Interview Questions

What is the future of software QA/testing?

Software QA/Testing Technical FAQs


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What is the future of software QA/testing?

In software QA/testing, employers increasingly want us to have a combination of technical, business, and personal skills. By technical skills they mean skills in IT, quantitative analysis, data modeling, and technical writing. By business skills they mean skills in strategy and business writing. By personal skills they mean personal communication, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. We, employees, on the other hand, want increasingly more autonomy, better lifestyle, increasingly more employee oriented company culture, and better geographic location. We continue to enjoy relatively good job security and, depending on the business cycle, many job opportunities. We realize our skills are important, and have strong incentives to upgrade our skills, although sometimes lack the information on how to do so. Educational institutions increasingly ensure that we are exposed to real-life situations and problems, but high turnover rates and a rapid pace of change in the IT industry often act as strong disincentives for employers to invest in our skills, especially non-company specific skills. Employers continue to establish closer links with educational institutions, both through in-house education programs and human resources. The share of IT workers with IT degrees keeps increasing. Certification continues to keep helping employers to quickly identify us with the latest skills. During boom times, smaller and younger companies continue to be the most attractive to us, especially those that offer stock options and performance bonuses in order to retain and attract those of us who are the most skilled. High turnover rates continue to be the norm, especially during economic boom. Software QA/testing continues to be outsourced to offshore locations. Software QA/testing continues to be performed by mostly men, but the share of women keeps increasing.

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