What are the steps to become an SDET?

Software testing can be done manually or automatically; however, due to the challenges with manual testing, there is a growing demand from Automation Testers to build automated tests, and as a result, personnel who can act as both testers and developers. As a result, demand for Software Development Engineers in Test (SDET) is rapidly increasing, and it is critical to learn how to become an SDET before pursuing this lucrative career path.

In this blog, we'll try to address the topic of how to become an SDET by examining the roles and responsibilities of an SDET as well as the Automation Tester's learning path.

 

What exactly is SDET?

SDET Responsibilities and Roles

SDET Learning Path: How to Become an SDET: Skills Required

SDET's Future

Conclusion on How to Become an SDET: What You Should Know

 

What exactly is SDET?

Software Development/Design Engineer in Test (SDET) is an acronym for Software Development/Design Engineer in Test. SDET Roles & Responsibilities as a Test Automation Engineer encompass both tester and development responsibilities. As a result, one of the pre-requisites for becoming an SDET is the development of abilities that allow one to perform both positions. These are specialists with experience in both software development and quality assurance. Software testing certification courses not only contributes to the development and creation of test scripts, but it also assists in the bug-fixing process.

The traditional distinction between writing code and testing is no longer valid. As a result, testers have been involved in the code development process from the beginning. These professionals are valuable assets to firms because they can both write and test code. As a result, SDET's future holds a wealth of prospects and rewards.

 

SDET Responsibilities and Roles

As an SDET Engineer, you'll have both engineering and testing expertise. As a result, they are involved in data design, product design, and user interface design.

A SDET's Roles and Responsibilities as an Automation Tester include the automation of as many scenarios as possible. This means they must develop reliable and high-quality test automation solutions for many sorts of tests.

 

They act as a customer advocate: SDETs aim to comprehend a product's necessity from the customer's perspective, and because they are involved in every stage of its development, from conception to final release, they are the best advocate who can justify the software's need.

In the position of a designer: Participation in architectural design discussions and assistance in delivering appropriate feedback are all part of the SDET professional path.

Linkage: A SDET's Roles and Responsibilities include maintaining technical communication with partners so that the company may better understand consumer needs.

Functional and non-functional testing: Automation testers are in charge of both functional and non-functional testing of a product. SDETs are responsible for issues such as the security of the application, the absence of any hacks that could be misused, and so on. While testers are generally responsible for testing the functionality of a product, SDETs are responsible for paying attention to such issues as the security of the application, the absence of any hacks that could be misused, and so on.

 

How to Become an SDET: What You Need to Know

Prerequisites for becoming an SDET normally include an educational certification in computer science or programming, most commonly a bachelor's degree in computer engineering or a related profession. Working in quality assurance or testing, as well as development, can help you get practical experience. Simultaneously, some technical and non-technical abilities that are critical for the role of an Automation Tester must be nurtured and developed.

 

Technical/Difficult Skills

 

Awareness the Internet and Web Applications: Individuals should have a basic understanding of how web browsers, applications, and the Internet function. This would entail some understanding of hosting, the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), the Domain Name System (DNS), the Application Programming Interface (API), server/client architecture, the OSI model, and other software architectural concepts, as well as how they fit together.

HTML and CSS knowledge: CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language) are considered key components of online applications. HTML is used to define the elements on a webpage, whereas CSS is used to create the feel and design of the page. A rudimentary familiarity of the properties and attributes of HTML and CSS is also required of an Automation Tester.

 

Knowledge of a Programming Language: Being able to programme in a programming language aids in the development of a website or product application. Individually, you can start with a single programming language that can also be utilised for automation. Before moving on to another language, you should grasp it in terms of both its fundamentals and advanced features.

Knowledge of Automation Tools: There are a variety of Test Automation Tools available; nevertheless, as a competent SDET, it is critical that you select the proper tool for the job. This means that learning tools for automation testing like as Selenium, Watir, Lambda Test, and others will be necessary as part of an SDET's Roles and Responsibilities.

Learning SQL: An SDET must deal with data directly. SDETs are necessary to interact with and comprehend these data, which can be obtained from a variety of sources. These records could be in relational databases (SQL) or non-relational databases (NoSQL). As a result, understanding SQL aids SDETs in resolving many of the challenges that may arise during data administration.

As an Automation Tester, you will be responsible for writing, reviewing, modifying, and managing a large amount of source code. The Source Control System makes it easier for you and your colleagues to cooperate and work more efficiently.

Agile and DevOps Process Management Methodologies: While the goal of Agile is for the team to respond quickly to feedback obtained through periodic sprint assessments, the goal of DevOps is to build a close relationship between IT operations and the development team. When attempting to comprehend the pre-requisites for becoming an SDET, keep in mind that you will be expected to build these critical methodology talents.

 

Soft/non-technical skills

Open Mindset: Your ability to adapt will be crucial. You should be open to new technology, including new scripting languages and automation tools, and willing to learn about them.

An Inquisitive Mindset: SDETs are sometimes expected to go beyond their allocated tasks and explore the unknown. As an Automation Tester, you should be always thinking of ways to automate as many activities as possible to reduce the amount of labour required.

Communication Skills: An SDET is responsible for not just running tests but also producing test strategy and bug reports. In order to ensure that they are simple to comprehend. SDETs should be able to communicate well both verbally and in writing.

Collaboration is one of the fundamental competencies of an individual working as an SDET. SDETs are unable to automate tests on their own. They must work with other critical stakeholders such as manual testers, developers, product owners, and business analysts.

SDETs must be able to manage their time and organise their work. An Automation Tester must be able to effectively manage their workload, be very productive, and have good time management abilities.

 

Learning Path for SDET

SDET's career road map can be used to guide you in the following directions:

 

SDET (Junior)

Level of expertise (From fresher to 3 years)

Role: Creating automation test scripts, participating in bug analysis, authoring test cases, and learning new test automation tools are all responsibilities.

 

SDET (Senior)

Level of expertise (From 3 to 7 years)

Working with various test automation frameworks, investigating technical issues and solutions, participating in software architectural design, process management, ensuring product scalability, striving for optimum software performance, evolving automation testing strategies, supervising juniors, and so on are all responsibilities.

 

SDET Manager is a position within SDET.

Level of expertise (From 7 to 10 years)

Responsibilities: Collaborate with Sr. SDET, the management team, and other departments.

Architect of Tests

Level of expertise (From 10 to 15 years)

Role: Designing software architecture, collaborating with clients, and supervising test and development teams for any technical dependencies are all responsibilities.

Director of Operations

Level of expertise (From 15 years onwards)

Role: In charge of controlling corporate operations, offering strategic guidance to the management team, and ensuring that the Company meets its set objectives.

 

SDET's Future

SDET Occupations are one of the most in-demand jobs in the digital sector, with companies increasingly looking for SDET unicorns that can do it all by combining the talents of a developer and a tester. The Roles and Responsibilities of an SDET are unquestionably difficult; nonetheless, they guarantee lucrative returns, particularly in terms of a generous remuneration plan. In the United States, the average SDET pay is $117,000. As a result, the price range is usually $90,000 to $140,000. Furthermore, a person's educational qualifications, competences, certifications, and years of experience are all likely to influence the ultimate package they receive.

 

What You Need to Know to Become an SDET

You might start by understanding the fundamentals of the subject. Here are a few recommendations:

 

JAVA Automation Solutions and Tools for Mobile App Testing, such as Selenium/Puppeteer/Cypress Appium

Version Management Circle with MangoDB/MySQL GIT Jenkins for continuous integration (CI/Jenkins)

Behavior Data-Driven Testing (BDD)

AWS/Azure is a cloud computing platform.

Server management using Apache/NGINX

As a Test Runner, TestNG

Conclusion

SDETs have proven valuable to firms because they hold the correct balance of development and testing skills. They have domain expertise, participate in software design, have coding experience, and are customer advocates who are aware of end-user requirements. As a result, SDET job seekers stand to benefit greatly from their work.

Look no further if you're wanting to figure out how to become an SDET or want to start a career as an Automation Tester. Syntax Technologies provides you with a fantastic opportunity to get knowledge in the sector.