List of IT professions. QA engineer
profession
Software Testing Engineer
Time to Learn
4-9 months
Estimated Salary
€ 1800 - 5000
What This Role Involves
About the Profession
QA testers work as part of a team that develops a product – whether it’s a computer program, an online store, or an app on your phone. These teams are either in specialized organizations that produce software (IT companies), or in specialized departments within non-IT organizations (banks, travel companies, insurance firms – many have their own IT departments).
The first thing that comes to mind when describing the work of a tester is the quality assurance department at a factory. Before releasing a product (like a car or a coffee maker), quality specialists check it to see if it’s functional and working as intended.
Software testers do something similar – they check how well a program, website, online store, or computer game works. But that’s only part of their job.
A QA tester also represents the user’s interests on the development team. They need to ensure that the software not only works but also works in a way that is convenient for the user.
Moreover, a tester acts as a link between all members of the development team (analysts, managers, programmers). Each of these members may have their own goals, and the tester must ensure that the software meets all these goals as much as possible (and if they conflict, communicate this clearly to the team).
From the previous paragraph, we can derive the next point: a tester is also a bit of a psychologist because they need to communicate issues to colleagues in a way that doesn’t discourage them. It’s a delicate job to point out where something went wrong without upsetting anyone, and it requires a good understanding of both the product and the people using it.
Developers (programmers) usually only see a small part of the product they are working on. Often, they have no idea what the whole product does or how it will be used. A QA tester, on the other hand, has a broader understanding of the entire product, its issues, and the kinds of questions that users might have.
So, what does a QA tester do at work?
Ensures that the program meets customer requirements, makes logical sense, and is convenient and safe to use.
Finds bugs, reports them, and then checks again after they’ve been fixed to ensure nothing else broke during the process.
Knows the software inside out – its history, weaknesses, strengths, and the upcoming development plans.
Anticipates user behavior (a tester is a bit of an oracle, although many of my colleagues deny this).
Participates in software development from the planning stage to identify potential issues early and avoid them.
Testing is an interesting job, though sometimes tedious (especially when there’s a lot of writing involved), but more often it’s exciting – like when you’re catching elusive bugs or tracing an error to its root cause. It’s also a challenging job, requiring numerous techniques and scenarios to avoid missing obvious defects. And for me personally, the most important thing is that it’s a diverse job, where you can choose a direction and move in it, and then change it all over again to specialize in something new. You can grow both vertically and horizontally in this field.
This is an averaged list of skills. Depending on the specific organization and professional level, the required skill set can vary significantly. In some cases, you may need additional knowledge, while in others, fewer skills may suffice. Use this list as a guide rather than a strict standard
Hard Skills
General technical literacy
Ability to read documentation
Knowledge of tools that facilitate testing (Postman, Swagger, DevTools, Kibana, etc.)
Understanding of the software development life cycle (SDLC)
Experience with bug tracking tools
Creating test scenarios and test cases
Automated testing skills
Knowledge of SQL for working with databases
Soft Skills
Communication
Teamwork
Attention to detail
Ability to convey issues without causing conflict
Time management
Analytical thinking
Empathy towards users
Creativity