What is a Test Engineer?

What is a test engineer?

You're probably wondering what a test engineer is. You probably already guessed it from the job title, it has something to do with testing. In this position you will develop and implement various test programs. The aim is for the software to work optimally. By carrying out these tests you can detect any problems and errors. Whether you are ultimately the one who solves these problems varies per employer. For example, one test engineer immediately delves into the code, while the other draws up a report with all programming errors that the software developer then resolves. Yet it is important that every test engineer knows how to code and how to read code.

Now that we know what the job is, you're probably curious about what a test engineer does. Your position plays an important role before software, websites, applications or other machines come online or onto the market. As a test engineer you are responsible for, as the name suggests, testing. You develop test programs with which you test a concept for errors, bugs and other problems. Have you encountered something strange or is something not working? In some cases, you immediately adjust the code to solve the problem. Is that not part of your job description? You then prepare a report in which you include all results, so that the software developer can further develop the product.

You devise the test programs in consultation with the customer. Which parts need to work? What specifications should you look at? And is safety and quality guaranteed? The size of the project also determines how many fellow test engineers you work with. Is it a factory machine? Then there is a good chance that you will work with several people. Do you need to test the software for an intranet? You will probably work independently.

The exact duties as a test engineer depend on your specialization. There are different directions you can choose: system, electrical or software. A system and software engineer work with software, such as applications and hardware. An electrical test engineer is responsible for equipment and machines. Of course, your main task is to test this, but how exactly this works depends on your field. Want to know more about the position that seems interesting to you? Always read the test engineer vacancies carefully to get a better idea of ​​your future tasks.