Does SQA ENGINEER exist?
If we talk about IT revolution all over as well as in regular businesses we simply can’t ignore the contribution of SQA ENGINEERS in these developments.
As a famous saying goes:
“Software testers do not make software; they only make them better.” – Anonymous
History have showed us how minor defects and bugs in software have caused billion losses, flight crashes, deadly radiation therapy and have impacted human life in serious manner. It won’t be wrong at all if I say SQA ENGINNERS backbone for any software development firm. This is clear and understood.
But as title asks, does SQA ENGINEER exist? My answer is no.
First of all let understand who actually an Engineer is.
As per Wikipedia, An engineer is a practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to DEVELOP solutions for technical, societal and commercial problems. More simply we can say Engineering refers to developing, building and creating something new. Engineering is all about innovation.
On very same source if we try to search SQA ENGINEER, we got nothing. Yes, there isn’t anything regarding SQA ENGINEER even on Wikipedia. If you try to Google ‘SQA ENGINNER’ you will see several websites mentioning SQA ENGINEERS as a profession which is basically misunderstood by thousands of people and remarkable National and International companies. The right term or correct job title is just SQA which mean ‘Software Quality Analyst’.
So the correct definition of so called SQA ENGINEER which is perhaps just SQA become: A software quality analyst is responsible for applying the principles and practices of software quality assurance (SQA) throughout the software development life cycle.
I started my career as SQA intern in 2014, I was asked by a friend, who are you at your company. I said SQA, that’s all I knew. But he said SQA is Software Quality assurance, right? Then how it can be you. This incident forced me to search about it on Internet and soon I realized the correct term/Job title instead of SQA ENGINEER. Even now, here in Karachi, Pakistan I know several pioneer SQAs having years and years of experience doesn’t know about it. It isn’t there fault of-course. I was unable to find how it started but this false trend have been followed by hundreds of National and International giants’ software development companies.
So, SQAs you got a better or you can say more ‘cool’ designation. Software Quality Analyst. Cool, isn’t it?
Let Engineers do the Engineering.
~Critics, Suggestions and endorsements hereby welcome. This is what I think on basis of my tiny experience. You are welcome with your thoughts.
Image Credits: Shutter Stock
great .
One simple title can be SQA Professional (which is Software Quality Assurance Professional). However, I agree with Arsalan that whatever title may be the primary job is to help make software better for use by the end user. And the primary concern of an SQA Professional must be to add a lot of value to the products by gaining not only the macro view of the product world but also the micro details which even the developer would either not know or come to you if he needs any deep help on it. Only that way, you can gain respect in your industry. Because in my experience, the job of a SQA Professional is considered lowly unless you can prove it otherwise with your insight and personal tact and skills that come up slowly with time.
Arslan Ali hatts off to the coment!
Nice job Affan in setting titles correct as names do matter. Of all the titles that testing profession has, I like "Software Tester" the most but the industry doesn't work on your or my likings but on what is catchy. That's why we have titles like *something* Evangelist :) For example my job title is "Manager Software Quality" but I don't manage software quality. In terms of SQA, I'd agree that Software Quality Analyst is the right meaning but do we actually analyze software quality? Perhaps not, we usually run tests and then report findings in an effective way to help analyze software quality.
Going after designation and job titles does not make a software tester do the things they do differently. We are here to question the product in order to evaluate or to find important bugs in it. We are here to identify risks, so the management can make informed decisions. Using the term like SQA creates ambiguities and using the term Engineers with SQA is like labeling the professional so they can fit in the "engineering" paradigm of Pakistan's confusing tech hierarchical structures. Also, please don't go for Wikipedia definitions, it will make you more confusing. We are Software Testers, and because they need to promote us and give better salaries, let them add analysts, engineers, and SQA to our designations. :-p Kyounkay, aakhir mein ballee to hum nay hi lainee hai :-D