How to Become a Software Tester?

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What is Software Testing?

Software Testing is the fifth stage of the software development life cycle (SDLC). Check out the image below and see the different stages of SDLC:

Once a product is developed, before delivering it to the customer, it must be made sure that the product is error-free. Thus, it is passed on to the testing phase. Software Testing gives assurance on the quality of the product, thus ensuring product reliability and customer satisfaction.

Software Tester Roles and Responsibilities

As a Software Tester in an organization, you would need to perform the following tasks:

1. Create the test scenarios/test cases of the product
2. Perform Software Testing and share the test results with the development team
3. Interact with the client to know about the product/design requirements

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Why becoming a Software Tester is a good career option?

Below is the list of reasons that poses the job role of a Software Tester is a good career to go for.

In-demand

Day by day, many software products are coming into the market, which results in heavy competition among companies to stand out. So, they are likely to hire individuals who are well-versed in Software Testing to meet the client’s demands. From banking to the healthcare industry, every organization is going digital, which also increases the demand for Software Testers in the IT world.

Makes It Easy for a Fresher to Enter the IT Field

Many companies hire individuals with BSc, BCA, MSc, MCA, BCA, or any stream of engineering as a criterion for Tester. This gives plenty of sprouting opportunities to everyone on a fair scale.

Easy-to-learn Tools

With basic programming and problem-solving skills, you can learn most of the Software Testing tools, including Selenium, Jenkins, Cucumber, and so on, with ease in a short period. It is a great way to start, and as your role evolves, you will develop expertise in the tools.

Freelance Software Tester

Experience is the key. In this IT domain, you can also work as a freelancer. As a freelance Tester, you get real-time hands-on experience from projects, case studies, and assignments.

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Technical skills required to become Software Tester

Programming Skills

To write test scripts, a Software Tester should be familiar with at least one programming language. The most commonly used programming languages for Software Testing are Ruby, Python, Java, and C#; the reason being, these are widely supported by various testing tools globally.

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Front-end Skills

A Tester needs to work with web-based applications and browsers. Therefore, it is essential for the professional to be familiar with the front-end languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This helps one gain an understanding of web elements and locators.

Database Skills

A Software Tester should know the basics of different types of databases. To test the backend of applications, a Tester needs to verify, insert, delete, and update the test data from the SQL database. Therefore, one needs to learn SQL commands and database tables, indices, and keys. It is also important for a Tester to know how to connect to a database using various SQL connection clients.

API Skills

API servers are the middle man between the UI and the database. A Software Tester needs to test an API that acts as a communication layer for data exchange from one software to another. Here, the professional has to use software to send API calls, which requires knowledge of REST and SOAP APIs.

Understand the simple differences between SOAP and REST, pick the one that suits your data needs.

Testing Tool Skills

To enter the Software Testing world, it is also necessary for professionals to have hands-on knowledge on various testing tools, which most companies use to perform functional and non-functional testing. Some of the most used testing tools are Selenium, Robotium, TestComplete, Kobiton, and so on. With these tools, one can perform browser testing, desktop testing, API testing, and many more.

Version Control System

To track, monitor, and collaborate with other team members in the organization, it is crucial to maintain a version control system. It aids to review the changes and also to manage processes with detailed reports. So, a Software Tester should know how to access and work with version control systems such as Git, SVN, and so on.

UNIX/Bash Commands

As a Software Tester, one needs to learn basic UNIX/Bash commands to navigate between files. It also helps one work with UNIX-based OS since most of the applications run on it. With UNIX commands, it allows a Tester to easily push and pull code from the GitHub repository.

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Non-Technical skills required to become a Software Tester

Analytical Skills

Analytical skills are needed for a Software Tester to break down a complex piece of software into smaller chunks to write effective test scripts on it.

Communication Skills

A Software Tester should have decent communication skills to write readable test scripts and also to produce test reports that everyone can easily understand. Many times, a Softer Tester has to communicate with developers and other team members to collaborate for analyzing details and fulfilling product requirements.

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Time Management Skills

A product always comes with a release date. To deliver the product on time, a Software Tester should show efficient organizational and time management skills to a great degree.

Attitude and Passion

Last but not least, a Tester should have the attitude to learn new technical skills, work on various tools, and take up and complete the tasks willingly. One will need to have a passion for the testing field to become a successful Software Tester.

Also, check out the different types of software testing.

Career Path of a Software Tester

Like in all other fields, you can start your career as a Software Tester Trainee and then gradually evolve to senior roles with experience and time. This section will talk about the career path paved for Testers.

Below is the table that shows the career path of a Software Tester, which you may undergo if you choose a testing career:

Also, check out the blog on automation testing and manual testing.

How to Become a Software Tester?

Do you consider yourself a beginner in the testing field? You do not have to stumble where to start. The below chart will give you a brief walkthrough of how to start your career as a Software Tester.

First, you need to learn the principles and types of Software Testing. Then, the best thing to go for would be to learn Selenium, which will make you familiar with writing, running, and testing scripts in Java, Python, Ruby, etc. Finally, JMeter will allow you to run functional testing on web applications. With all these skills in your hand, you can make a career in the testing field as a fresher.

Check out our blog on the most frequently asked Manual Testing Interview Questions now!

Conclusion

This blog on how to become a Software Tester has given you great insights into what Software Testing is and the roles and responsibilities of a Tester. You now know the essential Software Testing prerequisites to grab a job as a fresher. and the average salary of a software tester in India is of ₹3.93 LPA. From this blog, you also learned about the job opportunities that are open for Testers to have a rewarding career in this domain. Get yourself started with Intellipaat’s Software Testing Course to land your dream job as a Software Tester.

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