Software Quality Assurance Testers

Students interested in quality assurance and other computer jobs should gain wide exposure to computer systems and programs of all kinds. Get a computer at home, borrow a friend's, or check out the computer lab at your school. Work on becoming comfortable using Windows programs and learn how to operate all parts of your computer, including the hardware, thoroughly. Look for bugs in your software at home and practice writing them up. Keep up with emerging technologies. If you cannot get hands-on experience, read books on testing and familiarize yourself with methodology, terminology, the development cycle, and where testing fits in. Join a computer group or society. Subscribe to newsletters or magazines that are related to testing or quality assurance. Get involved with online newsgroups that deal with the subject. Check out Web sites that deal with quality assurance.

If you live in an area where numerous computer software companies are located, you might be able to secure a part-time or summer job as a quality assurance tester. In addition, investigate the possibility of spending an afternoon with an employed quality assurance tester to find out what a typical day is like for him or her.