test engineer

Remote test engineer jobs are a possibility that affects every aspect of your work environment. You can absolutely work remotely to test software if your employer allows it. Depending on the type of project, you might need an environmental setup of your computer. These are easier to do in face-to-face meetings, but they can be handled remotely. If working from home, you can control your work environment. Most experts recommend that you design your work area at home to match typical office ambiance. That means removing home distractions, maintaining a professional workspace and eliminating loud music and television programs. You work more diligently if you keep your home life and work life separate. Remote work can also consist of traveling to client sites for meetings and conducting tests.

Although you normally work a predictable schedule as a test engineer, don’t be surprised when things change. You might need to work on weekends or late on Friday evening to meet that deadline, and we all have some sort of social plan for Friday evenings. Developing a thick hide and flexibility makes it easier to roll with the punches. Even your vacation time could become delayed in an emergency situation.

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You typically need a bachelor’s degree, and earning certifications result in landing higher paying jobs. Typical fields of study for test engineers include electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, computer systems, computer science and information technology. Minors in a related field are encouraged by recruiters, and any program that offers internships provides a significant advantage.

You also earn points with any industry-related experience, and courses in any of the hard sciences are excellent training for test engineers charged with finding new ways to test technological products. Coding skills and knowledge of several programming languages deliver a big plus to your qualifications.

The soft skills needed for the job are basic qualities that successful test engineers need as prerequisites for the job. Your attitude is critical to the job. You need an insatiable curiosity about how and why things work as they do, so you can design the best ways to throw a monkey wrench into the works to see what happens. The mental strengths of a test engineer should include the following qualities:

• Attitude geared toward breaking things constructively
• A deep-seated desire for quality in products
• Customer empathy that might literally put you in the customer’s shoes to test them
• Critical people skills of diplomacy and tact because you must interact with customers, manufacturing team members, product developers, etc.
• Outstanding communication and analytical skills
• Ability to listen actively and focus intensely to understand quickly what’s required of you
• Self-confidence that allows you to pursue non-traditional ideas confidently but without cockiness
• Ability to solve many common problems intuitively
• Ability to conceptualise new tests that run outside the box
• Flexibility and adaptability that allows you to learn as much from mistakes as successes

Technical skills can be learned over time if you have the aptitude. These include:

• Some knowledge of regulatory standards
• Ability to understand mechanical, electrical and technological systems intuitively
• Data collection skills
• Knowing how to ask the right questions about a given project to save time
• Ability to translate technical jargon into a layman’s terms for various company stakeholders and clients while speaking the preferred terminology with other engineers
• Ability to work as a team player with clients, company stakeholders, other engineers and supervisors
• Advanced time management skills
• Understanding of the protocol of Bug Tracking, Ticketing and Tests

Test engineers have important professional duties and are usually assigned to quality assurance departments. The engineers create a process to test different products and their limits in many key areas that include speed, durability, functionality, safety and other criteria.

Test engineers typically need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field like software engineering and other types of engineering. Picking up industry certifications strengthens your chances of landing high-profile test engineer jobs at top companies. A test engineer is generally located within a large company and works alongside other professionals to meet client's needs. A bachelor's degree is required for the position, with many holding advanced degrees in computer science, software engineering or related engineering fields.

Working as a test engineer provides great job satisfaction and a high salary. You gain knowledge directly from your tests and the installation of equipment that you can’t learn at school. You work independently to design tests, and hands-on testing that leads to product improvements provides a great sense of accomplishment.

The salary for entry-level test engineers in the UK is around £36,000 and can go up to £57,000 for more experienced Test Engineers, according to Glassdoor. However, your actual salary depends on many factors such as willingness to work overtime, level and quality of your education and your company's location. You can also earn more with industry certifications.

As a test engineer, you work hard to find tests that identify previously unexpected problems. When your tests lead to significant product improvements, you’ll enjoy some of the respect and job satisfaction experienced by the greatest inventors in history. You’re not inventing the wheel but refining it for expanded uses, and that’s a critical part of scientific advancement.

As a test engineer, you work for a relatively new, aggressive industry where the prospects for success are unlimited. You are at the forefront of product advancement and new product development. You network with other experts in the fields of business, manufacturing, product development and software science. You enjoy many opportunities to use your network contacts to grow professionally.

You analyse products or software from all angles to develop tests to make them run faster, work more efficiently, cost less to manufacture and last longer. Achieving these aims brings a different challenge each day, which many workers consider the best part of the job. Testing products to their theoretical limits provides the kind of challenges on which typical engineer minds thrive, develop and grow.