hey!! I got a testing-QA job..pls help me

[udit99]

hello ppl....after a long struggle Iv got myself a job...the job is a QA-tester job for Components developed for Mainframe machines. The company Im working with is 1 helluva big company.This is my first job and Iv asked lots of ppl for their views on the job profile..there are ppl who've told me that testing is a good line...if not as good as programming and development ( which is what I was looking for in the first place) ..., then there are people who tell me that testing can be used as a platform to jump on to the Programming bandwagon ( something not easy for freshers in India)...and there are people who are telling me that testing is a clerical job that has no future and especially Mainframes are a subject that have been relegated to history textbooks

One thing is very clear that it is not possible for me to quit this job but I still want to know how true the above statements are and what should I do from now on ??

a) Concentrate on Mainframes testing as a lifetime career
b) Concentrate on testing as a lifetime career
c) consider jumping on to programming mainframes in the near future

d)Keep in touch with VB\ASP and go back to programming Microsoft technologies after a year as a Mainframe tester

e)Any other option ?

[dogsby]

Personally, I would try and learn as much about everything as possible. You never know when someone might quit or whatever and they want to hire from inside the company.

Dogsby

[JoshT]

My opinion is that while companies aren't looking to buy new mainframes, the ones that have them will keep maintaining them for a long time because they were expensive. Ex. there's still a demand for Cobol programmers, even though not much new work gets done in it.

[nazeem_khan]

Originally posted by udit99
hello ppl....after a long struggle Iv got myself a job...the job is a QA-tester job for Components developed for Mainframe machines. The company Im working with is 1 helluva big company.This is my first job and Iv asked lots of ppl for their views on the job profile..there are ppl who've told me that testing is a good line...if not as good as programming and development ( which is what I was looking for in the first place) ..., then there are people who tell me that testing can be used as a platform to jump on to the Programming bandwagon ( something not easy for freshers in India)...and there are people who are telling me that testing is a clerical job that has no future and especially Mainframes are a subject that have been relegated to history textbooks

One thing is very clear that it is not possible for me to quit this job but I still want to know how true the above statements are and what should I do from now on ??

a) Concentrate on Mainframes testing as a lifetime career
b) Concentrate on testing as a lifetime career
c) consider jumping on to programming mainframes in the near future

d)Keep in touch with VB\ASP and go back to programming Microsoft technologies after a year as a Mainframe tester

e)Any other option ?

Well..
I personally belive the job you have got as qa-testers is as good as compare to the other lines like programming..project management etc.,. it is also a part in the life cycle of an project..u cant ignore it. But that will give u great amount of knowledge in terms of realtime modules, that ur testing. Using this knowledge and confidence u can jump to the mainframes as programmer or into to any other platforms. Do keep in touch with latest technologies..u never know u can get good break..are u can be with the same company and get progress in ur career and position little by little..all the best for ur current job and for ur future... keep learning..learning never ends....