SQA Roadmap or learning path for building the right skills for today’s market

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I’m in the middle of a career transition from development into software testing / SQA. It’s exciting but also a bit overwhelming at times, and I want to make sure I’m learning in the right direction.

I’ve started writing some posts here to share my thoughts on SQA automation and to keep myself accountable.

What I’d really love to know from this community:

  • What roadmap would you suggest for someone new to SQA in today’s market?

  • Would it make sense to do an internship first, or should I focus on building skills and certifications before applying?

Any advice, experiences, or resources would be super helpful :folded_hands:

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That’s great to know. Welcome :partying_face: how long were you associated in development and what tech stack? I guess that will be really very beneficial for technical skills in SQA moving forward.

Coming back to transition I would suggest to take it easy, as you know already its overwhelming. I’d want to share a pro tip - testing is not just raising number of bugs however understanding the product and trying to make end user’s life easy. These are 7 testing principles: I do quote them time to time and I swear by it:

I would suggest start small. Do pause , reflect & implement the learning in your latest role. Talk with your team, know their expectation out of you and discuss your expectations as well.

Would recommend also to give it a go: Tips for Self-Evaluation - from a Heuristic Lens | Ministry of Testing

If you had experience in OOP or even not, you can start learning automation as well using Java with Selenium or JavaScript with Cypress.

You can also read bit about POM (Page object Model) design pattern. But first important to understand what it means to be a tester and importantly how you can put your feet into end users shoes.

Theres lots of material available in this space, you have reached to awesome people and community.

All the best and welcome :partying_face:

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Thank you so much for the help. I have 2 years experience in Frontend development. I was working with Flutter.
I have knowledge about cypress and selenium. Wrote some articles on basics while learning.

Also, I am currently looking for a job that’s why I am in hurry to learn it.

Once again thank you so much for the guidance.

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@safuraja7,

Congratulations for making a move toward SQA! It is an amazing step, indeed, and the good thing is that the demand for good QAs and the rise of the software market are ever increasing, so you are going in the right direction.

Here is a roadmap that will assist you on your journey and guarantee that you are working on the right skills:

  1. Strengthen Your Test Concepts and Implementation

Understand the Basics of Software Testing: At a fundamental level, you will want to understand the basics of testing (types of testing: unit, integration, regression, smoke, etc.) and various levels of testing (manual or automation), software development life cycle (SDLC), and so on. Depending on your goals, you might want to pursue an ISTQB certification, or you could just find some well-reviewed software testing books like Foundations of Software Testing.

Test Planning & Documentation: Learn to write test cases, bug reports, test plans, and strategies. These basics will be useful before deciding whether to specialize in manual or automated testing.

  1. Manual Testing

Manual testing should be given precedence, since it forms the basis for how a test case is made, how defects are identified, and how the software is viewed from a user’s point of view. Practice with applications and websites you use every day.

Bug Tracking Tools: It is good to understand the tools like JIRA and Bugzilla that are mostly used in the industry for bug/issue tracking purposes.

  1. Automation Skills

Learn Automation Tools: Since you’re interested in SQA automation, you can start performing the basic learning of Selenium (for web testing) and/or Appium (for mobile). Both of them are highly demanded, and automation skills are now becoming the must-know skill in many QA jobs.

Learn Programming: Basic programming knowledge is useful, particularly using Java, Python, or JavaScript. Given that you belong to a developer background, it will be easier for you to jump in.

  1. Advanced Tools and Frameworks

After mastering the basics of the automation tools, try to explore one of these frameworks: TestNG, JUnit, or Cucumber (behavior-driven development). You should also learn about CI/CD pipelines and Jenkins to understand how testing fits into the development lifecycle.

Version Control: Learn the basics of Git and GitHub since any tester engaged in automation needs to know how to work with version control.

  1. Certifications

They might not really be needed in some places, but they often provide a well-structured framework for learning and confirm a person’s seriousness about the field. Go for an ISTQB or Certified Selenium Tester certification to really get your credibility.

  1. Internships vs. Skill Building

Internships may, if found, be one of the best avenues to gain real-world experiences, especially when starting in SQA; honing your skills on the field will put you right into the best practicing methods.

Skill Building First: If you are not ready for an internship or the market seems competitive, then building skills through projects, practice, and certifications is a good approach. You can always apply for an internship after you have built confidence in the skills.

  1. Keep Practicing

Projects and Practice: Begin by testing the open projects or even scripting your test automation. Also, writing posts and reflecting on what you learn are great for holding yourself accountable.

Contribute to the Community: Join forums concerning QA, contribute to GitHub projects, or participate in conversations on Ministry of Testing or any other related community to learn from others.

  1. Stay Updated

Since the world of technology is always changing, ensure that you keep yourself updated with the latest tools and trends by following some blogs, podcasts, or attending webinars on SQA and QA automation.

In Summary:

  • Start learning manual testing.
  • Begin automation when you feel comfortable with manual testing (Selenium, Appium, etc.).
  • Get some certifications and keep learning along the way.
  • Pursue an internship if you feel prepared, or focus on building solid skills first.
  • Practice as much as you can—work on real-world projects and contribute to communities.

Good luck on your SQA journey! There are tons of resources in MoT community, so keep engaging with others, learning, and passing on your experiences. You’ve got this!

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@ramanan49
Thank you so much for sharing such a detailed roadmap and encouragement :folded_hands:. Your guidance really gives me clarity on how to approach my transition into SQA step by step. I especially appreciate the emphasis on starting strong with manual testing before diving into automation, and also the reminder to keep engaging with the community and practicing consistently.

I feel much more confident now about the direction I should take and the skills I need to focus on. Thanks again for your support, it truly means a lot as I begin this new journey!

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Have you looked into STEC yet? Sign In | Ministry of Testing It’s a really comprehensive introduction to software testing, with contributions from almost 60 well-regarded industry professionals (full disclosure: I’m one of them).

To answer your question more directly, I think it really depends on what your market is exactly. Search for the kind of jobs you’re interested in, and take note of the requirements for the positions. Usually, certifications are just a way for recruiters to filter people out. The most valuable thing you can do, in my opinion, is to get real, hands-on testing experience. Something like STEC is really helpful for that, because it gives you practical learnings and guides you to create a portfolio, which you can use in your applications, as opposed to focussing only on old-fashioned theories, which aren’t applicable in most modern environments. Some hiring managers even avoid applicants with certain certifications for this reason, whereas others (especially in older, regulated environments) strictly require them.

Another thing you can do to gain practical experience is sign up for crowd-testing, contribute to open-source projects, and look out for invitations to provide feedback on new products. For example, @christinepinto has been looking for testing volunteers in the past. Perhaps you can follow her on social media for future requests.