Quality Assurance (QA) / Software Testing

Most of us are annoyed if we run into a bug in our favorite app, but thankfully there are people who are paid to spend their days seeking them out. The role of software testers and Quality Assurance (QA) is to test the company’s product(s) before they are deployed into production (where an application is able to be used by customers), making sure the product is bug and issue-free and meets the high standards required by the company’s customers.

A software tester’s primary job involves systematically inspecting products for bugs or potential problems, and working with software developers to test new features before they go live. They generally work within the broader engineering department, either as a QA team or as direct support to the software developers.

As you can probably imagine, this makes QA a hugely important role within a tech company – companies can live or die based on the quality (perceived or real) of their products.

Testing roles are well suited to people with a strong attention to detail, who enjoy solving problems, and have strong written and verbal communication skills.

Many software testing roles will not require a college degree or any formal education in testing – evidence of strong attention to detail, an interest in technology and a willingness to learn can go a long way towards getting a QA job.

Quality Assurance (QA) / Software Tester salaries

Software testers will generally earn less than software developers or data scientists, but their salaries still compare well within the overall market.

And while QA can be a rewarding career in itself, it can also act as a useful stepping stone for people who are looking to move into development positions.

You’re likely to spend time working directly with developers, so you’ll have the opportunity to see how they work and learn about the systems and tools they use to develop software projects, while also building relationships that could potentially be helpful for a future career change.