Software Tester

Although they’re drags to take, tests can be fun to give. Just ask Teachers — or better yet, Software Testers, who spend their days troubleshooting software, putting programs through their paces by trying to outsmart, stump and otherwise flummox them like the computer science version of Alex Trebek.

Software doesn’t need to get an A on its history exam, but it does need to function properly. If you’re a Software Tester, you therefore play a critical role in the software development process.

Indeed, when a Software Developer is creating a new program, he or she typically will hire you to objectively assess it. As an outsider, you play the role of future user, interacting with software in order to find out what’s wrong with it. To that end, your job is piloting all the software’s features and functions, and in so doing apply a series of tests designed to reveal bugs and glitches that impact its performance and stability.

In addition to performing them — there are several standard tests Software Testers administer, which typically involve large amounts of data input and commands — your job might include designing tests, as well as keeping detailed records of test results so that Software Developers can recreate, and hopefully repair, the errors you encounter.

Because you exist to make software work right, you’re an intermediary between Software Developers and consumers. As a result, you must have both the intuition of an end user and the technical knowledge of a Computer Programmer. If you do, you’ll pass your profession with flying colors.