
Software quality assurance (SQA) testing, or software testing, assures that the website experience is properly executed before a user interacts with it. Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) testers test websites while it is being developed to improve any malfunctions, or defects, using tools such as ISO 9000 and performing security testing.
Now that users have many products, websites, or software options that are readily and easily available, QA testing is more important than ever if a business wants to be successful. If the software, or website, isn't up to snuff, the user will go looking for something else. There are no second chances with technology.
You might ask, what is QA testing? And to put it simply,a QA tester’s job is to prevent bad software or technology from being seen by customers by trying to break it. QA testers try to break software by performing manual or automated tests that take the website or software through every scenario to find where the website malfunctions. If there is a malfunction found, a QA tester will have the developer re-develop that part of the software and then reiterate the process until there are no more bugs found.
Most tech companies have a need for software developers and QA testers. And, the demand for QA engineers is increasing as tech companies are starting to realize that UX is king. According to the Stack Overflow blog, in 2017 QA was considered one of the fastest growing targets out there, which means, in their opinion, there is an increase in demand for QA testers but not enough qualified people to fill these positions. If you find QA testing an attractive career, there are plenty of jobs out there for you.
With that in mind, the average salary for software QA testers is $65,480 according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
An understanding of software is crucial. While you don’t need to have programming mastered to go into QA testing, having the tools to learn software development will only help you become a more successful QA tester. From finding bugs to ensuring the end product is easy and user-friendly, QA testers have a diverse range of responsibilities requiring a broad set of skills.From excellent attention to detail to the ability to getting deep into the data you’re reporting and prioritizing to fix bugs within the code.
For the best qualifications and skills to have as a QA you should consider the following skills as the “essentials” to accurate, actionable and successful QA testing:
As a QA tester, understanding how the software works (also how it’s developed) will give you a big leg-up in your career as employers find out you understand software development.
One of the best reasons why it’s wise to be proficient in coding as a QA tester is that people who know coding well typically have good reasoning skills.
Not only is QA testing about finding bugs within the code, but it’s also important to note that its prioritizing the bugs that are the most important to resolve.
QA testers that can identify the bugs with the largest contributing factors to major problems within the code are the best positioned to work out what needs to be prioritized to create a great application.
QA testing can be a very repetitive process, so it’s easy to lose focus after analyzing and reporting for long periods of time. Since so much of the job can seem repetitive, QA testers have to possess a sense of discipline to get through the job.
Finding bugs can be a very time consuming process, particularly when you’re testing a large scale application on multiple hardware and software combinations.
There is sometimes a misconception that people think of QA testing as a process that doesn’t involve very much communication or collaboration. In reality, QA testing actually involves plenty of back-and-forth between the project’s stakeholders to collaborate on the most ideal product.
Most everyone knows that right now is a great time to join the tech community, but some don't have the time to learn how to code. Software assurance QA testing is easy to learn and not code intensive. You will have to learn some coding, but not to the same extent as a software or web developer. Software QA test training typically takes six to ten weeks, whereas web development training takes anywhere from 12-26 weeks.
Being a software quality assurance analyst could be a great fit for you if you're good at communicating and like to break things. Some other skills you will have to learn include functional automation and scripting, basics of web technologies, agile methodologies, and more.
Global IT offers a QA Software Testing curriculum. Contact us at (248) 557-2480 or visit our website at www.gogitgo.com for more information and to enroll in classes.