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Like many other tech workers, quality assurance (QA) engineers need both hard and soft skills to be successful. But gathering these skills could be worthwhile if you’re considering a new career move — the field of QA engineering can be quite lucrative, among offering other perks.
Below, EDUTO breaks down what the role of QA engineer or tester entails, the specific QA skills required, and how to know if you have the traits to land the job.
What is a QA Engineer or QA Tester?
Quality assurance (QA) engineers are vital to tech teams, ensuring systems, tools, and applications function smoothly, look great, and are user-friendly. They play a crucial role in the software development process by identifying and reporting bugs and errors in the code throughout its lifecycle. This ongoing scrutiny enables the practice of CI/CD (continuous integration and continuous deployment), where small code updates are regularly released to improve and fix software, enhancing user experience.
QA engineers are distinct from quality control engineers, who typically get involved after a product's completion or launch. A common task for a QA engineer is to test the code by simulating worst-case scenarios, requiring both technical skills and the ability to effectively communicate issues and solutions with team members.
A typical task for a QA engineer involves finding the worst-case user scenario and testing existing or drafted code for outcomes. This requires QA engineers to have not only technical expertise but also soft skills that allow them to properly communicate issues and brainstorm solutions with team members.
Essential Hard Skills for a QA Engineer
Here are five crucial hard skills for QA testers:
- Programming Languages (JavaScript, Ruby, Python)some text
- Mastery of at least one programming language is essential to identify and fix bugs. JavaScript is versatile, used in both front-end and back-end development, while Ruby is often used in back-end development, particularly for machine learning applications.
- Automation Tools (Selenium, Puppeteer, WebdriverIO)some text
- Automation tools accelerate testing processes and reduce costs. Selenium is widely used for web and mobile applications, Puppeteer is tailored for Chrome/Chromium, and WebdriverIO is designed for JavaScript frameworks.
- SQL or Basic Database Expertisesome text
- Proficiency in SQL or similar database languages is valuable for managing and testing large datasets, allowing QA engineers to clean, manipulate, and extract necessary data.
- Knowledge of APIssome text
- Understanding APIs is crucial as they enable communication between different applications. QA engineers should grasp how APIs work and their significance in software development and testing.
- Project Management Tools (Jira, YouTrack)some text
- Familiarity with project management tools helps QA engineers stay organized, meet deadlines, and collaborate effectively by tracking progress and identifying where their input is needed.
Essential Soft Skills for QA Engineers
Alongside technical abilities, these soft skills are crucial for a QA tester:
- Problem Solving
- QA engineers must have a keen eye for detail and strong analytical skills to identify and resolve programming issues.
- Time management
- Managing tight schedules and multiple tasks is essential, as development teams often work in sprints with set deadlines.
- Patience
- Debugging requires persistence and patience, often involving multiple iterations and collaboration with various stakeholders.
- Creativity
- Creativity helps QA engineers approach problems from different angles and devise innovative solutions.
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills
- Effective communication is vital for presenting issues and solutions clearly to team members and stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aligned.
Improving Your QA Skills
To enhance your QA skills:
- Gain Practical Experience: Participate in projects or shadow experienced QA testers in your current role.
- Find a Mentor: Seek guidance from someone with a similar career path or expertise in QA.
- Network: Attend industry events like LambdaTest’s Spartan Summit or STAREAST’s Testing Conference.
- Contribute to Open Source: Join GitHub to collaborate on projects and build a portfolio of your work.
- Further Education: Enroll in certification courses, such as TripleTen’s Quality Assurance Engineering Bootcamp, which offers flexible, part-time schedules for beginners.
By continuously honing these skills through practice and ongoing education, QA engineers can significantly contribute to the development of high-quality software products.
By continuously honing these skills through practice and ongoing education, QA engineers can significantly contribute to the development of high-quality software products.
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