A Day in the Life of a Software Tester (2024)

First thing in the morning, I start my day with a big cup of tea (!coffee), a pep talk to prepare myself for the day ahead and a short break on the terrace along my colleagues, starting the day with laughter. Then, it's time to go on a wild hunt for any urgent issues hiding in my inbox. Once I've successfully tracked them down, I put on my detective hat and go through my schedule to find the most important cases to solve. It's a race against time to get everything done, but I love the thrill of it.

As a tester I am looking for things that can break. And no, I don't mean smashing computers with a sledgehammer - I mean trying to find all the little ways something might go wrong so we can fix it before it gets out to the customers.

So, armed with my trusty keyboard and mouse, I dive headfirst into testing. I might spend hours exploring around, trying to find any glitches or errors that could cause problems for users. Or I might be running endless simulations to see how the software holds up under different conditions. Testing can involve a variety of other activities too, such as:

• Understanding business requirements
• Thinking of testing scenarios
• Writing and running automated tests
• Analyzing logs and error messages to identify potential problems
• Collaborating with other testers to share findings and ideas

After my investigation, I'll often gather with the development team to exchange top-secret information on the latest updates to the software. This is where I get to play detective again and ask all the tough questions to really understand what's going on under the hood. It's like being part of a secret society, but with fewer handshakes and more nerdy talks. 😂

But testing isn't all serious business - sometimes, it can be downright silly. I've definitely spent more time than I care to admit trying to find easter eggs (hidden surprises) in games or sites. And let's not forget about the occasional dance parties that happen at work or impromptu game of ping pong to break up the day.

Of course, there are times when things get frustrating. Maybe I've been testing for hours and still can't find the source of a bug, or maybe the software just isn't cooperating. But even in those moments, I try to stay positive and remind myself that every problem I find is one step closer to a better product and satisfied clients.

Being a tester isn't always glamorous, but it's a challenging and rewarding job that keeps me on my toes (and my fingers clicking away on the keyboard).

H.K.