Some Test/Quality Assurance (QA) Engineers work with computer science-related applications. A lot of what they do involves making sure that software does what it's supposed to do. On a day-to-day basis, they create test plans and test cases to determine whether certain parts of the program function as written. When problems arise, they are responsible for finding and debugging rough spots in the code. QA Software Engineers also review user interfaces to ensure functionality and uniform design. They're present for every step of the software development process, interpreting and reporting testing results to their superiors and the rest of the software team.
In terms of personality, they are methodical, organized, and detail-oriented. Customer satisfaction is important to them, and they are dedicated to producing software of the highest quality. They are fast learners with the flexibility to handle changes in tasks, and they aren't afraid of group collaboration or individual work. It's a fast-paced position, and successful QA Software Engineers are efficient workers who have a "test it to break it" attitude. It's a very analytical and investigative type of work, and lovers of experimental procedures will thrive in this career path.
The physical requirements of being a software test engineer rarely go beyond finger dexterity the ability to handle prolonged sitting. Positions in this line of work are entirely indoors and generally full-time. Most positions require a minimum of a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or related fields with a few years of project testing leadership experience. Different positions will require knowledge of different programming languages, but common ones include C or C++ and JAVA.
Test / Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer (Computer Software) Tasks
- Find bugs, defects, and regressions.
- Design, implement, execute and debug information technology test cases and scripts.
- Validate and document completion of testing and development.
- Automate test cases.
- Verify fixes.