The two most viable jobs in the IT industry are software development and testing. Mostly, large IT firms get their projects from overseas clients, and the IT department engineers work on those projects.
The IT industry mainly has two career paths. Software development related to coding and software testing focuses on ensuring that software specifications are followed. So, if you are confused about which to choose, here we are to help you choose between these two career paths.
Role of Software Developers and Software Testers
As both roles are linked with each other, both jobs are important. Every project must undergo quality testing before its market release. At the beginning of any project, software testers verify specific documents, and their work continues for the entire project.
However, the work of software development comes much later in the process. Testing jobs need a better understanding of the overall functioning of the software, while a developer job needs the capability to develop and enhance a project by coding. Therefore, specific knowledge of the developers about software is required.
Required Skills of Developers and Testers
Let’s look at the required skills for both jobs before getting into further details:
Software Developers
The developer’s skills are dependent on the project’s specific requirements. The technological stack is chosen by software architects (senior professionals.) For insurance, if the architects choose to use Python, Ruby, C, and Java together for the project, they will choose developers having skills in each of these languages.
Software Testers
Jobs requiring testing require whole different skill sets. They must be knowledgeable about both manual and automated tools in addition to software. Additionally, they must be knowledgeable with scripting languages. Testers for software also develop code. Software testers may produce more code than developers in complicated testing projects. So, both the developers and testers need to have programming skills.
Growth Opportunities
Jobs in software development and testing have different growth paths but can share some similarities. According to the company’s organizational structure, developers become module leads, team leads, project leads, project managers, and more.
The testing positions growth route is also similar. They grow to become team leads, project leads, project managers, test architects, and so on. There is no reason to wonder that testing employment offers limited growth opportunities. Both jobs lead to management positions.
In both positions, you can keep an eye out for career changes. Moreover, many software developers have succeeded in becoming business analysts.
Which one to Choose: Development or Testing?
It’s easier than you might think to decide between testing or a development job. However, if you enjoy coding, software development is your best career.
On the other hand, if you have never created any code for fun, consider testing jobs. In the end, job satisfaction is important. So, if you’re passionate about coding, avoid applying for testing positions.
Remember that you’ll succeed in testing and development jobs if you work hard and are talented. So before making a choice, consider the advantages and disadvantages of each position. It will assist you in making the best professional decision.
