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Importance of Quality Assurance


For this week's software quality assurance Blog, I would like to revisit software testing as a career, because it is something that I am interested in pursuing. I found an article, “Software testing is big business,” from a South African website, “itweb.co.za”.

In the article, it stresses the importance of quality assurance in software. I think I have said here in this blog how fickle customers can be with software that is buggy and jump ship at the first chance if the code causes them even a slight inconvenience. If I have not said it here, I know I have read something similar before. The article repeats this sentiment, and it is probably something worth repeating. 

The article continues and says that developers often rush to add new features, while leaving quality assurance as an afterthought. The article claims that when companies allocate resources properly, about one third of IT budgets are allocated to software quality assurance and testing.

The article says that often software testers are seen as “second-rate,” which should not be the case. I was talking to my dad about entering the field as a software tester. He is a software developer, and he said something interesting that a colleague told him. He asked a coworker of his why he decided to stay a QE (Quality Engineer) when he had a lot of opportunities to be a developer. The answer surprised him, and I thought it was a good mindset that I might think about when I enter the field.

The QE said that a developer will usually work on one project at a time, and won’t be able to influence what other developers working on other projects are doing. A QE, on the other hand, will be able to influence everyone’s work. He has his finger in many, many pies.

I am more resolved to get into quality assurance the more that I learn about it. It doesn’t necessarily have to be something I do forever if I find I don’t enjoy it. I’m sure it would be easy enough to switch tracks.

I once heard some advice that when you don’t know where you want to go, a step in any direction is a step in the right direction. It is better that than being so paralyzed to make no choice. I felt this way when I had to declare my concentration, and again before that when I had to declare my major. In the same way, if an opportunity presents itself to start a career in quality assurance, I would like to jump at the chance.

https://www.itweb.co.za/content/KrxP3jqBkXkvA2ye

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