How to become a mobile app tester?
The continuous development of technology has caused the IT industry to play a very important role in everyday life. More and more things need to be programmed and therefore tested. Tester of mobile applications is one of the professions for which demand continues to grow. What is his/her job – Create a perfect CV – and how to become one?
Any company developing mobile apps must ensure that they are of the highest quality, i.e. intuitive, useful, reliable. And this is what software testers are employed for. His task is to check whether everything is consistent with what was assumed at the beginning and whether there are no errors while using the application. It is important that a tester searches and finds bugs, but does not fix them. This is what programmers already do. Tester also checks patches until the application works flawlessly. So an application tester also creates bug reports, develops test scenarios and checks the quality of the application on an ongoing basis.
Features of a good app tester
As in the case of other professions, there is a set of features that make a person predisposed to become a tester. Because of the search for even the smallest errors and inaccuracies, patience, meticulousness and accuracy are inherent qualities of a good tester. Additionally, assertiveness is useful on this position. The defects found should be reported to the developers in a neutral manner, because it is not about finding the culprits, but the bugs themselves, in order to fix them quickly. Software tester should also have soft skills, i.e. ability to find and solve problems, be creative, be able to think analytically. He/she has contact with people at work, so communicativeness and ability to work in a team are in high demand. Apart from that, a tester should adapt to the dynamic pace of development in the IT industry and be oriented to constant updating of his knowledge.
How much does a software tester earn?
Salaries of software testers vary depending on experience in the profession. According to Sedel’s report&Sedlak of 2018 median earnings of software testers at junior level is 4.709 PLN gross, medium 7.250 PLN gross, and the median salary for seniors is 9.900 PLN gross per month.
These are salaries of testers employed on a contract of employment.
On the other hand the job portal No Fluff Jobs gives the earnings of a junior software tester in the range of 5.000-7.The average salary of a mobile application tester is 6,000 PLN gross.000 PLN), the medium is 7.000-12.000 PLN gross (the average is 9 000 PLN), senior 9.500-14.000 PLN gross (the average is 12.000 PLN).
How to become a tester? – Software tester course or self-study
To become a mobile application tester you do not need to have a higher education in the field. Of course, this is an additional advantage, but in the IT industry it is mainly skills that count. This is good news for those who want to change their career.
You can try to learn testing on your own – there are plenty of materials and websites on the Internet, thanks to which you can learn the secrets of the profession and try your hand at it. With the right determination, they can certainly succeed. However, it is worth realizing that this is not a short and smooth process – we should not give up at the start.
The second option is a software tester course. Such programming bootcamp lasts approx. 4 months and allows to obtain competences of a novice automatic tester. In addition, the programming course is an intensive learning consisting of 90% practice.
What employers require?
There are many recruitment offers for the position of an application tester. By analyzing them, you can create a list of requirements of potential employers. Some of them expect minimum experience (6 months), analytical thinking skills, at least B1 level of English, perceptiveness, ability to work in a team, knowledge of UX, knowledge of testing tools.
Before each recruitment interview you should also remember to prepare yourself, check the company website, previous projects, applications. Sometimes during a meeting a recruiter will propose to perform a short task, thus testing your testing skills.