The rapid growth of the Indian economy is in a big way dependent on the strides and advancements made in the IT and ITES industries. The Indian IT industry is projected to be the world’s largest in a few years time and it is not just the software companies that are making this phenomenon happen but also the hundreds of ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services) companies. They form a major chunk of the IT revenues of the nation.

ITES industries occupy a broad spectrum of area of applications like BPO, KPO, LPO and other outsourcing firms plus content development, Medical Transcription Analysis and Statistic firms, Software Testing firms and many more. The above mentioned are just few of the numerous ITES companies operating in India.

Of this the BPO industry accounts for a major share in the revenue department but others are fast catching up and some are already ahead of BPO in terms of Job preference by graduates. The best example of such a booming career option is Software Testing.

So what exactly is this Software Testing all about?

It is very simple. Just imagine you bought a new mobile phone. The manufacturer claimed that the phone supports playback of a particular set of music formats. But when you bought it and started using it you found out that one particular format which the manufacturer claimed that the phone will support was not supported in the phone. You will be a bit excited to learn about this problem. Well you have successfully become a tester.

This is exactly the same thing that a software tester does. The only difference is that he carries out a comprehensive testing approach with pre determined methods and testing tools and with established standards unlike your rather accidental discovery of an issue. A Software tester tests software to find bugs and issues that arise as a result of various defects during the development of the software whether it is in the coding and algorithmic part of the software or in the design and structural part.

He rigorously tests the software to ensure that it meets the desired qualities and requirements of its potential end users and also checks whether it satisfies all claims made by the developer of developing team about the functionality of the software.

Why it came into existence?

The field of software testing emerged primarily because of the lack of specialized personal in this section. Earlier developers of software’s tested it on their own and many issues went unnoticed as a result of lack of proper and appropriate testing methodologies and tools.

The concept was first brought to light by IBM when they made the first testing team way back in the 1950’s.

What a software tester need to know is a close and comprehensive knowledge about the Software’s structure and the requirements of both the clients and the developers and also the various constraints involved.

Better choice in ITES industries

So if you are interested in having an ITES career then the role of a Software Tester is a good choice especially in India where being a part of a BPO firm or medical transcription firm is considered as a low profile job.

Here the name Software plays an important job as many people especially parents and elders will fall flat on hearing the word Software. They will assume that their children are part of software development.

But to those students who aspire to become a tester of software’s they must clearly understand the roles of a software tester are very much abstract from that of a software developer.

A software developer basically develops the software. He is the brain behind the entire thing. A software tester on the other hand works closely with the developers and understands the software and then helps the developers to fix problems in it by identifying it for them.

Eligibility

So what does it take to be a tester?

It is not very simple as a BPO or transcription job. First of all only those students who have completed a graduation in any of the following streams should apply for the post of a Software Tester.

The list of courses for the same are

• BSc Computer Science
• MSc Computer Science
• BE/B.Tech
• M.Tech
• MS in Computer Science

In fact relevant knowledge in computers and technical subjects is a must. The job is especially suited for students with knowledge in software’s and software engineering concepts.

Where to study?

There are numerous institutes that offer Software testing courses in India. Students having other degrees or qualifications can enroll for such courses in private institutes and get certified to be a Software Tester. But make sure that the institute provides hands on live experiences and projects in software testing rather than a few theory classes with a dozen power point slides and finally issues you a certificate even without you having to pass a qualifying exam. Such practices result in you getting a certified status but yet are unaware of any Software testing practices and principles.

A real Software tester must have successfully tested a number of software and also very familiar with the numerous testing tools available in the market today.

But before choosing such a career you need to be cleared of all the popular misconceptions associated with the course or career. Many think of the course as a worthless one. They say anyone can become a software tester and only a developer is a real talent. Also many have a belief that testers do not get remunerations on par with Software developers.

The next thing is selecting an institute. There are thousands of institutes offering Software testing courses in India. Some offer it as a certification course, some as a diploma course and so on. A typical certification course may range from 1 month to 6 months and will cost from Rs 10000 to Rs 60000 depending on the institute and the value of the certificate.

There are vast opportunities for Software Testers as they are in need all over the world especially by companies who require Software testers for onsite works. So you have placement opportunities outside of India as well.

Job Prospects

To get into a job you either have to go through campus recruitments held in your college as well as in others where students from your college are also eligible to attend. But this is mainly for fresh engineering or BSc and MSc graduates. Otherwise you should join a reputed institution offering Testing courses and then get certified as a tester. You can find software testing jobs online in many sites and also in career sections of Newspapers.

Final say

In all this industry is growing at a rapid pace and is soon expected to top the charts for ITES industries. So it is a lucrative choice for many students who want a career in the Software field but are not willing to take development as a key sector.