A Career in Software Testing

If you want to be a part of a dynamic and booming industry, then you might want to look at software testing as a career option.

The dynamic Indian IT industry has always lured the brightest minds with challenging career options. Students are also attracted to this field because, apart from getting international exposure, the earnings are usually higher. They also get the satisfaction of being a part of something that could possibly shape the future.

One such career option is software testing. Initially, software testing and software development went hand in hand, but now it has emerged as a specialized discipline in itself. The role of a software tester is crucial as they are trained to pick out flaws, if any, in the software. They test the software using various parameters to determine its ease of use, and flow of operation. They check the software for bugs and also determine whether it meets the business and technical requirements. This then helps the developers to iron out even the minutest of errors and save themselves from the embarrassment of a software failure due to a minor flaw.

The growth prospects are tremendous. As per Gartner Forecast, the industry will be worth $50 million with forecasted CAGR of 14 percent through 2014. According to Asheesh Raina, Principal Research Analyst, Gartner, “Organizations today have rapid cycles of change on the business front. Software testing is increasingly recognized as the cornerstone of supporting rapidly changing business conditions, making organizations more agile. Testing is important for India because it has a large ecosystem of IT service providers. Poor quality standards will have substantial strategic implications for IT service providers. In a few years, the enterprise, IT organizations and service providers will be distinguished by their quality capabilities (encompassing process and service management). Their position in the top tier will be substantially due to their quality capabilities and failure in that will lead to downtrend.”

Professionally trained software testers are in great demand and sought after in the industry. You can either become part of an independent software testing company or join an internal software testing department in a leading firm. We spoke with Vipul Kocher, President of the Indian Testing Board (ITB), to determine the potential of software testing as career.