How do you get experience for a software testing job?

Question in title. I'm looking for a software testing job but have zero experience in this area. What could I do to increase my prospects? Just looking for an entry level job at a very basic level to start with.

Reply 1

snowman77

Thanks for the information.

What is boring about it? Aren't all jobs boring if you do them 40 hours a week, 48 weeks a year?

Reply 2

snowman77

Oh ok. If it's repetitive and boring, what software job would you recommend instead?

Reply 3

winterscoming

Have a look at this blog post - overall I strongly agree with @Acsel that it's a good idea to find out more about it before diving straight in, and make sure this is the kind of job you'd enjoy:
https://medium.com/@michalsporna/practical-suggestions-for-becoming-software-tester-without-experience-or-degree-285481d7214a

As for my thoughts on it - Software testing may or may not be 'boring' depending on what type of thing you enjoy. A lot of programmers find it boring, and sometimes even scoff at the idea of being a tester because it partly involves a completely different mindset (Programmers build software, Testers break it). A lot of people make successful careers out of software testing and they find it interesting. I personally don't find it too exciting, although as a software engineer I need to spend quite a lot of my time testing of the code I produce.

Being a great software tester involves looking at software at a much higher level, having a very different outlook compared to the programmer(s) whose code you're testing, but also requires attention-to-detail. There are different aspects to testing as well, including "manual" testing whereby you're physically engaged with the software just like a user would be, versus automated testing where you're putting together a set of scripts and test data to test a system against a set of defined parameters. Then there's all the 'other' tasks a tester needs to do, such as reviewing software requirements, writing test cases and being involved in project planning.

Automated testing requires more technical knowledge than manual testing due to the need to understand a whole raft of tools, and the need to have a solid understanding of how to write the code which drives the automation. With that said, even manual testing requires a solid technical understanding of the systems you're working with and the technologies behind it too (for example, experienced testers often work with Database scripts and have a working knowledge of the software's hosting platform).

At a higher level, software testing is as much about people as technology - software testers tend to require business analysis skills, and frequently work with analysts as well as clients and users, and obviously with developers. Software testing is all about being responsible for quality - so when a development team writes some code, the tester is a "gatekeeper" responsible for pushing back when any problems are discovered; so overall, testing involves a lot of cross-over between the business and technical realms.

Reply 4

sandeshbukate

Original post by snowman77

If you don't have any experience in software testing i will suggest that you should do certifications like ISTQB, if you have this certification on resume it will be easier to find entry level job in this field and plus do automation testing , learn one of tools like selenium, QTP this will add advantage to your field.thank you.
on similar note read this article on software testing, it would be beneficial for you.

Career Advice: How To Become Software Tester

Reply 5

CherrySmoothie

Original post by snowman77

Oh ok. If it's repetitive and boring, what software job would you recommend instead?

You have a couple options actually. You don't have to be stuck in testing. I am assuming you want to work in IT but you don't want to be coding all day, correct?

ok so here is what you can do: first I would suggest you try to get a job in Tech support. Tech support is easier to break into at a entry level and it will give you leverage to transition into other IT positions.

After a year or so you can try to break into any of these other IT jobs such as:
-Implementation specialist
-Technical Specialist
-Business Analyst
-Software Training

Reply 6

uorcaree

Hi snowman77,

You may have no or little experience, but there are things you can still do to get a job.

What's most important is no remember that IT is an ever-growing sector where things are rapidly changing. Keeping up to date with the latest trends and developments in the industry will come in handy at interviews. Hiring managers are always impressed by graduates with an eye toward the future.

You can also access free online resources to learn new things; check out different blogs/Youtube channels for relevant information. Go to LinkedIn, create your profile and start following professionals - build your network!

This article here should be helpful! It's about what employers are looking for in a computer science CV - http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/careers/top-3-things-in-a-computer-science-cv/

Good luck!

(edited 5 years ago)