CAREER AS SOFTWARE TESTER

In recent days this is the most asked question to me by readers. How to get software testing job? How to come in software testing field? or Can I get job in testing? All these questions are similar and I want to give also similar answer for this. I have written post on choosing software testing as your career where you can analyze your abilities and know which are the most important skills required for software testing.

I will continue mentioning that “know your interest before going into any career field”. Just going to software testing career or any other hot career is wrong and which may result into loss of your job interest as well as your job.

Now you know your abilities, skills, interests right? and you have made decision to go for software testing career as it is your favorite career and you suit most in this career. So here is a guideline for how to get a good job in software testing field.

If you are a fresher and just passed out from your college or passing out in coming months then you need to prepare well for some software testing methodologies. Prepare all the manual testing concepts. If possible have some hands-on on some automation and bug tracking tools like winrunner and test director. It is always a good idea to join any software testing institute or class which will provide you a good start and direction of preparation. You can join any 4 months duration software testing course or can do diploma in software testing which is typically of 6 months to 1 year. Keep the preparation going on in your course duration. This will help you to start giving interviews right after getting over your course.

If you have some sort of previous IT experience and want to switch to software testing then it’s somewhat simple for you. Show your previous IT experience in your resume while applying for software testing jobs. If possible do some crash course to get idea of software testing concepts like I mentioned for freshers above. Keep in mind that you have some kind of IT experience so be prepared for some tough interview questions here.

As companies always prefer some kind of relevant experience for any software job, its better if you have relevant experience in software testing and QA. It may be any kind of software testing tools hands-on or some testing course from reputed institutes.

Please always keep in mind- Do not add fake experience of any kind. This can ruin your career forever. Wait and try for some more days to get the job by your abilities instead of getting into trap of fake experience.

Last important words, Software testing is not ‘anyone can do career!’ Remove this attitude from your mind if someone has told such kind of foolish thing to you. Testing requires in depth knowledge of SDLF, out of box thinking, analytical skill and some programming language skill apart from software testing basics.

So best luck and start preparation for your rocking career! I will continue writing this career series and what you actually need to prepare for software testing interview.

HOW NOT TO GET A RAISE: 7 DEADLY SALARY SINS

You do your job and, as far as you're concerned, you do it well. But if your latest salary bump wasn't as big as you'd hoped, you might be committing ones of the seven deadly salary sins.
"Your reputation [at work] is based on trust," emphasizes career coach Agnes Mura, president of Agnes Mura, Inc. "And trust is based on competence, character, and consistency. So etiquette goes way beyond and much more deeply than the surface." Not only can bad etiquette cost you your reputation, it can cost you jobs and promotions, Mura notes.
Payscale.com asked Mura for to share the top workplace sins that can put you on the etiquette hit list.

Deadly Sin 1: Gossiping. Got a hot piece of office gossip? You may want to keep it to yourself. Relationships are delicate, and sometimes a wrong can never be made right. "Speak well of staff including your own colleagues," Mura emphasizes. Always look for the positive and try to be supportive of co-workers.

Deadly Sin 2: Obnoxious or profane comments. Your mom told you a thousand times - and in this case, she was right. Playing a loose cannon and using profanity with co-workers is a quick way to lose friends, a salary increase, or even your job. Refrain from tasteless jokes, emails, or comments at work or work-related events. And if it has anything at all to do with sex - don't say it. Communication should always be emotionally neutral and well thought out, Mura says.

Deadly Sin 3: Being disruptive. Again, mom's wisdom comes into play. No one wants to know your personal business or be blasted by sound that's not relevant to their work. Use a headset instead of speaker phone, earphones for music and turn personal cell phones off or on silent. Noise from calls on speakerphone, vibrating or ringing cell phones, or being chatty can label you as annoying and disruptive. And no one wants that on their annual review.

Deadly Sin 4: Heavy drinking. While it's tempting to party like a rock star, especially when it's on the company's tab, a professional environment is never the place to do it. The price you pay is often loss of respect. "There is no down time when you are with work colleagues," Mura explains. "I don't care if you are going on a field trip; I don't care if you are going dancing or if it's a party -- you are always in a glass house."

Deadly Sin 5: Sending angry emails. Email is a blessing and a curse. Keep it from cursing you down the line by excluding personal, offensive, or hostile language. "If you have anything that has an emotional coloring to discuss, if it's difficult, delicate, if you've got a bit of attitude working about it, pick up the phone or go see people and don't put everything in writing, which you might regret," Mura says.

Deadly Sin 6: Dressing like a slob. Want your boss's job? Appearance implies a ton about your professionalism and capability; take cues from how someone senior to you dresses if you want to be considered for their level of responsibility. Not sure what's appropriate? Wear clothes that are clean, reflect your work culture, and fit properly. "It's very important for people to make sure that their clothes fit. If it's too small, throw it out," says Mura. The same mantra applies if clothes are too long, too big, too revealing, falling apart, or just plain out of style. That goes for hair, nails, and makeup, too. Additionally, dress one step above your job level, Mura adds.

Deadly Sin 7: Bringing germs to work. Misery loves company, but your colleagues will hate you for it when it comes to illness. If you are sick, stay home. Separately, people do notice whether you wash your hands in the bathroom and keep secret tallies among the group (sorry, the sprinkle of water with no soap doesn't count). It's a gross faux pas in an office environment with its many shared surfaces, and handshaking and food opportunities.