The below framework can help you get your first QA job in the IT industry.
At a higher level, there are basically four parts to it.
- Debunk the common belief
- Gain theoretical knowledge
- Some practice, on the real stuff
- Start applying and be prepared to fail the initial few interviews
Debunk the common belief
No, you don’t need a higher Math degree or 4-year engineering course.
Never let anyone tell you that you can’t because you lack a technical degree. It’s simply wrong, especially in the US. People often don’t know the correct path to proceed. And if it helps I have several examples where this framework was applied successfully. Not only people got their first job but also had been working in the IT industry for several years at companies like Microsoft, AT&T, and T-Mobile. You can certainly be one of them.
If you have used any app on your phone like Facebook, or WhatsApp, or played a game. Then you are already into App testing on the Andriod or IOS ( depending on the phone you have ). Or if you have ordered something on Amazon, then you had been already testing an E-commerce website. Just that you didn’t encounter a bug yet. Or maybe you did, but just don’t know that it was really a bug.
So how do you know if you encountered a bug or not? That’s where some (very little) training can help. Finding a bug depends on if you have eyes for perfection. If you can spot flaws in anything around you. Say you walk into someone’s home and you see this wall painting that is not parallel to the wall. If you can notice that, then you already have eyes to spot bugs.
What is a bug? Simply put, when something is expected to be in a certain order, or per a given specification, but you discover that it’s not. Then you found a bug in that system.
Gain theoretical knowledge
Your job as a software tester (on PC) or an app tester (on phones) is, simply to go over all features of a given software application or service. And find any instance where the software didn’t function the way it was expected. Then list that issue somewhere. So some other person (typically a developer) can fix the bug.
Say (just an example) in the case of Facebook, if you are trying to post a photo, but are not able to select one from your phone’s photo library. Then this definitely is a bug on the Facebook app.
Filing a bug – Simplest way is to just write – “I can not post a photo to my Facebook profile”. This may seem good enough, but does it contain all information for a developer to be able to fix the bug? Likely not. This is where theoretical knowledge comes in handy.
Basically, most of us already have an eye for perfection from nature. We can also generally tell what is wrong when we notice an imperfection. What’s usually missing is, how to translate that issue that bug into a certain technical format. So that managers can prioritize the bug. And a developer can finally fix it.
There are a lot of online resources, that can teach that technical language, which is required to get you started. However, it is recommended that one should take on one to two formal courses, in order to gain some confidence in the field. It helps to mention that in the resume as well. Though I don’t think it is absolutely required, however, it is useful to take one or two formal training.
Here are some of the courses one can easily find at their nearest community college or online –
Available from Bellevue Community College ( check your local college for similar )
Note that there are several (rather confusing) courses. However, you can pick just the ones mentioned below. Their title can be different but as long as the content is similar.
- Principles of Software Testing.
- Professional Testing Methods.
- Test Planning, Modeling, and Reporting.
The first two are critical, the third one is optional, if you don’t get the job after the first two, then continue to the third one. Usually, you start brushing off your resume after the first one and start applying while course two onward is in progress.
Some practice on real stuff –
During the courses, you will be given a lot of opportunities to practice on real stuff, i.e software. But don’t stop there. Anytime you find a bug, try to file it. Say you buy a purse and you notice that its handle is not symmetrical, then it’s a bug too. Please explain in terms of the technical language that you learned during your courses.
Keep filing bugs until you believe you mastered the art of not just noticing the imperfection, but recording them using technical language.
Start applying & prepare to fail a few interviews
Make your resume reflect all the theoretical and practical knowledge you gained. Go over some sample resumes first to see what can you learn from them.
Then, start applying at several openings. Initially few people will ignore your application, and few will respond. Pay careful attention to the feedback you receive. When someone takes your interview (By phone or in person) and stops responding. Say they didn’t select or like you. You must always never hesitate to ask for feedback. Apply that feedback and prepare for the next. Usually, if you are applying for manual testing jobs, I am sure after the initial 2-3 rejection fourth should be yours, if you followed all the steps mentioned above.
Good luck!
Naren