I am a software test engineer with 12+ years of experience in trying to transition to Software Engineering role.

8 Comments

1. KathyOctober 6,2021 at 3:21PM UTC

   A good place to start is with your current employer. Have you applied for any software development positions with your current employer? Sometimes within a test group, opportunities exist for software development.

   Have you spoken to your manager about your desire to move into software development?

2. AnonymousOctober 8,2021 at 2:40PM UTC

   Yes, I have. I did let my manager know about. My manager was asking why do you want to switch ...you are very good at what you do. Not sure if my manager will grow me. I am trying to also connect with other team managers. It's very hard if your current manager is not that supportive.

3. KathyOctober 8,2021 at 5:50PM UTC

   Having been a test engineer and a team lead/project manager I know that it's difficult to find good test engineers or even 'bad test engineers'. Companies never want to allow their test people to change roles. I too have experience in this area.

   Supposedly, according to all the media reports companies are relaxing their recruiting requirements for software development staff. I have no idea if this is true or not (sorry to say). Google has a certificate program for software development. It may be worth trying that.

   That being said I know it's difficult to change roles even when they related. To me it's not a difficult move to go from software tester to developer. That being said, I know that many companies have unrealistic expectations when trying to hire software development people (they always want someone who walks on water - knows all the languages, frameworks, IDEs, etc).

   Sorry to be so unhelpful. Everyone always says networking is the way but in my experience it's difficult to get casual contacts to help.

   Volunteer positions exist for software development projects. Perhaps if you were able to get experience delivering a project in the volunteer world, that would give you the experience you need to viewed more favorably by hiring managers.

   And, of course, keep sending resumes. Perhaps try smaller companies that would take a chance on you.

   Good luck!!!

4. Carolyn HipkinsOctober 7,2021 at 12:32PM UTC

   I suggest joining some organizations where you can network and participate in a hackathon. That's a way to build your portfolio. I suggest Women Who Code for a start.

5. KelliOctober 7,2021 at 1:04PM UTC

   Take a look at the job descriptions for roles you want. Then, pull keywords out of those and add them to your resume (as long as you have the proficiency, of course). Feel free to message me with questions.

6. Sarah DyeOctober 10,2021 at 6:44PM UTC

   I recommend checking out platforms like Free Code Camp or The Practical Dev. There's lots of articles on these platforms related to making the transition and finding a software engineer role with tips on how to approach resumes, cover letters, and portfolios. I agree with the other posts that keywords are important so you want to use the keywords from job descriptions and use them in your experience section. What does your Github look like?

7. Patricia ManroeOctober 11,2021 at 4:08AM UTC

   I have over 120 links to free coding sites. But I would recommend going to a University like I am. But I also have subscriptions to StackSkills/StackCommerce and Plurasight.com

8. Patricia ManroeOctober 11,2021 at 4:08AM UTC

   cleverprogrammer.org is another free one.