What is software testing?
What do testers do all day?
What is the difference between QA (Quality Assurance) and testing?
How is software made?
What is a bug?
Why is an error or a defect called a bug?
What qualities does a good tester have?
Why are good communication skills so important?
How can I explore if software testing is for me?
How much do testers earn?
Do I need to know how to program in order to be a tester?
Do I need to have a computer at home?
What will I learn in Vettanna's Practical Software Testing?
Can I get a software testing job without having any training?
What are the two most important skills a software tester has?
How can I start to become a tester?
Can I work from home?
Can I get a job with Vettanna?

What is software testing?
Software testing is the task of trying the software application to see if it works and trying to break it. This is done before the product is shipped/released to customers. Sometimes a tester can rely upon a written specification to explain what the software is supposed to do or how it is supposed to respond to errors. Sometimes the tester will have a written test case to follow that indicates exactly what the tester is supposed to do and what the software should do. More often (in consumer products) none of those exist and a tester must figure out what to test and what the software should do on their own. To do that they use a combination of asking questions of the product manager and engineers, their knowledge of how software and computers work and their intuition based upon their experience. (Please note that the world of testing large systems such as those for the government/defense department/NASA/FAA differ in that they do make the time to precisely define requirements, specifications, designs and test cases.)

What do testers do all day?
Well, primarily testers test and write up bug reports. After a new build of software is delivered from engineering, testers verify that old bugs have been fixed. Sometimes they review specs, documents or help text and sometimes they write test cases or write a status report. Try walking through A Day In The Life Of A Tester to see if the daily activities of testing appeal to you.

What is the difference between QA (Quality Assurance) and testing?
In consumer software there is no difference. People with the title of QA Analyst or QA Engineer perform software testing tasks. However, in government systems they can have two groups; software testers that test the product and QA Analysts that verify that the contract is being executed as defined and the tasks completed to a defined quality standard.

How is software made?
In general, here's how software is made:

• Someone has a good idea (sometimes it's a marketing person, sometimes an engineer), they do some research, and define some requirements (how will it work, what machines will it work on, when will it ship).
• The engineers work on the detailed design (how it will work behind the scenes and what the user will see), chose the appropriate software language and tools and write the code.
• The software testers test the product and verify that fixes work correctly.
• When it's deemed ready by the project team and/or the management team, the product is shipped/released to the customer.

What is a bug?
A bug is an error or defect in the software. A behavior is deemed a bug if the software doesn't perform as required, specified or expected.

Why is an error or a defect called a bug?
The legend goes that the first digital computer, ENIAC, was having a malfunction. Lt. Grace Hopper, looking in the hardware components, found a moth trapped in the boards.

"Oh, it's just a bug."

However, The New Hacker's Dictionary [Eric Raymond, Second Edition, MIT Press, (1994)] states that the term was used prior to that event. Even so, the legendary moth is now reputed to be property of the Smithsonian Institute.

What qualities does a good tester have?
Some of the qualities that are useful for a software tester to have are:

• Well organized
• Inquisitive or curious
• Quick Learner
• Ability to work with a minimum of direction
• Ability to work with ambiguity (in direction and in the software)
• Ability to mentally piece a concept together without having to have it explained precisely (understand the "gist" of something)
• Self motivated
• Interested in how software works and/or how computers work
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Click here to see how a tester's skill set changes over the course of their career.

Why are good communication skills so important?
A tester's professionalism and competence is perceived and judged based upon how they communicate verbally and in writing.

As testers, our job is to find bugs so we are constantly the bearers of bad news. If we present this bad news in an ambiguous way or with a bad attitude, the recipient's natural response may be to "shoot the messenger". By having professional and accurate communication skills a tester can easily be viewed as a valuable member of the team and not as a "necessary evil"

Everyday, testers communicate orally. They talk about the bugs they found, describe them, and discuss the urgency to fix them. They also talk about the progress that they are making on the testing and their opinion of the quality and ship-ability of the product. Testers communicate bugs, test cases, test results, status reports and test reports in writing. They also communicate daily by email. See Tips for more insight into the importance of good communication skills.

How can I explore if software testing is for me?
You can Investigate the Career of Software Testing at Vettanna. Here you can learn a little about what software testers do and give it a try yourself by testing a two-page web site with common bugs. Then you can enter the bugs you found and see how you did.

You can also try walking through A Day In The Life Of A Tester to see if the daily tasks of testing appeal to you. If you liked the experience you can take an assessment test to see if you've got enough basic computer and software knowledge to begin your career by taking Vettanna's Practical Software Testing class.

How much do testers earn?
The amount of money a test can earn depends on several things:

• Are they an employee or contractor?
• What are their skills, experience, previous products tested and training?
• What is their total benefits package? (Some knowledge workers negotiate a lower salary for more stock options.)
• Where is the job located?

You'll have to do some research to determine what tester salaries are in your area. Here are some places to start:

• Scan your local paper's want ads. If salary is not listed, call the company.
• Call a local technical recruiter and say that you are researching a career in software testing and would like to know what starting salaries are in your area.
• Scan the web ads, start with Dice and Monster.
• Check out salary surveys at Dice and Jobstar.
• Just for fun, check out this salary calculator to see cost of living salary adjustments for different areas of the country.

Do I need to know how to program in order to be a tester?
No, you don't need to know how to program (write code or write software) in order to start your testing career. Beginning testers typically test the application from the user perspective. As you grow in your career you may want to investigate programming as a way to further your career by either doing test automation, white box testing (writing code to test code), or becoming a development engineer.

Do I need to have a computer at home?
No, but it wouldn't hurt!

What will I learn in Vettanna's Practical Software Testing?
Vettanna's Practical Software Testing will teach you:

• How to test.
• Where to look for bugs.
• How to write up a bug report.
• What happens to bug reports after you write them.
• How to verify that a bug no longer exists.
• How the software development team works together and what every one else does.
• How to write a resume and find a testing position.

Can I get a software testing job without having any training?
Yes, some companies do hire bright, inquisitive people that have no software testing experience or training. However, you're more likely to be hired and feel comfortable, confident and professional on the job if you receive training and know what you're doing.

What are the two most important skills a software tester has?
A tester's two most important skills are:

1. Knowing how and where to look for bugs (errors).
2. Knowing how to report the bug effectively so that an engineer can reproduce it quickly, and so that they are not insulted by the way that the failure was communicated.

How can I start to become a tester?
You can start with Vettanna's Practical Software Testing class. Read the success stories of people who began their career with Vettanna training.

Once I'm a tester can I work from home?
That depends on the company and the manager that you work for. Some companies allow employees to work one or more days per week from home. With the advent of the internet there are more possibilities for working from home if the company supports it. You'll have to work this out with your employer.

Vettanna strongly urges new testers to work on-site at a company for at least one year. You will learn so much by osmosis, by having contact with engineers, managers and other testers, and what you hear over the cubicle. Your knowledge of computers, software, testing and the industry will really grow and it will be a big benefit to you. It's not so bad really, most testers can wear jeans and companies often provide t-shirts, pizza and beverages. ;-)

Can I get a job with Vettanna?
Check out our Opportunities page. If there is an opening that you qualify for, you will be considered.