Senior QA Engineer Career Path

The first step in becoming a QA engineer is getting an education, either through a coding boot camp program or college. The route you choose depends on how fast you want to get started working in the industry. Online courses are another avenue that allows you to self-study web development from home.

University degree programs take longer to complete but may provide a more comprehensive education. Boot camp providers, like New York-based General Assembly, offer a more streamlined curriculum that forges a quicker path to your first paycheck. However, you may need to revisit your formal education as you climb the ladder. Learn in-demand software programs including:

• JavaScript.
• HTML.
• Bootstrap.
• jQuery.
• MERN.

In addition to coding expertise, you'll need to develop various soft skills to become a career-ready QA engineer, like:

• Strong communication skills.
• An aptitude for analytics.
• Precision orientation.
• A tolerance for monotony.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

QA engineers must use several technical skills to succeed in their chosen career. Programming skills are vital for this tech job. Most programs teach you multiple programming languages to make sure you prepare thoroughly.

If you're new to testing and quality assurance engineering, there are several online resources to help you get up to speed. Forum and community-based industry experts and vast stores of information in various repositories help you become more proficient at testing overall, such as:

• Black Box Software Testing.
• Satisfice.
• The Association for Software Testing.

There are many certifications for QA engineers. However, you don't need to earn all of them. Instead, pick from these top five programs:

1. Certified Software Test Engineer (CSTE).
2. Certified Software Quality Analyst (CSQA).
3. Certified Associate in Software Testing (CAST).
4. Certified Manager of Software Quality (CMSQ).
5. International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB).

Now that you're certified, it's time to develop a stellar portfolio. This essential tool will demonstrate your knowledge of:

• Multiple programming languages.
• Critical aspects of the quality assurance process.
• How you perform testing.

Before you start searching for open QA engineer positions, you need a technical resume. Ask your school's career service staff if they have programs to help you put yours together.

With your resume in hand, start your search by paring down results for interesting, entry-level positions. Remember to polish up your interviewing skills so you ace the recruiter's questions.