How do you describe your job to people?

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Check out my MoT article, “What is software testing?,” to read many different definitions of what software testing is.

No matter where in your testing career you are, we have all been asked, ‘what do you do?’ And it is not the easiest question to answer simply. In this article, there are both well known and community definitions.

What You’ll Learn:

  • The origins of software testing
  • The value of software testing
  • Well known and community definitions of software testing
  • Testers growth paths

After reading, share your thoughts:

  • Which definitions resonate with you?
  • How do you describe your job or testing to people?
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This is such an interesting topic because I feel like none of the definitions given in the article are what I have said in the past when describing my career to laypersons.

I usually go with the extremely dumbed down explanation of “you know when people create software? I’m the person that make sure it works in the end” or something to that effect.

While I don’t personally believe this covers 99% of what the role involves, I have found this to be the easiest way for people to understand the role.

“Software testing is an empirical, technical investigation conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality of the product or service under test.” 

- Cem Kaner

While I totally agree with this definition for example, I don’t think it will be very useful to someone that has no idea about testing as a career.

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in short:
I test software to ensure it meets quality standards and functions as expected before release. I design and execute tests, identify issues based on requirements and standards, and collaborate with the team to improve the product, ensuring a smooth and reliable user experience.

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My job is all about making the world better by improving the quality of software. :grinning_face:

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Do people really care about that? When was the last time some of you were asked about it?
When I tell people about my profession I say I test software and it ends there.

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I’m gonna go for Quality Coach, since I’m more mentoring these days :smiley:

Testing is giving insights on risks, where risk is any threat to the customer value of the product to be delivered.

PS: @adystokes

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You forgot to put this one in bold :smiley:

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Actually, during one of the interviews last year, I faced this question when the interviewer asked me to describe my job to them in my own words and experience.

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The definition that resonated with me the most-software testing is not just finding bugs but ensuring that product meets user expectations, functions correctly, and pprovide a smooth experience. It is not just about test cases, but risk mitigation and continous improvement also.

My role is to make software works as expected before it reaches users so that they don’t experience problems.

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All of us have had bad interviewing experiences, but that doesn’t mean you should focus on them just to satisfy interviewers’ poor approaches

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Thanks Kristof, I’ve flagged it and recommended you for a bug finder badge! :party_popper:

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Agreed :100:, that was just an experience that gives a lesson nothing else.

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I tell them I’m the 3rd eye of 1984 Big Brother. :slightly_smiling_face:

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I tell that my job is look for defects.

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