Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer Job Description

All organizations want their product to be perfect before they unfurl them for general use. Else, it may be costly for the organization financially as well as reputationally. After all, the developed software is only likely to succeed upon meeting the quality requirements. For this reason, software development companies have made a space to employ proficient manpower to fulfill the role of Quality Assurance Engineers which is all about ensuring quality software without any defects.

So with companies growing focus on quality to offer the best user experience, the demand for Quality Assurance engineers has unsurprisingly skyrocketed. But unfortunately, many don’t even know what Quality Assurance is. It is preventing them from kick-starting a career in this rewarding sector. Thus, we have crafted this blog with the goal to introduce newbies to the QA Engineer job description. Throughout the article, we'll be discussing roles, responsibilities, and skills for QA engineers including the guidelines to become one.

QA Engineer Job Description

A Quality Engineer is a proficient IT professional who tests the software during and after the production process to ensure error-free high performing software for a better customer experience with enhanced security.  

While building the software, the line of code applied by the developer goes through hundreds and thousands of possible outputs, inputs, and dependencies which can create complexity and complications. In such scenarios, errors are not uncommon. This is why numerous testing phases are required to verify whether they are practicable or not. A Quality Assurance engineer executes those tests to identify and fix any bugs collaborating with the development team.

Role of a QA Engineer

Monitoring the software in every stage of the development process, the Quality Assurance Engineer has a crucial role in the overall development of the software by the company. That being said, let’s break down quality assurance roles and responsibilities comprehensively for clearer insights into the QA engineer job description.

• Designing the Test Plan

Software development is usually a teamwork project. Individuals are designated to develop the specific parts of the software which are later combined with the external elements being developed by the other team members. The Quality Assurance Engineer creates the test environment and plans to monitor all the individual elements to ensure they will function flawlessly when combined for the final output. 

• Put the test plan into effect

Following the planned schedule, QA engineers test the software regularly using different testing automation tools. The results including the identification of any bugs, errors, and defects are then documented to communicate with the development team and management team. 

• Evaluate the test result

After the completion of the testing process, the Quality Assurance engineers follow the static testing to evaluate the consistency, accuracy, and correctness of the project. They will keep the record and bring the outcome forward to the project stakeholders to work on fixing the issues if any. 

• Link the developers and clients

In addition to quality tests, the Quality Assurance engineers also play the role of connection between the development teams and clients. For this, they are in regular touch with the clients to learn about any requirement changes and pass the information to the development team. Likewise, they also regularly communicate the progress report of the project to the client. 

Even after the completion and handover of the product to the client, the QA engineers still have an important role to play. They will gather any complaints from the clients on the performance and effectiveness of the software and then design and execute the test plan to commence the solving process. 

Skills Required in QA Engineer Job Description

As a QA engineer, you must be considerably versed to constructively perform the above-mentioned Quality Assurance roles and responsibilities. So, you are required to be detail-oriented, keeping a close eye on every small piece of the project. After all, every part has a big impact on the overall outcome of the product.  

Next we will learn some of the basic skills the employer craves in you for the role of QA engineer. 

Hands-on test management tools

QA engineer job description includes “bug tracking” as the crucial element. On that account, skills in test management tools are a must for QA engineers to identify bugs during tests. The commonly used test management tools examples are TestFLO for Jira, VersionOne, QAComplete, TestRail, etc.

Familiar with different Programming Languages

Because QA engineers are required to execute the test automation regularly, it is important that they are familiar with the programming languages that particular software development project is based on. Thus, they must have a good understanding of the programming languages such as PHP, JavaScript, C+, CSS, CQS, Python, etc. 

Collaboration skill

As every team member plays an important role in the successful development of the software, collaboration is key no matter which development process is approached by the organization. Therefore, Quality Assurance engineers should work closely with all the members effectively communicating advice, feedback, and instructions.

Time Management

The delays in software development are not only costly but also raise questions about performance. Hence, time management skill is essential for QA engineers to ensure the team is productive to follow strict deadlines.

How to become a QA engineer

Now, we are fully aware of the Quality Assurance roles and responsibilities including the skills required to become one. It may look challenging but it is also exciting, and highly lucrative. So, where to start? Here, we have compiled the necessary steps to guide your QA engineer career. Let’s learn.

• Join the College degree programs

Most hiring companies prefer candidates who have undergraduate or graduate degrees in computer science, engineering, or software design and development. The courses help you to learn the essential technical skills including coding, testing, and software development alongside the soft skills including, planning, effective communication, and teamwork.

• Enroll in internship

The internship provides you with an opportunity to develop your skills further by gaining experience in real-life work environments. You will get to hands-on testing tools for bug tracking and working in a team to establish solutions. An internship helps add perks to your resume, especially as a fresher. 

• Build a technical resume

After completing the education with internship experience, build a technical resume to showcase your knowledge and skills to meet the requirements of the QA engineer job description. In your resume, also, include your technical portfolio clarifying how you contributed to the project working with the team as an intern in the organization. It helps your resume to be expressive. 

• Apply for job

Once you are satisfied with your resume, begin the job hunt to apply for the role of QA engineer. With the right skills and a convincing resume, you are most likely to land an interview. So, prepare yourself for the interview in advance by researching the possible interview questions and get rehearsed.

Conclusion

The earlier discussion on the QA engineer job description should quench your curiosity about the roles and responsibilities of a QA engineer. If you find the role captivating, you may also want to follow the guidelines to kick-start your career. However, finding the right QA engineer job can be daunting, especially for those without prior experience.

This is where JobAxle comes to the rescue. The leading website portal in Nepal is a complete recruitment platform that works rigorously to meet the individual needs of fresher, experienced, and freelance candidates separately. So, whether you are experienced or new to the field, visit JobAxle today to hunt for the top Quality Assurance jobs in Nepal.