Quality Assurance Careers:
A New Paradigm

There was a time when quality assurance careers worked best as a single-path paradigm. Software Quality Assurance was solely the realm of the engineer. A career in software testing meant that you would specialize in specific code or language, a type of testing, or maybe even a software testing technique to increase your value.

You might master an area of new technology, build your own testing tools, and be in demand due to your specialization. It made sense. There was very little standard, software as we know it today was in its infancy, and the need for this kind of specialization seemed obvious.

Quality assurance careers had, basically, a single path; become an engineer and specialize. As you became more and more proficient, you could demand greater compensation due to your technical skills.

These principles still hold, but now a career in software testing has many other facets that can be tapped. As the world of software (and hardware) development has matured, so have its needs.

Progressive development and quicker, more effective software project management have created a need for additional quality assurance careers. A new paradigm is necessary to maintain QA’s ability to be an integral, contributing member of the project team.

What Changed?

With the personal computer becoming a standard household item, the opening of the internet to the public worldwide, and the continued expansion of the gaming industry, a new need was created. That need manifested in new software quality assurance careers. The consumer-advocating quality assurance tester became a necessary component of many project teams.

This allowed (in some circumstances even invited) a quality assurance career path for “technically unskilled” SQA testers. These testers could begin a career in software testing without having an engineering degree. They could, and many did.

Enthusiastic herds joined the software industry. Testers were needed in the gaming sector. Many people entered the tech market as Beta Testers. There was an explosion in the number of jobs available in the world of Software Quality Assurance! That this became so prevalent should be no surprise. Whether it was the lure of getting paid to play video games, a desire to improve the products offered to consumers, or any one of a number of other reasons, these testers came in droves (and they’re still coming)! The world of software quality assurance acquired a human-focused facet that concentrates on using products just as a consumer would – the good and the bad. This won’t change any time in the near future.

But Where is the Big Buck?

This created an unforeseen challenge for those wanting a software testing career; being a tester means that you can reach the ceiling of your pay scale relatively quickly – especially if you’re really good (and isn’t that the point). Testers may begin as low as $6.00 - $10.00 per hour. Most positions reach their ceiling at $30.00 - $35.00 per hour.

Now, I’m not saying that’s bad money. But if you want to continue to advance in your quality assurance career and make more money, you have to get out of testing. That’s right, you’ve learned all of these great testing skills, filled a demand, but you’ve now reached the top. No one will pay you more unless you do something different.

Even if you do have great skill, even if you are an expert at scripting…what if the job requires only black box testing? Can you get paid what you are worth? Or must you pass on that opportunity and move on to the next?

If you want to have project flexibility and increase your pay ceiling (by a LOT), you will need to go into management. In the software quality assurance field, it you want to make the “big buck” (as a colleague of mine calls it), you can’t remain just a tester. You must become a lead tester, then a manager, then a director, etc. That’s where the “big buck” is!

But what if you are not a great leader? What if you’re greatest strength is as a tester..?

The Old Paradigm

Blasphemer!!! It’s true. This is just a weak model. It worked in the past and for some other departments, may still be useful. But when applied to software quality assurance careers, this is just a bad idea.

Why? Think about this for just a moment: What happens when you take your best tester and turn them into a lead tester? Well to start with, you have just removed one of the best (if not the best) testers from your arsenal. It is very possible that the quality of the testing you provide just took a hit. This is not a Good Thing.

What if they don’t make a good lead tester? What if it’s just not something they can excel at? Then what do you do? “Demote” them? Turn them back into a tester? What effect do you think this has on the rest of your team? Does it adversely affect their morale? How great a tester is your “failed” lead now?

Or…let’s turn that around and try it from another angle: What if you have an average tester and you let them toil away without ever getting the chance to become a great lead? What if they are great with people, eloquent in speech and written word, motivational, forward thinking, and completely organized…but the task of performing the same test repeatedly puts them to sleep? What do you do?

Should you make them become a great tester before allowing them the chance to lead? What if they don’t ever become a top tester? How effective of a leader are you if in this scenario?

The New Paradigm

Both roles are equally important. Both parties work toward the same end-goal. Both individuals should be rewarded for excelling. It makes no sense to pay an average lead tester more than an exceptional tester. The later is probably even more valuable.

Using this model for software quality assurance careers, a QA tester can earn what they are worth and still remain a tester. They may become a great tester; each day adding to their repertoire, expanding their skill set, and sharpening their saw. They do not encounter a pay ceiling simply because of their title.

By the same token, a QA lead can continue to build on their lead skills and make their teams better. They can focus on their role as a lead. As they support their team, the lead will in turn be supported by a superior group of testers.

This creates a stronger department all the way around! Each person fills a role at which they can excel. Instead of focusing so much effort trying so painfully to work through all of your weaknesses (while committed to achieving an overly-aggressive schedule), in this model of successful quality assurance, you concentrate on greatness.

Begin with your strengths and improve. This is where real improvements and true innovation are found. Using this model for quality assurance careers, testers and leads can be more effective, better testing executed more quickly, and more robust systems implemented for long-term gain.

This all translates into cost savings for the company or the client – whoever needs QA. It also provides a far more rewarding work environment for the Quality Assurance Professional.

Not There Yet…

Successful Quality Assurance is probably not the only entity practicing this dual-path paradigm for quality assurance careers, but it is the only one I have ever heard of. There is too much unquestioned “this-is-the-way-we-have-always-done-it” tradition to create a sweeping change overnight.

Successful Quality Assurance works with this more successful model every day. We know that it is more effective. Delivering the most effective Quality Assurance services, resources, and tools is our goal.


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