Top Tester Skills you should Develop in 2023

Apple is well known to be a tech giant today however in its infancy the company was hardly surviving. One of the main reasons that the macOS was a success is due to the fact that Apple placed great emphasis on usability and human computer interactions during its conception. Apple created products that were simple, easy to use, and they only ever made products which they as consumers would also want to utilize.

This means that one of the major pillars of Apple’s success can be attributed to software testing to ensure that all aspects of their software such as the GUI elements were highly optimized and easy to interact with.

Today organizations have recognized the value behind such practices and have dedicated teams, and carefully planned processes to test the quality of their software.

What is a Software Tester?

A software tester is typically an individual responsible for carrying out tests and verifying that a software meets specific requirements.

Some of the responsibilities and skills required to be a successful Software Tester include:

1. Designing and carrying out Test cases: Software testers create custom test scenarios and carry out test cases based on the specifications and requirements for the software being developed. 
2. Bug identification and reporting: After creating test scenarios and executing test cases Software testers record the outcomes and generate reports. During this stage Software testers search for any unusual behavior or inefficient design issues and flag bugs. These issues are reported to the software developers using bug tracking systems which allow the testers to report the problem in detail with screenshots, log files, and any other relevant information.
3. Regression testing: Testers do regression tests to make sure that software fixes and updates haven’t caused any brand-new problems or ruined functionality.
4. Maintaining Test Documentation: The creation and maintenance of test documentation, which includes test plans, test cases, and test reports, is done by software testers. These records serve as a record of the testing activities and a resource for upcoming testing projects.

Future Scope as a Software Tester

There are a lot of opportunities for future growth as a software tester. It’s crucial to keep up with new trends, technologies, and approaches if you want to succeed as a software tester in the future. You can maintain your competitive edge in this fast-paced industry by constantly learning, picking up new skills, and adopting evolving testing practices. Following are some areas with great potential for growth:

1. Test Automation: The demand for automated testing solutions using automation frameworks such as Selenium, Cypress, Appium, is increasing rapidly.  Organizations aim to deliver software more efficiently and at a faster pace and acquiring skills in test automation frameworks and tools such as Percy and BrowserStack Automate can prove highly valuable in the future.
2. CI/CD and DevOps: Agile methodologies and DevOps practices are highly popular in the field of Software Development. Software Testers who can adapt to these methodologies will have a competitive advantage in teams using them. Software testers aware of CI/CD tools and skilled at working with CI/CD workflows will be invaluable in companies working with such practices.
3. Test Data Analytics and AI: Data Analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are being used more frequently in software testing. According to the current trend, software testers are going to benefit from knowledge of test metrics, test data analytics, and the application of AI/ML for anomaly identification and test case optimization in the future.
4. Domain-specific Testing: Depending on the experience and skill a Software tester may have in a specific sector, specializing in domain-specific testing may be beneficial. Businesses in sectors like finance, healthcare, e-commerce, or gaming frequently need testers with in-depth knowledge of the testing difficulties unique to those industries.

What is a Test Engineer?

On the other hand, a test engineer usually has a wider skill set and a more technical job. They might focus on creating and putting into place the frameworks, tools, and infrastructure for testing. 

Some of the responsibilities and skills required to be a successful Test Engineer include:

1. Test planning and strategy: Test engineers participate in a project’s overall testing strategy. They examine the requirements, pinpoint testable features, and create a thorough testing strategy.
2. Test automation: To speed up the testing process, test engineers create and manage automated test scripts and frameworks. They use scripting and programming languages to build automated tests that can be run repeatedly.
3. Testing for performance and scalability: Test engineers concentrate on assessing the software’s performance and scalability features. They create and run tests to evaluate the system’s performance under various load scenarios and spot any potential bottlenecks or performance problems.
4. CI/CD: Testing is incorporated into the continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipeline by test engineers working with developers and DevOps teams. At various stages of the software development lifecycle, they aid in the establishment of testing procedures and equipment that facilitate automated testing.

Future Scope as a Test engineer

Given the changing nature of software development and the rising need for high-quality software products, the future prospects for test engineers look bright. The following are some areas where test engineers’ future work may be influenced:

• Test automation and Continuous testing: These areas will continue to have a strong demand for test engineers that are knowledgeable in the frameworks, tools, and scripting languages used in test automation. With the growing emphasis on DevOps and Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), the ability to design and implement efficient test automation solutions that integrate seamlessly into the development pipeline will be valuable.
• Performance Engineering: As software systems become more complicated and their user bases grow, performance testing and optimisation are essential. To make sure that software works properly under diverse circumstances and user loads, test engineers who specialize in performance engineering, load testing, and scalability testing will be essential.
• Security Testing: Test engineers with experience in security testing and penetration testing will be in high demand due to the rising frequency of security breaches and the growing necessity of data protection. Essential skills will include the capacity to spot vulnerabilities, carry out detailed security assessments, and recommend corrective actions.
• IoT Testing: Test engineers with expertise in IoT testing, mobile app testing, and compatibility testing will be highly valuable as Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile technologies evolve. It will be essential to have experienced test engineers to provide smooth connectivity, device compatibility, and user experience across many platforms and devices.

Software Tester vs Test Engineer

A software tester and a test engineer are both roles involved in the testing process of software development, but they can have different responsibilities and levels of expertise. 

Test engineers possess technical expertise and may have knowledge of programming and scripting languages. They are proficient in test automation frameworks, performance testing tools, and security testing methodologies. They often specialize in specific areas such as test automation, performance engineering, or security testing. 

On the other hand Software Testers typically have strong domain knowledge, understanding of testing methodologies, and proficiency in manual testing techniques. They may also be skilled in test case design, bug tracking systems, and test documentation.

It’s important to note that the specific responsibilities and job titles can vary across different organizations and industries. Some companies may use the terms “software tester” and “test engineer” interchangeably or have their own unique definitions for these roles.

Conclusion

Test engineers and Software Testers are both roles that are currently in high demand with excellent opportunities for growth in the future. Pivoting into these fields can be highly beneficial and lucrative. Test University by BrowserStack allows people with various levels of experience to learn the skills and knowledge required to do so. 

This all-in-one learning platform allows users to learn practical technologies and frameworks in order to improve their testing skills. Users can get specialization certificates in manual and automation testing from BrowserStack. So get certified and start a career in software testing today.