Absolutely! It is possible to learn software testing from your own home. Plus, you can become a successful software tester fast and get jobs pretty quickly as well.
Many people over the years have said that you cannot learn to software test from home - but it’s now time to end this way of thinking.
With the right help from competent online instructors, a little theory, and a lot of practice, you can definitely achieve this goal. All you need to add is a dash of enthusiasm and determination, and you’ve got the perfect mix for success!
When thinking about the software development life cycle there is a lot to consider, but the main things you need to know are these six main stages (of course, systems differ in terms of complexity, components, and expected functionality); system planning, analysis, system design, implementation, integration, and system support. (Various approaches and models are also used during the software development process too).
And yet, the most important thing you need to know is that you can learn about all of this without leaving your home, and by signing up to an online course, or one of our courses. Our courses, for example, are all about providing you with relevant and recent information on test types and the development lifecycle.
If you are still not sure about how you could become a software tester from home, read on and we will clear a few things up for you.
Learning to become a software tester from home?
Today, the internet allows you to obtain almost any information that you need. This then allows you to master any field or profession that you like. So much so, that when you step onto the learning path you’re faced with a big choice - which method of learning do you choose?
There are two typical styles: Independent Learning (self-educating) or to complete a Training Course?
Independent learning is when you are actually responsible for your own learning. This includes, creating your own learning schedule and finding your own learning resources. This is fairly popular today as we have access to a lot of information online, and you might use books too.
Alternatively, training courses are courses that have been set up for you to complete. They typically come with a schedule, lessons, and there’ll be a tutor. Training courses are found online today and can be done from anywhere in the world.
Let's consider each style.
Independent learning (self-educating)
Independent learning (self-educating) is huge at the moment! There are so many different tutorials, for almost anything, online these days - it’s almost impossible not to check some of these things out.
The internet has changed the world. We can download manuals, watch videos, get books, papers, anything really off the web for free (or a small price). Plus, you get a lot of flexibility, so you can learn as and when you like.
However, this whole new world has several disadvantages.
With an online world, that is so big, and is growing each day, where do you even start your self-education? Of course, you can do online searches for inspiration, but does this really beat an already set-up and well thought out curriculum? Probably not.
Then you have the next big question, what to undertake? If you try to grasp a particular part of testing, you will quickly find yourself starting to go headlong into Java, HTML, SQL, API, Selenium, Webdriver or any of the others, when you wanted to pick one to look into. Losing sight is a common issue with independent learning, and you easily get lost in theory, and you forget what profession you are trying to master.
Plus, it is hard to know exactly what information is required for the work you intend on doing? There are many tutorials online that may be a tad out-of-date, so what you might learn is actually irrelevant. But you might not know this until you go for a job.
Additionally, self-education does not mean that you will get feedback from other people, students, or instructors. So, when it comes to things like interviews, you will be going into the unknown. You will not be sure on what your weak points are as a candidate, and you won’t know what to say when you get a call from a recruiter.
We have now looked at independent learning (self-education), it is now time to check out training courses in more detail.
Training courses
What distinguishes training courses from independent learning is the fact that a training course is traditionally based on a curriculum. This includes having lessons, schedules, tasks, and sessions all mapped out and ready to go through.
Generally, on a training course, students have direct contact with an expert, where they will have the ability to ask questions and to get detailed answers to them. If you study in a group, you also have the opportunity to develop teamwork, hone in some leadership skills, and make interesting contacts. This is something that would be more difficult to achieve when learning alone.
While independent learning is very flexible, you can pick up where you left off, and you can learn in your own time, this is not the case with training courses. Classes on a training course are often less flexible because you are tied to a specific schedule. But, each session is structured, and there is usually material to study that can often be accessed online at a later date.
As training courses are more sociable you do get the opportunity to engage with your instructor a lot more. So should you have issues with your work, or you require feedback, you can get this almost immediately in most cases. For example, if you needed to get some feedback on your interview technique this could be done with the help of an instructor.
The higher the qualifications of the trainer, the higher the cost of training can be. But in the modern world, we understand that investments in our own education pay off very quickly. In addition, there are now programs that allow you to learn the necessary skills for free, and you only pay for your course when you find employment.
For example, you can take one of our Quality Assurance courses and you only pay the main tuition fee when you go to work - we are confident in our methods and in the success of our students!
Conclusion
We believe that our online courses eliminate a lot of the worries that you could be faced with if you chose to learn independently (self-education).
We have made a school that provides students with a clear and concise curriculum, we have set out our course so that students learn methodologies and principles of testing in a systemised and clear way, everything we teach is based on modern information, and we have a team of loyal instructors who are there to support students on their journey to success.
Plus, all you need to do is turn up, be enthusiastic, and want to learn on our course. There is no need for you to spend hours searching the internet for sources - it is all done for you!
If you want to earn between $70,000 and $100,000 a year as a manual software tester, or more than $115,000 a year in an automated testing role, sign up for one of our courses now.
And you’ll only pay your course fee when you find employment!