Becoming a Successful Software Quality Assurance Specialist

With the invention of new software every other day, there is a dire need for a person who can test the software. This is where the role of quality assurance specialists comes in. They are information technology professionals who are hired as quality inspectors to ensure that their product is launched in the market without any flaw. These days, there is an entire department of specialists dedicated to this process. A structural review of new software helps in erasing inherent flaws or errors. The quality assurance or quality control team forms the basis of the company, and helps in creating a niche for the product in the market. Quality assurance analysts can be hired on a full-time basis or on project basis.

Responsibilities and Key Roles of the QAQC

The quality control technician has to test the software, in order to find and eliminate bugs. They conduct a series of organized tests for examining these products from the perspective of a regular user. The process of examination and testing the software requires thorough planning, organization and execution. The software should pass the specifications created by various systems analysts and technical experts. Thus, the software is developed only when approved by the quality assurance technician.



There are an array of testing tools and devices used for the process, which help in tracking down software defects. The testing procedure is further sub divided to ensure interface tests, system tests, etc. You have to create a report on the specifications of testing, and provide it to the company, along with your analysis of the product. A quality assurance professional is answerable to the business analyst team and development teams about the approval or cancellation of software.

Essential Skills for Becoming a Quality Assurance Specialist

The technician should have a keen eye for detail, along with being well informed about computer software. Those with initial programming experience are preferred. The candidate should also have organizational skills to create and evaluate reports and other statistical data, and be able to think outside the box, and perceive matters from a different perspective. They should be willing to travel a lot, and be well versed with various computer languages like C++, Java and xml and more. They must have basic knowledge of application functionality and know how to make test cases.

Educational Qualifications and Pay Package

To become a quality assurance analyst you should be from a programming or computer application background. Those with diplomas and courses in computer technologies are also preferred. The experience you have along with relevant skill sets can largely affect the salary of an analyst. The annual income of an experienced quality assurance technician or analyst can range from $60,000 to $80,000 annually. Entry level analysts earn about $40,000 to $55,000 per year.

There is a lot of scope in the career of a quality assurance analyst because of new technological developments taking place in the field every other day. Your job helps distinguish the software, which is being launched, and those which should be disregarded by the user.