How do you advance your QA engineer career path and goals?

Learn from mistakes, Self learning Choose Good mentors Train yourself in technical and analytical. Invest your time to learn new technologies and apply on real projects.

QE is evolving to more technology centric..With more applications built in microservices based archit., expertise in API testing (Post man, Ready API), Service virtualization is a good resume booster along with Test automation skills combined with trouble shooting of scripts in less time.... Make use of tech like MS Co-pilot to reduce effort/ and be more effective.. Communication is another key skill for testers to navigate diff teams patiently.. show your articulation skills from defect triages and then move upwards.. People support your advancement seeing a mix of communication, technical skillset and domain centricity in you.. In domain, either it should interest you or it should be the most revenue generating in the given org...

To advance your QA engineer career, continuously update your technical skills, pursue relevant certifications, and engage in professional development. Build a strong network, take on challenging projects, and seek mentorship. Set clear career goals, develop soft skills like leadership and communication, and regularly review and adjust your career plan to stay aligned with industry trends and personal aspirations.

To advance in the QA engineer career path, continuously update technical skills through training and certifications. Seek diverse project experiences to broaden expertise. Develop soft skills like communication and collaboration. Stay informed about industry trends and emerging technologies. Network with peers and mentors for guidance. Take on leadership roles in projects to showcase initiative. Regularly set and reassess career goals for a strategic career trajectory. Embrace a proactive learning mindset, adapting to evolving testing methodologies. By consistently improving technical and interpersonal skills, QA engineers can position themselves for career growth and new opportunities in the dynamic field of quality assurance.

The foundation of all testing is to make it safe and secure for the end user.. But the tools and means of doing it has changed over time. The black box way of testing only for written requirements has given way to receiving requirements as user stories and BDD scripts. The most important part is to not test in silo. It is important to understand the application and framework being built right from application design through deployment. That's why understanding automation friendly languages such as Selenium, Python, Cypress and Playwright matters a lot now.. Understanding how development is done, and DevOps is executed, and in short becoming a Jack of all trades is important for a quality engineer today

Joining conferences and meetups and also to check what other companies use. (You can check it out in the opening positions' job descriptions.)

A major part of QA career advancement is upskilling, you need to learn more efficient ways and technologies for your current role, and for roles you hope to play in the future. While learning and application is easy when they align with immediate job duties, from experience, I’ve had to relearn tools I hadn’t actively used in my role when the time finally came to utilize them. To avoid having to repeat learning, find a means to continually apply what you learn. One way is to discuss with your manager your desire to work on projects that utilize the skills you are learning or intend to learn. If such projects do not exist, it's a good time to suggest taking them on, emphasizing the benefits to the growth of the company/product.

- I have took a Scrum Master Certification to help me advance my skills and knowledge. and help organize my daily work . I am trying to stay in top of my assignment and tasks . I always look for new things to keep me going and not to get board at what I do .

To advance your QA engineer career path and goals, showcase your achievements by actively participating in projects, demonstrating problem-solving skills, and delivering high-quality results. Seek opportunities for professional development through training, certifications, and workshops to stay updated on industry trends and emerging technologies. Network with peers and mentors, seek feedback, and continuously improve your skills. Contribute to the QA community through blogs, presentations, or open-source projects. By consistently demonstrating your capabilities and commitment to excellence, you can progress your career and achieve your goals in QA engineering.

Once you have the degree and the certificates needed, make a list of how you have applied the knowledge you obtained by studying that and mention that in your resume. Highlight your achievements and studies. That will be your portfolio. The same way an artist have its own portfolio, us as Quality Assurance experts must show to what we have to offer.

From my professional journey I started as a machine operator and after 13 years I became a Head of Quality. Did I think I'd get to this level? ...No. If you want to progress as an engineer it can be in two ways, become the expert in your field or progress through the ranks. I found that trying new things, learning from your colleagues and leaders helps soften what can seem impossible to achieve. Always have mentors and try find a sponsor within your organisation whatever level you want to be. Finally, I want to stress the importance of having a Career Development Plan, if you don't have one, create one and discuss it with your line manager!

Feedback is essential for any role. While the organization may provide a framework to facilitate this, employees should proactively seek opportunities to evaluate their skills through the perspective of more senior or capable colleagues.

I always ask my manager to put me on different projects that matter to the company. I always feel that I am not being challenged enough and I am capable of more. I try to take courses and certification that help advance my career and make a difference in what I do

You can level up your QA career by continuously learning! Master new testing tools (automation, performance, security) and hone soft skills (communication, collaboration, problem-solving). Seek challenging projects and leadership opportunities to gain experience. Network with other QA professionals at events, online communities, or conferences. Consider certifications to validate your expertise. Stay current by reading industry publications and blogs. Set SMART career goals and don't be afraid to ask for feedback. Proactively seek ways to improve your team's performance and processes. By investing in yourself, you'll be well-positioned for advancement in QA engineering.

Stay Updated > Learn > Practice > Implement > Showcase > Share > Teach > Repeat the cycle Continuous upskilling, learning and staying with current technological trends, practicing the learning and implementing that in your project, sharing the insights by teaching them to those interested and repeat. The goal is simple - "Learn"!