Technology is complex, ever-evolving, and changing as rapidly as we can think - often even faster! Have you ever wondered, given all these moving parts and constant advancements, why the technology we rely on everyday doesn’t constantly fail? With so many intricacies that must work together exactly as designed, how does technology keep getting easier to use? It’s truly remarkable that most of the ideas supported by technology ever work at all!

To understand and appreciate our world’s high dependency on technology, we must also understand and appreciate the human minds and hands who are behind its inner workings on a daily basis. Some of those minds and hands belong to  software testers who dedicate much of their time to testing devices, appliances, or software long before it ever reaches the end user.  

Individuals who excel as software testing analysts are organized, critical thinkers with a keen attention to detail. They are someone who enjoys helping a team identify and solve problems before most of the world ever knows such problems exist. And unlike programmers or coders, software testing analysts don’t have to dive deep “under the hood” of technology, but still get to play a critical role in the amazing tech systems and tools we benefit from each and every day.

Does a career as a software testing analyst sound like something that could align with your interests and skills? It’s a growing field that is accessible to just about anyone with a passion for how things work and a willingness to be a constant learner. It’s an important job and the world needs more software testing analysts! After all, they are the last line of defense to ensure the systems and devices used daily meet our needs to keep our world running. Sound interesting? Keep reading to learn more.

What Does A Software testing Analyst Do?

A software testing analyst is a great entry level IT job with a wide range of responsibilities in which you can grow and evolve. Best of all, you’re not expected to have all the answers, especially in the beginning. Your role is to assess and test technology much like how a consumer would use it. Where you find hang ups and pitfalls, you bring them to the team for collaborative problem solving. You get to test out technology in an environment where finding a problem is a good thing, because it means it can be addressed before it’s an issue for hundreds of thousands of other people. The work you do really makes a difference, even if most people never know the issues you uncovered and addressed long before these tools reached their hands. 

Whether you’re an entry level worker looking to break into this career field, or you have some tech experience and are looking to shift your career path, upskilling to become a software testing analyst can offer great opportunity and fulfillment that’s worth pursuing! Take a look at these common responsibilities to understand a bit more about what some of your day-to-day roles may include:

• Creating test cases, scripts and plans to organize the testing process to ensure all aspects of the software is tested.
• Review the software manuals, documentation or help files for clarity and ease of understanding.
• Manually test new software applications or devices to look for bugs and validate functionality.
• Document the results of the tests and identify the process to recreate the defect.
• Use automated testing tools which are designed to ensure individual components work well with other components.
• Participate in meetings with the product team to discuss the project status and help identify potential problems.
• Use past experience to help identify potential pitfalls in new software projects.

Skills of a Software Testing Analyst

As a software testing analyst, your skills and personality traits are equally important factors that will help enhance your success on this career path. Here are some common skills that are highly valued and will be used frequently if you choose a job in software testing. 

Detail Oriented: Software testers must have a keen attention to detail which allows them to notice small changes, inconsistencies, and “breaks” that could lead to bigger problems down the road. Big or small, you must be a detective actively looking for signs that indicate a weakness with the software, so that it can be strengthened before it reaches the hands of the consumer. 

Strong Communicator: Software testing analysts must be able to provide clear and accurate documentation to other members of the development team. They must also know how to communicate complex information to non-technical people. In this role you really are the interpreter between the user, the technology, and the people who create and fix the technology. Strong communicators help prevent wires from getting crossed - literally and figuratively!

Problem Solver: Good problem solving skills are critical to software testing. You must be able to identify issues and understand how to reproduce these issues so that you can show the team so that they might better understand as well. But you’re more than just a problem-finder, you’re also a problem-solver, meaning you’ll be expected to bring your own ideas to the table about how an issue can and should be resolved.

How to Get Started

If you’re still reading, there’s a good chance what you’ve learned about being a software testing analyst excites you and you’d like to learn more about what this career path could look like if applied to your own life. Awesome!

Becoming a software testing analyst is a great way for detail-oriented people to get started in tech, with limitless opportunities from there. In your role you will be able to work with network technicians, software developers, security experts and designers to help create user-friendly, bug-free products that quite literally shape the world.

The employment outlook for software testing analysts is expected to grow faster than many other technology careers. The demand for high quality reliable software products will continue to grow as software is integrated into more critical roles such as: transportation, military, logistics & medical. Simply put, there’s never been a better time to consider a career as a software testing analyst!

NuPaths offers a comprehensive training program to become a software testing analyst that equips you with the most essential skills and knowledge to land your first job in this role. This program is ready and waiting for you! Take the first step today to talk to a friendly member of the NuPaths team who can help answer your questions. Your future is calling - will you answer?