Testing is not going to be the same five or six years from now. It will be completely different.
The quality assurance (QA) field becomes more and more appreciated as times go on. More companies start hiring QA specialists, realizing how important the position is, especially when a website or an app goes down. Thus, the demand grows. And the depth of tasks to be solved increases. To stay afloat and succeed as a QA engineer, you should not only focus on the core skills but also prepare for both minor and drastic changes in the industry. How can you do that? Only by developing and learning.
Skills Required for Quality Assurance
Doing some basic testing is still in demand. Even though the world is moving towards automation in many industries. Soft skills are still in demand too. What is always going to be relevant are:
- manual testing skills;
- programming skills (for automation testing);
- popular testing tools knowledge.
Even though manual testing provides fewer opportunities than automation testing, it is requested. You cannot learn automation testing without learning the basics of manual testing and having the skills of a manual software engineer. But you cannot become an automation test engineer without knowledge of programming. It is what every software company is asking for and is going to ask for in the future.
Hard Skills to Develop and Improve
The main skills for a QA to focus on at the moment are:
- Machine learning;
- Cloud computing;
- IoT (Internet of Things);
- Mobile testing.
To move quicker when it comes to understanding automation, you need to have either a technical background or some knowledge of machine learning at least. Machine learning is what you can focus on right now if you are looking forward to working in the IT industry. Smart tech related to machine learning can be applied in so many industries. Thus, the understanding of it is going to become a huge advantage for any QA engineer too.
The same can be said about cloud computing. The necessity of cloud computing is hard to deny. Cloud computing solutions ensure fast and easy data recovery as well as cost-efficient maintenance for a business when it comes to data loss. Thus, QA engineers with a deep knowledge of cloud computing are going to be in demand for businesses that care about healthy cloud infrastructure.
The niche of IoT is one of the most fast-growing areas in the world. With the help of IoT, we can monitor and connect almost all appliances to the Internet and get better use of the things around us. Since the number of Internet users grows and the number of gadgets increases, the number of people testing how all those gadgets work is going to increase too.
Mobile testing is important. Mobile applications are already an integral part of our life. Quick and seamless access to the app is not just what a user expects. It is what every company is aiming for when launching an app. Mobile testing is one of the priorities in the industry.
5 Soft Skills to Develop and Improve
Hard skills are important. But soft skills will remain as well. What is a software testing agency going to look for?
- Communication
- Quick learning
- Cognitive shifting
- Critical thinking
- Creativity
Being a tester involves communication and quick learning skills. And this is never going to change. Quality assurance involves both discussing things with managers and developers and figuring out a lot of things for yourself in the process.
Apart from that, QA is going to remain about cognitive shifting and critical thinking. As a tester, you have to make sure a product works on any required device. You should have problem-solving features and be ready for detailed analysis. Thus, it includes learning new things and gadgets all the time. You have to be adaptable in the way you work.
Probably, the most important skill you should stick to when focusing on a QA career is being passionate about technology and the industry you are working in. That is going to get you far. Do not stop wherever you are. Get to know your job better. Track the industry and do not stop learning. Get the updates from the industry events, learn testing definitions, read how-to-test guides, and follow up-to-date insights. Technology blogs are great resources for that. For example, visit the Testfort blog whenever you need an update from the industry or advice on how to establish a successful testing process.
