In 2021, the global technology market reached a value of more than $5 trillion, a 4.2% growth rate from the previous year.
With the rate of tech progress across so many areas, the need for tech workers continues to soar.
IT departments spend 56% of their regular budgets on updating technology hardware components. With these updates also come software upgrades.
The need for software testers continues to be great with all this growth. A software tester requires a unique combination of analytical and creative skills to test the software’s capabilities truly.
Read on to learn more about the role of software testers in software development and what skills they need to bring to the table.
What Is a Tester Mindset?
The role of a software tester is to challenge everything about a software program. The goal is to improve the quality of the software program while eliminating any potential issues that arise.
Testing software means the test must approach the software and:
- Think critically
- Question assumptions
- Approach testing with a problem-solving mindset
It’s essential that the developer who already knows the software well should not necessarily be the software tester. The tester wants to find issues the developer might not have thought of.
They must pose questions and challenge assumptions about the program’s functions, then work with the developer to address needed changes.
Let’s look more closely at the traits and skills used by successful software testers.
Empathy and Roleplaying
As software testers, one of the most important things they must do is imagine themselves as the end user. What will the user think while navigating the software?
Their role is to:
- Imagine what the user might do
- Predict what might be confusing
- Imagine how they might get frustrated
The tester’s role is to emulate the user’s behavior and see what the experience will be like. Empathy for the user will help them know what motivates the user and their objectives and incentives when using the software.
Attention to Detail
With the various types of software, another vital trait of the software tester is their fine-tuned attention to detail.
As they navigate a new piece of software, they need to notice everything about it. What details of the application stand out? What potential issues might there be in the software?
This attention to detail allows them to notice places where developers may need to revisit the software programming.
Challenging Assumptions
In the world of software development, the idea of challenging assumptions is often thrown about as just what testers do. This doesn’t mean asking why at every turn.
In fact, part of the role of challenging assumptions is knowing when to challenge them. What things are in the program that need challenging? What could potentially lead users astray?
Developers will rely on software testers to evaluate critically and identify areas of a program that need to be questioned.
Inverted Thinking
As a software tester looking at new software, you have to know if there are issues with the software. Approach the testing with this mindset.
If the tester approaches the testing like everything is good, then often that’s what they will find.
Instead, approach the testing like an investigator trying to find those potentially hidden issues.
As you challenge the software, let the software prove that there’s nothing wrong. Or, if there’s a problem, question what isn’t working in the software.
Intuitive Thinking
A tester has a mindset to follow their instincts and intuition when challenging new software.
If testing software simply meant answering a set of reestablished questions, then a tester wouldn’t really be necessary.
The creative instincts and intuition of when to question are important in truly testing the strength and boundaries of a software application.
A good tester will not approach software with a reestablished plan of what they expect to see and find. Instead, they will let the program guide their testing and questioning.
Exploratory Behavior
A software tester is much like an explorer looking for something they aren’t sure is there. Or looking for something that might be there, and digging around and looking under layers to find what you need is necessary.
A tester will explore a software application to see what they might find and challenge assumptions. They will also explore to find the problems that likely exist.
Recognition of Human Nature
Developing a new piece of software is a process carried out by humans working through a series of steps. The software is the end product.
Yet, because it’s a process, the software tester needs to recognize the human component that went into developing the program and how it might impact its functions.
Problems with a software program may not just easily present themselves. It may require digging and even thinking through the development process.
Curiosity
For all of the left-brained analytical traits required of a software tester, they also must have a deep sense of curiosity.
The tester needs to wonder how things work in the program. The tester should be a natural questioner about how the program progresses and why.
Think Like a User
While software testers might be highly technically savvy and understand how things work at a higher level, they must act and think like a user might when using the program.
How might an actual user navigate a software program? This will help them unearth the potential that a user might face or the challenges that exist in navigating the program.
Skills for Software Testers
Software testers are integral to the overall success of new software programs. Their challenges and questions help build a product that works for users.
Do you have a great idea for a software program or app? We want to help you build it and test it. Contact us and tell us more about your project so we can get to work for you.
