Jobs in quality assurance occur in every sector of the job market, from determining whether or not some products are safe and effective to determining whether or not food is safe for consumption and meets the standards set by the federal government or as proclaimed on the label. Simply put, all jobs for quality assurance are there to make sure as much as is possible that products do what they say they're going to do.
This wasn't always the case. Before standards were set by the government, people could claim any number of wild benefits for medications, products, services, and so on. In some cases, though, these products were not only useless, they were dangerous. In response, the federal government set forth standards beginning in the late 1800s to assure consumers as much as possible that products and services all meet certain safety and quality standards. These standards continue to be revised as new foods, products, and services are developed and come on the market.
Software Quality Assurance Jobs
Today, one of the major areas of quality assurance is in the software industry. Of course, back when government standards were first set, computers weren't even on the horizon. Today, though, they are almost as ubiquitous as the telephone. Those who work in software quality assurance, such as technicians, make sure that computer software programs are user-friendly and perform as they should. This is true for both new programs and for those that are revised and come out as new editions.
Quality Assurance Job Duties
Software quality assurance technicians test programs by deliberately trying to do things that will crash them or otherwise make them stop functioning. This helps software developers see where there might be weaknesses that they can fix. By doing so, they help ensure that a variety of consumers, no matter their level of computer skill, can use the programs without dealing with malfunctions. For example, computer technicians may be very good at typing quickly, but they may also type very slowly at times to simulate someone who's not particularly familiar with keyboards. Such tests help ensure that the computer program will work as well as it can under a variety of conditions.
The mouse is a very important part of computer technology, too. Technicians utilize tests for the mouse to make sure that it's going to respond appropriately within the context of the program being tested. For example, if they click on places within the computer screen that aren't appropriate, an ideal situation might be that the computer does not respond at all. They want to make sure, in effect, that the program will only respond to legitimate commands and that it won't crash even with inappropriate ones. As they test the software, they keep very detailed logs about what they've done so that the program can be retested and verified.
Once the quality control technician has gone through the program and made a record of all of the errors, s/he passes this information on to computer programmers who can then fix the problems (which are often called "bugs" within the industry).
Education and Training
A software quality assurance technician can begin work with little to no education beyond high school. Just about anyone beyond a high school level can do this type of work part-time or on a short-term basis as long as they are familiar with computers. If you wish to have this type of position full-time, you should become very familiar with computers and may need a background in network administration or software programming. Usually, a four-year degree is not required, though, and in fact some software companies prefer to hire people who don't have much experience because they are much more in line with the typical computer user in regard to skill levels.
Beyond the aforementioned skills, you must be willing to work irregular hours (if working full-time) and be willing to meet programmers' or developers' schedules. As such, there may be times when you are working a lot and times when you are working very little, especially if you work on a contract or freelance basis.
Working as a Software Quality Assurance Technician
Some software quality assurance technicians are hired through particular companies' quality assurance departments on a permanent basis, but many technicians also work for companies on a freelance basis. You may find these types of positions online or in trade magazines. In addition, if you have a circle of acquaintances that are involved with this type of work, you may also hear about jobs from them.
Compensation and Job Outlook
Not all software quality assurance technicians are paid for the work they do. In some cases, so-called "gamers" test late-stage versions of video games simply for the pleasure of playing them. In other cases, they may be paid an hourly fee, but this, too, varies depending on demand, skill level, the area you live in, and so on. Nonetheless, demand will remain high for these types of positions as software is continually developed, refined, and put out in new editions.
