I did a guest lecture today at University of Washington’s Bothell campus.

It was for CSS 490 (“Software Testing”), taught by a colleague of mine named David Socha.

He handed out 3 x 5 cards to the students and asked them to come up with questions for me about testing.

In the interest of giving all of you fellow software professionals a glimpse into the mind of our future workforce, here is what they asked:

* I’m looking for a career in the gaming industry as a game programmer. I know software testing can help me as a game programmer but I want to learn more. Where do I start?

* Is it possible to work both as a tester and a developer?

* What certifications are industry standards?

* How do I get started as a tester, and also more interview questions / techniques?

* How much do testers make in comparison to devs?

* Is there a different approach to take when testing critical systems?

* What’s it really like to be a tester?

* Where do you get started?

* Can you tell us any interesting stories?

* What is the salary range for entry level, 5 years, 10 years?

* What are the working hours?

* Is the software testing job secure and stable?

* What is the major challenge?

* How do you know you’re a tester, not a developer?

* How much time a day does a tester spend documenting, coding, and testing?

* What are some testing career paths?

* What are the popular testing tools?

* During an interview how is a tester tested?

* What are the internship options around here?

* How do I get a tester job at entry level with no experience?

* What role does the PM have in testing?

* Is it a very stressful job?

* Can you give us some interview tips?

* What one thing can a dev do in coding to make things easier on a tester?

* Why should I be an SDET over an STE?

* What is the growth path for a tester at your company?

* What is the difference between a tester and an SDET?

* How do I write code in a way that is testable?

* How do I test my own code?

* How do I work with testers efficiently and in a friendly way to keep a positive relationship?

* What should I know to be a successful tester?

* How do you define a successful tester?

* What other college courses can help me become a tester?

* What’s it like if you have to work as a tester for a defense contractor in terms of ethics?

* Do testers work longer hours compared to other team members?

* Does paired testing result in better tests than individual testing?

* What’s a good answer to the classic “How would you test a soda machine?”

My next-to-last favorite:

* As a PM, how do I learn to like testers?

And my favorite… :

* Is testing depressing?

These questions would make Utest proud given their skill in asking questions for their “Testing the Limits” series.  In fact, I mentioned them today as an answer to “How do I get started with no experience?”  [ David Socha (the instructor) also mentioned mifos.org as a good way to build skill by volunteering. ]

Anyway, I’m sure we can build a whole conference around answering these, and I plan to do them service next time I’m asked to guest lecture (on Wednesday, actually). If you want to drop a dime on some of these, feel free to comment below and I’ll say to them: “This is what my colleagues had to say…”