Beta Testing Jobs - What Are They and How to Get One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

Beta testing is the second phase of testing software like apps or video games, and it focuses on the feedback and acceptance from a sample of end-users. The software may go through several rounds of beta testing as companies prepare it for the final release. As a beta tester, your job is to test the product in a way explained by the developers. This involves checking for errors, reporting any errors that are found, providing an opinion on the content, and otherwise checking to see if the software works as intended. Companies perform beta tests in a variety of ways, and the type of beta test being run actively influences your role in the process.

There are five types of beta testing jobs. Traditional beta testing uses a small group of professional testers to gain feedback on the use of the software and requires people who are already familiar with the testing process. Public beta testing allows anyone to join, but may or may not offer compensation. This can reach a much wider audience and is ideal for tests that require many testers working at the same time. Technical beta testing focuses exclusively on programming and performance, with most of the time spent finding and resolving bugs that have endured to this point. As a technical beta tester, you also monitor app performance to help find areas that need optimization and check different environments to ensure it works on every platform. Focused beta testing addresses a single component of the software that developers want to check. For example, in a video game, a focused beta test might be used to determine if a level or mission is too complicated. Finally, post-release beta testing gathers information after the public release to guide future improvements.

Alpha testing is a process that occurs before beta testing. In this stage, the product is checked to ensure that features work, analytics are functioning, and the software fulfills its primary design goals. Alpha testing is frequently used to find and fix as many errors as possible before it's moved on to the wider, in-depth beta process. A key difference between the two is that alpha testing is almost always done internally, while beta testing usually involves hiring people from outside to come in and help. As such, the qualifications for each job vary, as do the duties and responsibilities. Regardless of the stage of the testing process, as a tester, you need excellent communication skills and the ability to follow testing plans and submit reports.