Testing Careers – What Should You Know?Testing Careers – What Should You Know?

Sharon Picken

EDS (Operations) Pty Ltd

Sharon Picken

EDS (Operations) Pty Ltd

AgendaAgenda

• Market survey of testing jobs

• Level of acceptance of certification

• Testing job family and competencies

• New employee – employer relationship

• Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK)

• Testing Body of Knowledge

• Tester certification schemes

• Test tool certification

• Conclusion

Market SurveyMarket Survey

• SEEK.com

• January, February and March 2003

• Australia and New Zealand

• Testing positions

– Testers

– Test Analysts / Engineers

– Test Team Leaders

– Test Managers

Number of Jobs

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Week in 2003

Market Survey – Week by WeekMarket Survey – Week by Week

Jobs by Location

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90A

CT

- M

etro

AU

S

NS

W -

Cou

ntry

NS

W -

Met

ro NZ

NZ

- A

uckl

and

NZ

- C

hris

tchu

rch

NZ

- W

ellin

gton

QLD

- C

ount

ry

QLD

- M

etro

SA

- M

etro

VIC

- C

ount

ry

VIC

- M

etro

WA

- M

etro

Market Survey – by LocationMarket Survey – by Location

Jobs by Industry

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Avi

atio

n

Con

sum

er

Def

ence

Edu

catio

n

Ele

ctro

nics

Fin

ance

Gam

es

Gam

ing

Imag

ing

Lega

l

Logi

stic

s

Man

ufac

turin

g

Med

ia

Med

ical

Non

e S

tate

d

Ret

ail

Sim

ulat

ion

Tel

ecom

s

Market Survey – by IndustryMarket Survey – by Industry

Tool Skills Required

Compuware

Mercury Interactive

Preferred

Rational

Segue

None Stated

Market Survey – Tool Skills RequiredMarket Survey – Tool Skills Required

Degree Required

Yes

Not Stated

Market Survey – Degree RequiredMarket Survey – Degree Required

Market Survey – RemunerationMarket Survey – Remuneration

Package

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

40,0

00

45,0

00

50,0

00

55,0

00

60,0

00

65,0

00

66,0

00

70,0

00

75,0

00

80,0

00

85,0

00

100,

000

120,

000

Market Survey - Career ProgressionMarket Survey - Career Progression

Do

Tester – $40 to $55K

Test Analyst / Engineer - $55 to $65K

Senior Tester - $65 to $75K

Test Team Leader - $75 to $85K

Test Manager - $85 to $120K

Manage

Level of Acceptance of CertificationLevel of Acceptance of Certification

• 262 testing jobs surveyed

• 1 required “a certificate in testing”

• Little knowledge of tester certification in industry

• Confusion between body of knowledge certification and test tool certification

• Certification is not currently required by industry, but will improve your interview chances

• A “hypothetical”

Organisational Job FamiliesOrganisational Job Families

CorporateCorporate

FinanceFinance

CustomerBusinessCustomerBusiness

SalesSales ServiceDeliveryService

Delivery

TechnicalDelivery

TechnicalDelivery

AdministrationAdministration ConsultingConsulting

MarketingMarketingSystem EngineerSystem Engineer

Testing Job Family and CompetenciesTesting Job Family and Competencies

Associate Analyst Specialist Senior Specialist

Asset Manager Asset Manager Asset Manager

Business Development Business Development

Business Process Business Process Business Process

Independent Test Developer Independent Test Developer

Independent Tester Independent Tester Independent Tester

Infrastructure Developer Infrastructure Developer Infrastructure Architect

Performance Assurance Tester Performance Assurance Tester Performance Assurance Tester Performance Assurance Test Manager

Project Leader Project Manager Project Manager

Sales Pursuit Engineer

System Methods and Tools System Methods and Tools

Technology Thought Leader

New Employee - Employer RelationshipNew Employee - Employer Relationship

• Career ownership

• Loyalty expectations

• Career path

• Labour mobility

• Compensation

• Information mobility

Software Engineering Body of KnowledgeSoftware Engineering Body of Knowledge

RequirementsRequirements

DesignDesign

ConstructionConstruction

TestingTesting

MaintenanceMaintenance

ConfigurationManagementConfigurationManagement

EngineeringManagement Engineering

Management

EngineeringProcess

EngineeringProcess

EngineeringTools and Methods

EngineeringTools and Methods

QualityQuality

Testing Body of KnowledgeTesting Body of Knowledge

Basic ConceptsAnd DefinitionsBasic ConceptsAnd Definitions

Test LevelsTest Levels

Test TechniquesTest Techniques

Managing theTest Process

Managing theTest Process

Test RelatedMeasures

Test RelatedMeasures

Tester Certification SchemesTester Certification Schemes

Provider SchemeK. J. Ross & Associates, supported by Software Engineering Australia (SEA)

Certified Software Test Professional (CSTP) – Foundation and Advanced Phases

International Institute for Software Testing (IIST), Golden Valley, Minnesota

(not run in Australia)

Certified Software Test Professional (CSTP) – Foundation and Advanced Phases (not the

same as above)

British Computer Society (BCS) Information Systems Examinations Board (ISEB),

Wiltshire, United Kingdom

(run in Australia by PlanIT)

ISEB Foundation and Practitioner Certificates in Software Testing

ISEB Practitioner Diploma in Software Testing

Quality Assurance Institute (QAI), Orlando, Florida

(not run in Australia)

QAI Certified Software Test Engineer (CSTE)

American Society for Quality Control (ASQ), Milwaukee, Wisconsin

ASQ Certified Software Quality Engineer (CSQE)

Mercury Interactive Test Tool CertificationMercury Interactive Test Tool Certification

• Certified Product Consultant (CPC)

– for technical professionals who want to demonstrate their proficiency with Mercury Interactive software

– TestDirector, WinRunner, LoadRunner, QuickTest Pro, and Topaz

• Certified Instructor (CI)

– CPC-holders who want to qualify to teach official Mercury Interactive courses

In ConclusionIn Conclusion

• Meet the body of knowledge requirements for software testing

• Ensure you are skilled in the use of automated testing tools

• Understand industry specifics

• Seek appropriate tertiary qualifications, if required

• Determine a path through the various types and levels of testing jobs available

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