How To Switch From A Software Tester To A Full Stack Developer

Do you feel like you've hit a ceiling in your software testing career? Imagine taking your skills to the next level, wielding the power to craft entire web applications from the ground up. That's the magic of becoming a full-stack developer!

This isn't just about a fancy title or a raise (although, those are pretty sweet perks). It's about unlocking a whole new world of creative possibilities and career options. Here's why the switch from software tester to full-stack developer might be the perfect power-up for your tech journey.

What Is Software Testing?

Software testing is one of the most crucial steps before releasing any software. This work is done by a software tester. That individual evaluates, verifies, and inspects, whether the product developed meets the requirements and the demand of the required specifications and functions without any kind of a bug.

Salary of a Software Tester:

The following is the basic pay of a software tester. The average basic pay of a software tester is as follows-

In India, for instance, software testers typically earn an average annual salary ranging from ₹1.5 lakhs to ₹14.4 lakhs, with experience being a major factor in determining the specific compensation. By transitioning to full-stack development, testers can leverage their existing knowledge of software functionalities and potentially climb the salary ladder significantly.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Software Tester:

Gaining the trust of the customer, reliability, security, and performance of the software becomes important. A software tester is well-versed in regression testing, test cases, test planning, software quality assurance, use of Jira and test automation.

What Is Full Stack Development?

There are two parts to a web application. The front end is the client side and the back end is the server side. Full stack development is the process of developing both the front end and the back end. A full-stack developer is a person who is skilled in working on both the interface and the interaction of the web application.

Salary of a Full Stack Developer:

Full-stack developers in India can expect to earn a significantly higher average annual salary of ₹7.5 lakhs. Furthermore, full-stack developer positions often come with additional compensation packages that can reach up to ₹1.5 lakhs per year. This translates to a substantial potential increase in earning power for software testers who successfully transition to full-stack development.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Full Stack Developer:

The person is involved with both what the user sees and uses as well as the database and server where the data is processed. There is front-end development, back-end development and database management in which a full-stack developer is involved. A full stack developer also knows cloud computing, creating big projects like e-commerce websites and many more. They are generally involved in building a responsive web design.

Why There is a Need to Switch From A Software Tester To A Full Stack Developer?

When making the transition from software tester to full-stack developer, keep the following main benefits in mind:

• Greater Earning Potential: Generally speaking, full-stack developers are paid more than software testers. This can be a powerful incentive, particularly given the rising need for full-stack expertise.

• Greater Variety in Skills and Career Paths: You will obtain a thorough understanding of both the front-end (user interface) and back-end (server-side) of web applications as a full-stack developer. This adaptability makes it possible to pursue a greater variety of undertakings and career options.

• Increased Job Security: In the tech sector, full-stack engineers are in great demand. Possessing a robust skill set can help you to withstand fluctuations in the economy and land a steady job.

• Creative Control and Ownership: Full-stack developers have the ability to take an idea and turn it into a complete web application. This allows for greater creative control and a sense of ownership over the final product.

• Improved Understanding of the Development Process: Transitioning from testing to development fosters a deeper understanding of the entire software development lifecycle. This holistic view can make you a more valuable asset to any development team.

• Leveraging Existing Knowledge: Software testers can leverage their existing knowledge of software functionality and bug identification to become more efficient full-stack developers, particularly in areas of test-driven development.

How To Switch From A Software Tester To A Full Stack Developer

To make things simpler, it's necessary to understand a step-by-step approach to switching from a software tester to a Full stack developer. Given below is a roadmap for a quicker understanding of the same and putting it into action as soon as possible.

1. Learning the basics

Learning the basics involves learning the following aspects-

• Front End Development - This involves HTML, CSS and JavaScript which becomes the core feature of front end Development by structuring and styling web pages.
• Back End Development - These involve programming languages like Python, Java, JavaScript, SQL, etc which power the server-side application.
• Git and GitHub - Git enables tracking code changes and GitHub hosts Git repositories online.

Understanding HTTPS networking protocols and REST API architecture, learning Web Architecture applications like MVC and client-server models and working on persisting data in database storage (integrating database storage in apps is an essential back-end skill), basic web design (this involves having strong UI/UX sensibilities) and version control systems (effective management of application versions, releases and changes).

2. Defining The End Goal And Choosing An Educational Path

Defining the end goal entails introspecting on the kind of industry you want to work in. This involves determining the type of company. This introspection will further clear the path towards what kind of educational qualifications to consider.

• A software tester needs to shift from manual testing to automated testing. Learning to write automated test scripts, developing some apps and discussing end-to-end app development with engineers and then contributing to open source projects. This can act as a fruitful way for a software tester to become a full stack developer.

• Since any individual from any background can learn the skill and master it, there's a need to understand the current level of qualification followed by assessing the need for the additional qualification you require to move ahead in this field to get a high-paying job.

• There are courses offered by GeeksforGeeks, Scaler Academy, Simplilearn, IBM, IIT Bangalore, upGrad, Careera, and various free courses on Coursera,Udemy and YouTube.

3. Developing Both Technical And Non-technical Skills

Learning programming is just one aspect of becoming a full-stack developer. Learning certain additional things.

• Developing technical skills for database management, system engineering and design principles is again a very crucial aspect. This only boosts the already present skills in a person. Non-technical skills, although given a lesser weightage are an important aspect of team and community building.
• Communication, teamwork and problem-solving are a few of the many soft skills required. Without this, there can be miscommunication leading to misunderstandings between the teams.

4. Getting A Hands-on-experience

Once theoretical knowledge is gained, putting it into a practical sense becomes majorly important. This is done through internships and creating projects to get hands-on experience that not only helps in putting the knowledge of coding to practice but also helps in learning software skills for dealing with the client.

• People with knowledge of JavaScript can learn to make use of JavaScript one of the most popular stacks like MongoDB, Express, React.js and Node (MERN). This will help in building full-stack web applications.
• People with knowledge of Python, Java,PHP can proceed to further develop their skills in Backend Development and learning popular frameworks like react, angular, vue separately. These practical exposures will help in understanding an individual's interest and then one can also explore certain careers like Mobile App Developer, Freelancer, Technical Consultant, etc.

5. Building A Portfolio

Building a portfolio becomes the next major step to identify and make the clients understand whether you possess the skills to get hired as a full-stack developer.

• LinkedIn is the go-to platform for all kinds of professional work and acts as an essential point of development. Optimising it completely is necessary.
• There's GitHub that helps in building a new repository which can be titled as a portfolio. They contain layouts and templates.
• Adobe Portfolio is another brilliant option that simplifies it.

Apart from that, there's a template of the doc that offers again an effective option for portfolio creation and even provides a physical layout.

6. Certifying The Skills Learnt

Once the skills for a full stack developer are learnt, there's a need to obtain certifications. These certifications act as proof and provide validity of the skills. This helps in increasing the chances of hiring and also improves employability in a particular company.

• These certifications showcase an individual's commitment, help in staying competitive and also develop individual experiences.
• Exploring various courses and certifications along with internships and projects, helps in landing the best-suited job for individual growth.
• There are several certifications available online like Full Stack Development with React & Node JS – Live(GeeksforGeeks), IBM Full Stack Software Developer Professional Certificate(Coursera), The Complete 2024 Web Development Bootcamp (Udemy) and many more.

7. Networking And Job Search

The most important aspect is networking with people, followed by a job search. This means connecting with the professionals in the same field.

• This could be done through online forums, social media or through various job fairs and networking events.
• Once all this is created, conducting a job search is necessary. Initially applying for junior developer positions and then gradually making the way up to senior roles. This only comes through with professional experience and with expanding the network professionally.
• You can also do internal switch from software tester to software developer in your organization only if your organization allow it.

Conclusion

This gives a detailed roadmap to switch from a software tester to a full-stack developer. Career change has been an ever-growing need. What stands the most important is, unlearning and then re-learning. The demands have changed and so have our needs. Skill development is the need of the hour to enhance our skills as we progress further in this evolving world. People are transitioning to the tech industry. There's a growing requirement of working on both the interface and the interaction of the web application. Adapting to this change becomes important by all means.

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Article Tags :

• GBlog
• Software Testing
• Full Stack Development
• GBlog 2024
• Career Switch

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