CHENNAI, 16th January 2006

Whether you hold a degree in engineering or the arts, software testing can be a rewarding career. Software testing, which used to be an integral part of software development, has emerged as an independent industry following an increased emphasis on quality control in services. Now about a decade old, the industry is growing phenomenally, with even the big players in development setting up their own testing wings, say executives in testing firms. Most of these prefer to provide in-house training depending on their requirements and are often open to taking fresh graduates with a bachelor's degree in arts or sciences. All look for "soft skills and willingness to learn.''

Lack of training academies with recognized and regulated testing certification is a big problem, says V.N. Mahesh, executive director, Maveric Systems, an independent software-testing firm. Trainers at AmitySoft, an institute that offers certificate and training courses on software testing, believe that almost 75 per cent of testing is still done manually.

There are two kinds of testing, says Ramesh Krish of AmitySoft. Testing for performance of an application, or white box testing involving looking at software code to find defects. Candidates with engineering or computer applications degrees are preferred for this type. Knowledge and experience in domains like banking, insurance, healthcare, telecom or logistics is also valuable. People with niche knowledge can be trained and put on to specific projects of the second variety.

Arts and science graduates, just out of college with training in testing, can work their way up in a few years and invite salaries comparable to software developers, several executives say.

The market for software testers in India is likely to open up much more in the coming years since Indian software testing companies can offer testing services at a fraction of the cost required in other parts of the world, says Sridhar Kulasekharan, chief operating officer, RTG.