Becoming a Software QA Engineer

A quick guideline to navigate your QE career

So you decided you want to become a software QA engineer. Congratulations!

Now, ask yourself why did you choose to become a SQA engineer?

If it’s because “it’s the easiest way to get into the high-tech world”, think again. Everything in our world, whether it’s low-tech or high-tech, requires your most respectful and serious approach to be executed at the highest level. You can’t fake it and your colleagues will notice it. So be sure this is what you ACTUALLY want and be ready to do whatever it takes.

Being a SQA is mostly about caring for the product quality more than anybody else.

On the other hand, if:

• Finding flaws in perfectly seeming products makes you happy. (who said OCD?)
• You like to break things 😂
• You enjoy handling things under-the-hood (and accidentally break them first…)
• You enjoy team work and have a technical intuition.
• You’re excited about software & testing (aren’t we all???)

carry on. You can do it and I can assure you — YOU WILL ENJOY IT.

Ask yourself if you’re seeking a short-term career in QA or a long-term. If you want a taste of what this world has to offer and consider the possibilities on-the-go, you’ll need to grab the opportunity you get, and persuade your potential employer that you’re super bright and dynamic person, that has a high learning curve and can adjust to changes. In this case, no one will expect you to have vast experience, but you’ll need to make a good impression:

• Make some homework and get to know the company you’re considering to work for.
• Know the basics of client-server architecture.
• Keep an open mind and stay focused to get the hints you may get during the interview.
• Let them know you’re someone they can trust.

In case you’re seeking a long-term career in SQA, you need to bring more to the equation.

Your potential employer tries to envision how you’ll be performing a year and more from now. So, get yourself educated.

It can be an online course, a real classroom or a lot of technical reading . Whether you’re already an engineer, a practical engineer or have no technological background, you’ll need to demonstrate that you know the terminology, the working processes, the mindset and understanding of software QA, development processes, common tools and bug’s life cycle.

Even with good understanding, there’s nothing like work experience, so if you find out that you can’t break this glass wall and get the chance that you need, get yourself a working experience thorough crowdsourced testing, such as uTest. This is a real SQA working experience you can utilize to get yourself acquainted with the world of testing and something that can push you to the next level.

Once you’re already a SQA, build your skills and strengths. Make sure you master the tools needed for your job and always learn what can be done more efficiently. Ask many questions, research and doubt everything you’re not sure of.

Position yourself as a professional and thorough QA engineer and periodically test yourself for professional evolvement.

After establishing yourself as a good SQA, ask your manager what you need to improve. Be open for criticism and take initiative, whilst helping your colleagues achieve success with you. Remember that a lone wolf remains alone in times of trouble, so helping each other will help all parties involved.

At the end of the day, we all want collaboration and acknowledgement.

As for automation engineers, being an automation engineer is more than just writing a compilable and running code, it’s a pure development role, so prepare yourself to be doing just that — develop code all day long. If that’s what you want — train yourself to be an excellent coder, no less than any full time developer you see around you. The rest is up to you.

Good Luck!