product or service complies with appropriate procedures and guidelines. The job of QA testers lasts during the entire product development. And it is a proactive approach to preventing bugs.
There’s usually a team of software and QA testers working together. One worker alone can’t spot and fix every (potential) bug, but a team of tech professionals can! Quality assurance increases this team’s productivity by making the quality standards clear from the beginning.
There isn’t a one-fits-all QA position or duty. But that’s not new – It happens in most industries. There are different types of quality assurance procedures. And that’s one of the reasons working in teams and employee collaboration is so important.
That said, these are some of the most frequent job duties:
And the list goes on and on. But what does an entry level QA tester do, exactly? What are the job’s duties?
As with other job positions, the responsibilities and duties increase as your range does. Junior testers have fewer obligations than seniors, but several assignments still await them. You ought to earn that promotion somehow. These assignments include:
Overall, your work consists of working closely with other members and coming up with new ideas to test products and solve potential problems.
The average salary of QA testers is $110,140 per year, though this number varies depending on experience, the company itself, responsibilities, number of work hours, etcetera.
You may have heard someone say they are a “software tester” and wonder whether the position is similar to QA testing or not.
The main difference between these two is that QA is a long-term approach that lasts the entire product development process, while software testing focuses only on one part of the project.
Software testers review written lines of code and ensure there are no bugs. If the program runs smoothly and the app or software doesn’t encounter any error, their job is done! If there’s a problem, they are the ones to fix it.
On the other hand, quality assurance testers keep an eye on the product quality during the entire process. They run tests and write reports from day one until the project concludes (and sometimes even after that).
Similarities: They both aim at improving the software and product.
Main distinction: QA focuses more on product life cycle management and makes sure customers are happy with the overall product. Testers find ways to improve the software or bugs that may lead to customer concerns.
The main responsibilities of entry level software testers are:
Some companies ask candidates to have completed a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or similar fields. But sometimes, you can land an entry-level job after completing a bootcamp or QA testing online courses.
We at Test Pro offer SDET online courses to help you land a job as a QA engineer or software tester. Our students can make up to six figures per year (the estimated salary for employees in this field).
Long story short, you can become a junior QA tester via two main paths:
Our SDET course’s curriculum includes learning:
You’ll work on real projects, so you can build a portfolio and have higher chances of landing jobs. Recruiters appreciate candidates who put in the time to showcase their past work.
If you are now considering becoming a QA tester, you might wonder what set of skills you need. Skills are always welcome – The more you have, the better. But some are particularly necessary for this role:
Flexibility. The market and tech industry constantly evolve and change. To make a career in this field, you must be flexible and adjust to new situations and challenges.
How to become an entry level QA tester?
You can become a junior QA tester by majoring in Computer Science, applying for internships, and gaining experience. But some companies don’t require candidates to have a Bachelor’s degree – They just want proactive professionals willing to help. Bootcamps or QA online courses can be a great first step.
What does an entry level QA tester do?
Among the responsibilities, you can find: Performing safety inspections and ensuring quality, creating status reports, predicting and solving potential risks, and collaborating with other departments.
What’s the difference between QA testing and software testing?
The main difference between these two is that QA is a long-term approach that lasts the entire product development process, while software testing focuses only on one part of the project.
Can I become a QA tester without a degree?
Definitely! Some companies may be reluctant to hire non-graduated professionals, but you can land a job in most cases. All you need is some real experience working on projects (in a bootcamp), building a portfolio, and acing the interview.
To become an entry level software or QA tester pays off, quite literally. Besides having the opportunity to make six figures yearly, you will work in an ever-changing and exciting environment.
Are you ready to start your career in the quality assurance field? Apply for our online courses, build a portfolio, and land your next great job!
SDET is here to stay and that’s a good thing for those who made an effort to learn the craft. But if it’s the first time you are applying to a job in this field then it’s easy to feel a bit nervous. However, you don’t need to worry, because we’ll work together today to […]
Any testing engineer who has spent some time on the field has heard of Testmo, and chances are they’ve had a chance to use it themselves, but have you ever wondered how good it is? Today we are taking that idea to the limit by comparing Testmo to every other major test management software in […]
Quality assurance is an integral part of the software development life cycle. Sometimes misunderstood as an end-of-process activity, QA analysts serve an important function at all stages of agile software development, exerting a great deal of influence on end-product success rates. In fact, research estimates that the testing activities performed by quality assurance analysts typically […]
