Hi Reader,

Hope you're having a good day!

For a Software Test Engineer just getting in the IT industry, many people simply say Software Testing role is low paying job. Don't take the opportunity, look for developer jobs etc.

In 2025, getting Job into Software Engineer role could be tougher than earlier due to intense competition. Also experienced Software Engineers should not leave their current jobs without proper preparation.

If you got an opportunity initially in the career, the role that you get started doesn't matter for first 2 to 3 years. But after that how you design your career with learning for growth depends on the self-learning and roadmap you set to yourself.

Don't get influenced by random friends' advice, who do not provide proper guidance for your growth.
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Let me tell you about my perspective on this email topic of Career Paths for Software Test Engineers, based on experience in the Software world working for 5 different companies in 14 years.
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When I started out in Software Testing, I honestly thought there was just one way to grow
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Manual → Automation → QA Lead → Manager.

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That’s what everyone around me believed too.
So, I followed that path without really questioning it.
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But over time, I started meeting people who completely changed how I saw this field.
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1) One tester went deep into automation and became a Test Architect,

designing frameworks that made life easier for entire teams.
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2) Another moved into DevOps,

setting up CI/CD pipelines and building smoother release processes.
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3) Someone else became a TestOps Engineer,

making sure automation didn’t just run but scaled across environments.
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4) And a friend of mine transitioned into SRE,

keeping systems reliable and fast - still using the same testing mindset, just from a different angle.
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5) Then I met testers who specialized in Performance Testing,

tuning systems to handle millions of users.
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6) Others got into Security Testing,

helping companies find vulnerabilities before hackers do.
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7) And a few became experts in Accessibility Testing,

making sure products are usable for everyone, regardless of ability.
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Software Testing isn’t a narrow lane.
It’s a foundation that can take you in many directions.
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If you love coding,
Automation or SDET roles might excite you.
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If you’re curious about infrastructure and cloud,
DevOps or TestOps could be your next step.
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If you care about system health and stability,
SRE is worth exploring.
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If performance, security, or accessibility spark your curiosity

- there’s a whole world of growth waiting there too.

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The testing mindset opens more doors than most people realize.

You just have to choose the one that fits you best.

In current days there are many GCCs (Global Capability Centers) - product based companies have offshore offices in India and other parts of the world.

Even if you get started in Service based companies as Fresher, as you gain experience, it would be good to prefer switching to Product based companies after 3+ years of experience as there are many opportunities for learning and growth in GCCs.

There are diverse roles which are niche and high paying for skilled engineers - SDET/Performance/Security Testing roles.

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Which role out of 7, do you like to pursue. Let me know in email reply?

As QA Automation educator, I have created video tutorials in the Java Automation path - which could help you learn for transition into Automation Testing role.

2 courses are published on Udemy platform, available for Udemy Business users to learn at zero cost if your Employer provides Business login with organization email id.

If you do not have Business access use Instructor Coupon NOVEMBER2025 for better best pricing which is valid this month. It provides Lifetime access and future upgrades in same course.

Swaroop Nadella | Udemy Courses

Currently working on Framework development detailed course (3rd Udemy course content), work in progress. I plan to publish soon next month.

Whatever you are learning currently, stay focused and keep doing practice regularly.

Good day,

Swaroop Nadella - QA Educator, Test Automation Engineer.

​LinkedIn profile

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