Will just a two months course on Software Testing provide us Excellent career Opportunities? This is the question many of us will have in mind. Software Testing is one of the key areas in Software engineering where learning processes along with the technical skills is also important.
Learning technical skills is not much difficult task to do. Though many of us think that learning Java, C# or other programming languages are tough to learn, it is not generic to all. If you have real passion to learn, good coach to train – technical skills are nothing to worry. To get real exposure on those, you can start working on simple projects like Online Calendar, Scientific calculator, etc.
Knowing or Understanding the various processes involved in Software Testing is much easier than learning technical things. In fact, that is one of the reasons why many of us choose Software Testing course. But mere knowing the processes will not lead us to become good professionals. Deploying the processes is necessary at the right time with right manner. Unless we know how to implement, Do you think knowing is useful? No.
Exposure is Must:
It is good (in fact, necessary) to have some practical exposure on applying our knowledge what we know. If Software testing courses, everyone will be taught about Black box testing techniques. Unless these techniques are applied, we are just book warms. Bug Life Cycle or Incident Life Cycle is another area. Nevertheless the students are taught with this life cycle, it is really difficult to remember all the times.
How and Where to Start:
What can we do to get real hands on experience? We can start searching for Open Source / Free Software projects where they are searching for Freelance testers. Many Open Source project teams are searching for Freelance developers and testers. We can create a WIN – WIN climate by contributing to those projects.
Along with this real exposure, we can mention these things in our curriculum vitae. Thus we become unique than other students who are getting Software Testing training. Until we get a decent job, we could contribute to these projects and thus we can say ‘I have these no. of months as freelance testers’. For our life time, that experience will be added to our professional career. Once we get into a job, we could apply the knowledge what we learnt from our freelance experience. The vice versa is also true. Free Software world will also get your contribution and techniques what you learn from your new job.