Specializations that will help you become a much sought after QA professional

The last decade has been a scene of rapid changes, especially, for the job profile of a QA professional. There were so many product introductions and software roll-outs that the service of a QA has come to spotlight like never before. The need for a structured testing of products and applications before they are officially released is now evidently felt.

As with power comes responsibility, high expectations accompany great demand. QA professionals are now expected to have several additional qualifications and strengths to stay current in the industry. Monotonous test case execution is no longer the norm for a professional QA tester.

Here is what will be required of a qualified QA professional or an aspiring QA professional in order to scale their career to the next level:

Specialized domain knowledge

At present the hot fields for software testing include BFSI, healthcare, insurance, telecom, retail, embedded systems and manufacturing. More fields like ecommerce and supply chain management are also being added to the list. For a QA professional who wants to be recognized in his profession, specialized testing knowledge in a chosen domain is a must-have. He or she must also try to attain QA training & certifications to add weight to their resume.

A good grip on Automation Testing

The days of manual testing are waning out. Automation testing has arrived. Corporations are now looking out for QA professionals who possess serious expertise on Automation testing tools. To be a sought after QA professional it is necessary to have experience in creating, validating and enhancing tests in automation framework.

Continued professional education

Learning is never-ending. For a present day QA professional, the statement cannot be any truer. It is necessary for a professional tester to enhance his professional qualifications with certifications from ASQ, QAI, ISQTB, etc. in order to get noticed in the eyes of potential employers. To further enhance their job profile, testers might also want to achieve PMP, CQTM and other related professional managerial certifications.

What you need to do to reach to the top

Now that you have read about specializations available in the QA industry, it is time to forage into personal strategies and tiny lifestyle modifications that will pay returns in form of career growth. Like in any other technical profession, the QA field also requires professionals to constantly update their knowledge and skills. If you are beginner and are wondering how to go about it, read on. We have some food for your thought.

Now that you have read about specializations available in the QA industry, it is time to forage into personal strategies and tiny lifestyle modifications that will pay returns in form of career growth. Like in any other technical profession, the QA field also requires professionals to constantly update their knowledge and skills. If you are beginner and are wondering how to go about it, read on. We have some food for your thought.

Become a part of the professional forums

Professional forums are always warmed up to the recent challenges and updates happening in the industry. It is there you will come in direct contact with people who make things happen in the testing industry through innovative techniques and methods. Some communities also have the practice of conducting public testing challenges where the professional acumen of the tester will be polished to finesse.

Follow blogs of popular testing companies and individuals

Blogs are storehouses of information. You will get tons of information on how specific testing modules are to be used or how an advanced feature in a testing software can be used for a given test case. Needless to say, with continuous reading your expertise will shoot through the roof within few weeks making an expert in the industry.

Blogs are storehouses of information. You will get tons of information on how specific testing modules are to be used or how an advanced feature in a testing software can be used for a given test case. Needless to say, with continuous reading your expertise will shoot through the roof within few weeks making an expert in the industry.

Get hired. Get trained.

Hiring is not always associated with a permanent position. In some cases, it could even be to the position of a trainee tester. Being a trainee has its own advantages, the most important being one that you can make mistakes, at least minimally. Everything forms part of the learning and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to create unique test cases to confirm working functionalities.

To wrap it upTo keep pace with the growing demands of the testing industry, it is necessary for a QA professional to stay updated and upgraded. Achieving specialized knowledge in various domains, mastering automation testing and continuous professional education will help a QA professional stay competitive in this dynamic environment. Learning launches you into a domain but it is practice that will sustain the position. Make sure you keep on updating your knowledge with reading blogs, attending forum meetings, internships, etc. After all becoming a top professional does not happen overnight. 

To keep pace with the growing demands of the testing industry, it is necessary for a QA professional to stay updated and upgraded. Achieving specialized knowledge in various domains, mastering automation testing and continuous professional education will help a QA professional stay competitive in this dynamic environment. Learning launches you into a domain but it is practice that will sustain the position. Make sure you keep on updating your knowledge with reading blogs, attending forum meetings, internships, etc. After all becoming a top professional does not happen overnight.