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How to Become a QA Tester – In-Depth QA Testing Career Guide from Scratch

Introduction

My journey as a manual tester started a bit differently. I started giving interviews to grep an opportunity in the development space. I could not bag a job directly as a developer in the initial phase of my career. Frankly, like any other IT graduate, I was skeptical about starting my career as a Tester. But I decided to give it a try. I was sure that I would switch to the development field later. Once I started growing my career in QA testing, believe me, I never looked back and did not even think of leaving testing after that.

Testing is all about the Practice

For my first interview as a Software Tester, I did work on basics only, but I was evaluated practically as well. Finally, I understood how freshers are evaluated for a software testing job. Even today, I suggest everyone learn practical and theoretical concepts before appearing for interviews. During graduation, you mostly get familiar with basics and theory.

To get hands-on expertise, the best idea is to join the QA Software Testing Training Program where you can learn everything from scratch. There are short-term courses to get help on how to become a QA tester where you can become a manual tester in just 30 days and learn something new almost every day. These courses are suitable for those who want to learn manual testing and bag a job quickly without spending more time on studies after graduation.

QA Software Testing Training

  • Detailed Coverage
  • Best-in-class Content
  • Prepared by Industry leaders
  • Latest Technology Covered

I also decided to take this course, where I learned practical aspects of testing and using two-three software testing tools as well. Upon the completion of my training, I completed one certification and started appearing for interviews. Finally, I got selected for Adobe and got my first project to work on the 3rd or 4th day. It was one of the company's largest projects, requiring us to test iOS apps on various iPhones as well as their compatibility with other operating systems. After settling down for the initial few weeks, there was no reason to go back for me.

I started in a team and worked on different aspects of testing like performance testing, security, UI, usability, behavioral testing, etc. I was working against developers, and I can proudly say that we tested and delivered successfully. In two years, I logged around 3000+ defects and learned something new every day. One thing I want to highlight as per my experience is that -

Testing is all about the practice, not the theory.

Before moving ahead, let me first tell you who is a Manual Tester, how he is different from an automation expert, and the skills expected to become a Manual Tester, and QA online courses to master testing skills.

Who is a Manual Tester?

A manual tester is a person who has to test a program or application through different scenarios. He is more focused on using manual testing practices instead of using a software testing tool. Testing cannot be done randomly, but you should follow a strict process and end up checking each aspect of the program deeply.

Before moving to automation testing, you are strongly recommended to work as a manual tester and gain related skills and knowledge. A few things that are left behind by automated testing software can be managed by a manual tester. He has to document everything, whatever changes he is making. Obviously, it is a time-consuming process but considered a more trusted option when compared to automated testing.

Hopefully, you are clear on the basics of a manual tester, now let’s check through how to become a QA tester!

How to Become a QA Tester – The 5-Step Process!

A QA or quality assurance tester carries out software testing to address problems and guarantee that particular requirements are met. You might think about working as a QA tester if you can think critically and work well with others. The steps you must take to become a QA tester are outlined below.

Step: 1. Sign up for college

When starting your QA tester career and looking on how to become a QA tester, the first step is enrolling in the right degree or a training course. To determine the type of degree or certification you must have, take into account the requirements for the industry in which you want to work. The majority of software quality assurance tester positions demand at least an associate degree, and a bachelor's degree is advised to be a competitive applicant.

Step: 2. Finish your studies

If you want to work as a QA tester, you should choose a strong major and learn manual testing. After careful consideration, select a major that is suited for the industry in which you wish to work. If you want to learn how to become a QA tester and want to network, keep in mind that this is a terrific opportunity to network and get credentials while still in school. Networking with your classmates and teachers is critical for future job and teamwork opportunities.

Step: 3. Obtain a certificate

You must earn at least one certification in software quality assurance in order to be considered for some QA tester positions. By doing this, you demonstrate that you have the tenacity and drive required in the sector. If you pass the certification exam, you might even be eligible for a promotion.

Step: 4. Finish your internship

A great way to obtain experience and get your foot in the door is through an internship. It is a critical step when it comes to how to become a QA tester. An internship could be required to graduate from some undergraduate programmes. You may get a great chance to learn more about what it takes to be a good QA tester through these internships.

Step: 5. Submit a job application

You can submit an application for open quality assurance testing roles after completing all academic prerequisites and obtaining some experience. Look for employment opportunities in a field that interests you and matches your skills. Create your cover letter and CV with the job description for each position in mind to give them a more tailored feel. 

Engage with your professional network to learn about opportunities and referrals from other professionals. You can choose between numerous job offers if you get them by considering where you wish to reside and the income and benefits that each firm is willing to offer.

This is how to become a QA tester, in the next section we will discuss how manual testing is different from automated testing followed by quick tips.

How Manual Testing is Ddifferent from Automation Ttesting?

Manual testing is based on the human personal touch and requires greater customization of testing algorithms. Based on your past experiences, you can follow the best approach to test each part of the software.

For bulk testing, manual testing can be a time-consuming process. So, automated testing was discovered where repeated use cases could be automated and executed much faster. These days there are many automated testing softwares or tools available in the IT marketplace, like JIRA, Selenium, etc.

Get hands-on expertise on any specific tool, and you are ready to start your career in the automation testing domain right away. It’s important to understand the difference between manual testing and automation testing and which technique is best suited to check a software’s effectiveness.

Top Manual Tester Skills

A good manual tester should be open-minded, disciplined, passionate, dedicated, who can anticipate the potential problems and report the same to the project lead. Also, he should have good communication skills because he has to interact with other members of the team or developers on a routine basis.

Top Manual Tester Skills

To test any software program or application, it is necessary for having a programming background and the basic knowledge of Python, C++, Ruby, Python, etc. It can help manual tester in reporting errors much faster and more potentially. When working on the source code of an application, it requires an excellent IT background and hands-on expertise on different programming frameworks.

Still, three major skills needed to become a manual tester are given as:

  • You should know how to design test cases.
  • You should have a sound idea of the business and the project requirements.
  • You should have hands-on expertise in at least one programming language.

Further, to become a manual tester in just 30 days, you should consider getting a certification as needed by top industries. To clear the certification, you have to gain the necessary skills and knowledge. It can be done through JanBask Training’s online training courses, where each course content is personalized and designed as per the pattern of the certification exam. Once you have gained the certification, you can educate yourself about the latest industry trends and standard testing procedures

Your Experience is your Mentor

It has been more than 6 six years today in the testing domain. It was an amazing journey with plenty of experiences and fruitful learning. I m working as a senior QA manager and taking care of 5-6 projects together. I am handling a team of 30+ testers that gave me real joy and happiness. Obviously, I am still learning, and I would say I have to pass through tough paths to reach this level in my career. The more honestly you work, there are more chances of becoming a better and more skilled resource in the future.

I believe that books don’t teach you how to test, but they can give you the right direction to start a career. It is why I focused on LIVE instructor-led QA training online and also joined JanBask Training’s manual testing community, where I learned everything practically and got an opportunity to work on real-time projects too. It helped me to understand the problem and the logic. Also, I became more confident in applying my skills in the workplace. You would not believe that I was selected for Adobe in my second interview only after completing the course. It was an accomplishment for me, and I would like to share it with everybody planning to start or switch careers in the testing space as a manual tester.

QA Quiz

Till the time, you must have got an idea of how to become a manual tester in less time or just 30 days. Here are a few tactics on how should you approach different scenarios at the initial phase of your career.

A Few Examples how Did I approach in Tough Scenarios

A). Understand the business to the fullest

Mostly testers believe that they don’t have to understand the business deeply, but it is a myth. Testing is not about making a few validations or verifications. You have to test different scenarios even the rarest ones, without fail. You have to test each module or data, keeping actual users in mind. I would not be wrong in saying that you have to work as a business analyst sometimes where you need to understand the product requirements, objectives, the nature of the business, etc.

Understand the business to the fullest

I was facing similar odds in the initial phase of my career.

I had to think from the users’ perspective, and I have to contribute to the requirements and Design phase for each iteration. Nothing helped me to resume apart my reasoning ability and hard work. To contribute to the success of a business, you have to design better use cases and scenarios.

Every time you are going to attend a “requirements meeting” or discussion, note down even small things and convert them into test cases for a better understanding of the concept. Keep doing it until you are sure that you are DONE!!

B). Working against Odds under Pressure

I was working on a huge and complex project where I have to interact with developers all the time to understand the product and its different modules. Initially, I was not sure of best practices that can teach me the solution to the problem. The only idea is to fight with the ground realities as you face them. The solution to a problem completely depends on how fast you can shift your thoughts and frame situations. Obviously, this approach demands aggressive work, but it works for everyone.

Working against Odds under Pressure

Try completing one thing at a time but independently. Independence is an asset that can take you higher in the long run. Take an example where you have to test a Textbox. So, what are the maximum possibilities here? Just note down each of them and start working on one by one.

  • You have to check either this textbox accepts data or not.
  • You have to validate data types and maximum length.
  • You have to check how it stores special characters.
  • You have to check how it works with multilingual data.
  • Try to understand the behavior of tabs and different keys.
  • Work on spaces and the tab.
  • Check on error handling and UI alignment.
  • Check how can you copy/paste the data from Textbox.
  • Most importantly, check the behavior of Textbox concerning other associated elements.

Well, thinking from this perspective will surely give you the flexibility to work on different scenarios and test each of them regressively. Keep in mind to do one thing at a time, but do it honestly

C). How to Stand strongly against “Unexpected”?

Which tactic can help you when you have to do something you have never done before? Frankly, no book can help you how to become a QA tester, but your experience is the teacher.

I remember the time when we were asked to deploy a product in the absence of our Project Lead. We all were either freshers or middle-level experts. We started with lots of Trials and Errors. At that time, LINUX and shell scripting was new to us.

How to Stand strongly against “Unexpected”?

We put wrong commands but did not lose hope. It was the time when my natural interests grew in LINUX and shell scripting, and today, I am leading a team of 30+ professionals in my Company.

D). When performance matters, not the experience

In the initial phase of my career, I was compared with the most experienced testers around. The time when I was professionally looking at how to become a QA tester. I believe that almost everyone faces a similar situation when working with an organization. It helps you to push yourself and evolve. The only solution is to expand your knowledge base and start thinking broadly.  Find ways to learn faster and grow your skills.

When performance matters, not the experience

I bind my experience to these few lines.

Your hard work, dedication, discipline, logical thinking, attention to detail, and your passion is all needed to become a successful Tester. It worked for me as well. When you practice these qualities, no one can leave you behind.

Well, if you are thinking that I am promoting basic human qualities, then you are not completely right here. It is up to you how can you use these traits in your professional life. However, to go far in any domain, learn from your mistakes and experiences.

QA Software Testing Training

  • No cost for a Demo Class
  • Industry Expert as your Trainer
  • Available as per your schedule
  • Customer Support Available

Make sure that you are aware of basic terms and terminologies as well. Being a tester, you have to interact with many people and you should understand how to communicate with everyone. When the knowledge and experience of different members combine, it can add success to a product dramatically.

Next Steps:

Our main focus is to dictate to you how to get into QA testing in less possible time and bag the job to start your journey in the testing space. Well, graduation courses can give you an idea of basic concepts only. To get hired and know about the practical aspects of software testing, you should join the testing course online at JanBask Training immediately. Here, you will learn project-based learning and how to implement your skills in the manual testing workplace. Also, it will make you more confident to represent yourself in interviews. You can also refer to  Real-time and Job-Focused Manual Testing Exclusively from JanBask Training to learn all about Manual Testing Principles from Seasoned and Certified Instructors. We wish you luck, and don’t forget to share your success story with us!

FAQs

Q1. Manual testing course overview.

Ans: JanBask Training’s online course on Manual Testing focuses on offering the course-takers the process of software testing, including proper planning, management, scheduling, test cases, defect analysis, identification, and much more. The importance of analyzing results and working in a virtualized environment. Complete knowledge of software testing technologies with different frameworks. Testing different components of applications. Staying up-to-date with the latest QA technologies.

Q2. What skills will you learn through our Online QA Courses testers?

Ans:  In most of the guides of how to become QA tester, the following skills are listed – 

  • Java
  • Agile
  • API Testing
  • JDBC
  • TDD
  • AWS

Q3. What are the features of your Online QA Courses testers that make them exceptional?

Ans:

  • Earn an industry-recognized course completion certificate
  • Self-paced live interaction classes from industry experts
  • Get access to our quiz from LMS to scale your knowledge
  • Get training from industry experts who are passionate about software testing
  • A practical learning experience with live project work and mock test sessions

Q4. What are the benefits of this course?

Ans: Our Online QA courses help you learn the techniques of performing testing more effectively while getting equipped with project-based work scenarios. They also get you acquainted with practical knowledge from experienced QA professionals.

Q5. What top QA Testing Specializations do you offer?

Ans:

  • Test Engineer
  • Test Architect
  • Automation Tester
  • QA Analyst
  • QA Engineer
  • Test Analyst
  • QA Tester
  • QA Manual Tester

Q6. Who is eligible to take this QA training?

Ans: This training is apt for :

  • Graduates who are looking for how to become a tester
  • IT professionals who want to advance or switch their careers and think how to get into QA
  • Software Testers who aspire to achieve a high-paying job in this field.

Q7.  Does every software program need testers?

Ans: Undoubtedly, a tester is required for s/w programs because testing for the quality of the software is paramount to the success of any software product, and Without proper QA, the chances for success decline significantly.

Q8. Why is software testing important?

Ans: Software testing is a procedure of removing any error or bug from the Software’s source code to enable proper functioning, give correct results, and make it more reliable. Hence every software is tested thoroughly before packaging for customers or business clients. Because Software Testing removes every bit of bug or error, which helps them make reliable, less maintenance, more accurate, and consistent performance, which will pave the way for an easy user experience.

Q9. How can I become a Test Automation Architect or how to start a career in QA testing?

Ans: A Test Automation Architect is a professional who develops solutions for testing problems enterprises face at the time of the software development lifecycle. If you are aspiring to become a Test Automation Architect or looking for how to start a career in QA testing, you must have a clear understanding of test management, test automation frameworks, implementation of test plan, strategy, and execution, and be ready to take ownership of preparing testing solutions.

Q10. Is Software Testing a good career?

Ans: Once you learn to test, numerous job opportunities will be available to you in several companies worldwide. There are many jobs in numerous industries seeking to hire these professionals. Having said that, Software Testers are among the highest-earning professionals in the world. That’s why, there is a huge search for how to become a tester.


     user

    Sanchayan Banerjee

    I love to learn new things and also like sharing my knowledge with others. As an experienced IT Professional I like to update myself constantly with new and upcoming technologies. The database management system is one of my favorite subjects which I constantly explore.


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