Become a Quality Assurance Tester

The IT world is evolving incredibly fast: new applications, services, and programs are appearing every day. However, before they come into the hands of users, it is necessary to make sure that everything works without errors, interface is user-friendly and functionality meets requirements. This is the responsibility of a quality specialist — QA-tester (Quality Assurance Tester).

The Quality Assurance Tester’s Role in the IT Industry

A QA tester is a specialist who tests the program for flaws, evaluates its stability, and assists the development team in producing a really high-quality product. This specialist plays an important role in the development process: he finds problems even before users do, thus saving the company money, time, and reputation.

Software Quality Assurance’s Importance

Imagine you download some new banking app, and it hangs on with your money transfer, or the online store doesn’t allow you to place an order because something went wrong with the cart. Emotions for users may be triggered by such issues, as well as real financial repercussions for businesses.

That is why testing should be the mandatory step in developing any type of digital product. Companies are interested in their services to work consistently with standards and bring profit, and users were happy and returned again.

Today, QA tester for the MVP development services, as an example, are in demand in many areas:

Development of web applications (online shops, services, platforms for work).
Mobile applications (banking, social networks, messengers, games).
Financial sector (banking systems, cryptocurrency platforms).
Automation and AI (chatbots, voice assistants, neural networks).

The tester is someone who helps users get a good, convenient and safe product. So his work is not just about finding the wrong way, but contributing to the digital future.

Dive Into the Basics of Testing

If you are only thinking about a Quality Assurance tester career, it is important to understand the basic principles of testing. It’s not just a bug-hunting processes, but a process that helps create quality, stable and convenient digital products.

Main Types of Testing

Testing is different, and each species has its own task. Here are some key areas:

Functional testing — checks if the program works as intended. For example, if there is a “Send” button in the mobile application, the tester checks whether the message is sent when clicked.
Regression testing — helps to make sure that the processes of correction of one error has not caused new problems in other parts of the system.
Load testing — checks how the system behaves under high traffic. For example, whether the website of the online store will be able to withstand a flood of buyers during “Black Friday”.
Automated testing — used to speed up the validation process. Instead of manually checking each button and form field, the tester writes scripts that do this automatically.

In addition to these types of testing, there are dozens of approaches: unit testing, security testing, UI/UX testing and others. But for the beginning, it is enough to deal with the basics.

Where Is Testing in the Development Lifecycle?

Any program or application goes through several development stages, and testing is an important part of this process. It can occur in different stages:

Requirements analysis — at this stage, testers examine the documentation and look for potential problems before they start development.
Development — while programmers write the code, QA specialists can prepare test cases (scenarios of testing).
Testing — here begins active verification of the product, detection and fixing bugs.
Release — after correcting all critical errors, the tester checks that the product is ready for launch.
Support and improvement — even after the release of the program in production, it continues to be tested, especially if new features are added.

The tester is involved in this process at every stage, helping the development team to make the product better.

Key Skills of a Successful Tester

Celadonsoft team opinion: “QA is not just a software test, but a complex process of reporting that requires technical and analytical skills. Let’s understand what is important for a successful start in the profession.”

Technical Skills: What Is Worth Learning First

To test software effectively, you need to understand its operation. Of course, you don’t have to be a developer, but basic technical knowledge will make the job much easier.

Basics of database management. Many applications use databases, and sometimes the tester needs to check the correctness of stored data. Basic SQL commands will help to analyze information and detect errors.
Knowledge of programming languages. If you plan to develop in automated testing, it is worth knowing Python, Java, or JavaScript. These languages are often used for writing autotests.
Working with version control systems. Git is the standard in IT. Knowing how to work with it will help you understand what changes in code could lead to a bug.

Tester’s Tools

There are many tools in the QA Specialist’s arsenal that make work easier. Here are a few key ones from the Celadonsoft’s QAs:

Bug tracking systems. These are services where bugs are detected, and their correction is tracked. The most popular ones are Jira, Trello, YouTrack.
Tools for API testing. Even if you are a beginner tester, it is worth getting to know Postman — it helps to check the server requests.
Automated testing tools. Selenium, Cypress, Appium are powerful tools for automating tests if you plan to move in this direction.

Soft Skills: Why They Are Important in QA

The tester is not just a person who looks for bugs. It’s a specialist who helps make the product better. Therefore, in addition to technical knowledge, soft skills are important:

Attention to detail. Sometimes a small mistake can affect the entire product. Being able to notice little things is an important skill for QA.
Analytical thinking. The tester should be able to think logically, look for reasons of errors and propose possible solutions.
Communication and teamwork. QA is constantly interacting with developers, managers, and designers. The ability to explain a problem clearly and constructively is the key to success.

Career Building in QA

If you have already mastered the basic testing skills and are ready to look for your first job, it is crucial to approach this process correctly. In this section we will explain how to prepare a resume, interview and build a successful career in QA.

Effective Summary and Interview Preparation

Your resume is the first step to working on your dream. It should be structured, concise and highlight your key skills. Even if you don’t have any commercial experience, please indicate:

Courses and training programs you have taken.
Practical projects such as testing of educational applications.
Skills of working with tools (Jira, Postman, Selenium etc.).

When preparing for the interview, learn the typical questions that are asked to newcomers in QA. For example:

How to make a bug report?
What are test cases, and why do they need to be tested?

Practice, participate in test interviews, record your answers on the recorder — so you will understand more quickly how you look from the outside.

Search for Internships and First Jobs

The easiest way for beginners to start a career is through internships or junior positions. Where can you look for vacancies?

On the sites with vacancies: HH, LinkedIn, Djinni and others.
In Telegram channels and chat rooms for testers.
On the career pages of IT companies — many recruit interns.

Important remark: even if the job requirements seem difficult, apply! Employers are often willing to take a beginner with burning eyes and desire to learn.

Career Opportunities

A career in QA can be developed in several directions:

Manual QA Middle/Senior QA — growth in manual testing.
QA Automation Engineer — Transition to automated testing.
QA Lead/Manager — Test team management.
Product/Business Analyst — transition to related roles in IT.

To grow, it is essential to constantly learn, understand new technologies and participate in the professional community.

Final Remarks

QA testing is not just a profession, but a key element in the development of quality software. Today, the demand for testing professionals is higher than ever before, and the IT industry offers many opportunities for growth and development.

If you are just starting your journey, remember: testing is not just about finding mistakes, but it’s about work that requires attention to detail, logical thinking and constant learning. The threshold of entry into a profession is low enough, but real success comes to those who are willing to develop, learn new and not afraid of difficulties.