Am I suitable to become a QA?

Are you considering becoming a QA specialist? Apart from technical knowledge, which you can learn over time, a professional testing engineer should have some other skills – or maybe personal characteristics.

Let’s have a look:

Being meticulous:

Software testing is a lot about having an eye for detail. QA tester needs to be thorough enough to catch the tiniest problems. That means a lot of repetitive tasks – double or triple-checking is a part of the work routine.

Strong communication skills:

QA specialists must be able to report their findings clearly and understandably – no matter if they do it in written or spoken language. Having the ability to communicate with both technical and non-technical team members is crucial in this line of work.

Flexibility:

Things change very quickly in the IT world. To work efficiently, QA engineer needs to adapt to new technology and tools. That means constant learning.

And since quality assurance is a team effort, a QA engineer must be able to respond to teams’ needs.

Ability to walk effectively in user’s shoes:

Let’s not forget: we make software for the end-users. That is why a QA engineer needs to think and act as a “common user” when interacting with the application. That helps him find out if the software meets the needs of the customer.

Empathy:

Part of being a software tester is delivering bad news. No developer feels good when told, there is a bug in their code. But it makes a lot of difference in reaction when you report something like that in a friendly, positive way.

Resilience:

The demands of keeping software projects on time and within a tight deadline can be huge. This often leads to a stressful working environment. It is essential to develop skills that help you cope with that stress.

These are mainly soft skills. You can read more about technical skills here.