Myths and Facts about a Career in Software Testing: The Perspectives of Students and Practitioners

Testing is an indispensable part of software development. However, a career in software testing is reported to be unpopular among technology students. This can potentially create a shortage of testers in the software industry in the future. The question is, whether the perception that undergraduate students have about software testing is accurate and whether it differs from the experience reported by those who work in testing activities in the software development industry. We obtained 63 answers from practitioners in the software industry, and previous surveys analyzed the perceptions of 648 students from software engineering. This investigation demonstrates that a career in software testing is more exciting and rewarding, as reported by professionals working in the field, than students may believe. Therefore, in order to guarantee a workforce focused on software quality, the academy and the software industry need to work together to better inform students about software testing and its essential role in software development. In particular, courses in testing automation are expected to increase the popularity of the area among students.