Reply to: Developer looking at a Tester contract

[siphr]

Life experience spans beyond the criteria of just pay or the greatness of a developer or a tester. Everybody's situation is different and such is my case. I think my question was fairly objective and self sufficient. I believe it has been answered very well by people mature enough to accommodate that thought.

[Lance]

I'd gladly pay a good tester more than a good developer.

That way you’ll know its tulip before you go live

[cannon999]

I'm a coder. My best paid gig was testing.

What's a 'coder'?

[cannon999]

I'd gladly pay a good tester more than a good developer.

You obviously don't know a whole lot about delivering software.

[mudskipper]

I'm a coder. My best paid gig was testing.

[Zigenare]

I'd gladly pay a good tester more than a good developer.

[xoggoth]

Testers are just running scripts written by someone else.

Not my experience, we had to devise the tests.

[meridian]

In my experience, yes.
Test managers are a different matter. Testers are just running scripts written by someone else.

Ah. Here's where our experience differs, and why we have different experiences. Generally speaking, you're right in that that is how testing is done in a huge number of companies, but that's more to do with the perception of testers being unskilled and the promotion of factory testing by the big consultancies (usually offshore).

Running scripts isn't testing, and the testers I know that get paid as much as or more than devs tend to be test professionals rather than bums on seats - developing their own test tools and frameworks, attending and speaking at conferences and meetups, etc.


Perhaps I phrased it incorrectly; developers don't always get paid more than testers....

[Lance]

Do they? ;-)

(Even if true, I'm not sure how this would support the statement that a tester is not a very good developer)

In my experience, yes.
Test managers are a different matter. Testers are just running scripts written by someone else.

Why would a good dev take a pay cut to become a tester?

That all being said... I've met some very poorly paid (and poorly performing) test managers. they are just testers with enough experience to be promoted beyond their level of competence.

[meridian]

THIS

Developers get paid more than testers.

Do they? ;-)

(Even if true, I'm not sure how this would support the statement that a tester is not a very good developer)

[Lance]

If you are considering a contract as a tester then you are not a very good developer.

THIS

Developers get paid more than testers.

[cannon999]

If you are considering a contract as a tester then you are not a very good developer.

[xoggoth]

Can you spot the difference between your situation and the OP's?

Sorry, you've lost me on that one M.

[malvolio]

OK, it wasn't clear on first reading whether or not you had any testing expereince.

Anyway, to answer the original question properly, you won't know unless you try: the joys of contracting. But your biggest hurdle is the agency, not the client.

[siphr]

I had various alternating roles in testing and development, did not seem to be a problem.

My last contract before I retired was an interesting one doing satellite imaging in VC++, after two boring contracts testing planes and phones.

Thanks, I think you understood what I was trying to say and thank you for sharing your perspective.