Getting Started as a Quality Engineer
As Mark Twain said best, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Here's some advice on how to get started as a Quality Engineer (or Software Tester, Automation Engineer, etc.)
Quite frequently, I’m asked for advice on how to get started as a Quality Engineer (or Software Tester, Automation Engineer, etc.).
While it will vary depending on the type of job you’re looking for, and the software you’ll be testing, there are several recommendations that I feel apply universally.
The most important advice? As Mark Twain said best, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
- Mark Twain
Recommendations for Everyone
Exploratory Testing
First, I recommend that anyone interested in software testing or improving software quality to start with Explore It!: Reduce Risk and Increase Confidence with Exploratory Testing. Why? This book is a great introduction to a lot of software testing concepts and is approachable for varying levels of technical skill.
Once you’ve read the book, you can practice your exploratory testing.
If you already work for a software company, you can explore using your company’s products.
Otherwise, pick any application that you use, and start exploring!
Report Bugs
After you’ve found some bugs, practice documenting and reporting bugs. Most companies have ways for users to report bugs, although sometimes it requires submitting a ticket through customer support.
If you’re brand new to reporting bugs, it’s important to think about what information to include. Some systems will have required fields and information, while others will be more free form.
Look for a follow-up post/article on the basics of good bug reporting soon!
Getting More Specific
Often, people have a specific job/product/market in mind. Usually, they are looking to either make a lateral move within their current company into a QE role, or they are looking for a job with me and my team/company. Sometimes it’s both.
So, assuming you’re interested in testing mobile and web-based software with a client-server architecture, I’d make the following recommendations:
Learn the basics of rest APIs.
Get familiar with Chrome DevTools (or the equivalent for your browser of choice).
If you want to do test automation, research what tools are used at the jobs you’re interested in.
If you’re not sure, I suggest starting with JavaScript, Python, or React, or for mobile, with Swift (iOS) and Kotlin (Android).
Other Resources
Currently, I’m taking Python 3 from Codecademy, and really enjoying it. I’m hoping I can use this to help track quality metrics in the future.
There’s a lot of free test automation courses available through Test Automation University. I have also taken some paid courses through Treehouse, and there are other free options such as looking for relevant YouTube videos (like the one shared above on rest APIs).
I’d also recommend reading the article below to see if any of the listed qualities resonate with you.
What makes you excited about a career in quality engineering?
Happy bug hunting!
Brie