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Looking to get into a QA Automation career? This is one of the best tech jobs to break into without a degree!
The field of QA automation offers exciting career opportunities for individuals passionate about software testing and automation. With the ever-increasing demand for high-quality software and faster release cycles, organizations are seeking skilled professionals who can design and implement effective automation strategies.
A QA automation career path provides a progression from entry-level positions focused on writing automated test scripts to more advanced roles involving architectural design, leadership, and strategic decision-making.
This article explores the diverse opportunities within the QA automation field, highlighting the skills, responsibilities, and growth potential that professionals can expect as they navigate their careers in this dynamic and essential domain of software development and quality assurance.
Let’s get into it!
What is QA Automation?
QA automation, or automated quality assurance, refers to the use of software tools, scripts, and frameworks to automate various aspects of the software testing process. It involves writing and executing automated test scripts that simulate user interactions, validate software functionality, and identify defects or issues.
QA automation aims to streamline the testing process, improve efficiency, and reduce manual effort by automating repetitive or routine testing tasks. It is particularly useful for regression testing, where previously validated functionality is retested to ensure that new changes or updates have not introduced any unintended side effects.
The Automation Process
The automation process typically involves the following steps:
- Test Script Creation: Test scripts are created using automation tools or frameworks. These scripts define a series of actions, inputs, and expected outputs to be performed on the software under test.
- Test Environment Setup: The testing environment is prepared, including the installation and configuration of the necessary software, test data, and any additional dependencies required for the automated tests.
- Test Execution: The automated test scripts are executed using the chosen automation tool. The tool simulates user interactions, validates expected outcomes, and compares them against the actual results.
- Defect Reporting: Any discrepancies or failures identified during the automated test execution are reported as defects or issues. These reports typically include detailed information, such as the steps to reproduce the issue, screenshots, or log files for further analysis.
- Test Maintenance and Enhancement: As the software evolves, automated test scripts need to be maintained and updated to reflect the changes in functionality or user interface. New test cases can also be added to enhance the test coverage.
Some commonly used tools and frameworks for QA automation include Selenium, Appium, Cypress, TestComplete, and JUnit. These tools provide features for recording and playback of user actions, assertions for verifying expected outcomes, and integration with other development and test management tools.
QA automation offers several benefits, including increased test coverage, faster execution, repeatability, improved accuracy, and the ability to run tests in parallel or across different environments. It complements manual testing efforts, allowing testers to focus on more exploratory or complex scenarios while automated scripts handle repetitive tasks.
However, it’s important to note that not all testing can be fully automated, especially when it comes to user experience, visual validation, or certain types of testing that require human judgment.
Therefore, a well-rounded testing strategy often combines both manual and automated testing approaches to achieve comprehensive test coverage and ensure high-quality software releases.
QA Automation career path
The career path for QA automation professionals can vary based on individual interests, skills, and opportunities within an organization. Here is a common progression that many QA automation specialists follow:
QA Automation Engineer/Tester
This is the entry-level position for QA automation professionals. They primarily focus on writing and executing automated test scripts, maintaining test frameworks, and collaborating with manual testers and developers to ensure effective testing of software applications.
Senior QA Automation Engineer
As professionals gain experience and expertise in QA automation, they can progress to senior roles. Senior QA automation engineers often take on more complex projects, provide technical leadership, and mentor junior team members. They may be responsible for designing and implementing advanced automation frameworks, optimizing test processes, and resolving technical challenges.
QA Automation Lead/Manager
With additional experience and leadership skills, QA automation engineers can move into management roles. QA automation leads or managers oversee the entire QA automation process, including resource allocation, project planning, and coordination with other teams. They may also participate in strategic decision-making, budgeting, and establishing best practices for QA automation within an organization.
QA Automation Architect
As professionals advance in their careers, they may choose to specialize as QA automation architects. These individuals focus on designing and implementing robust automation architectures, frameworks, and strategies. They provide technical guidance and solutions, evaluate new tools and technologies, and ensure scalability, maintainability, and efficiency in automation efforts.
Quality Assurance Manager/Director
Some QA automation professionals may transition into broader quality assurance management roles. These positions involve overseeing the entire quality assurance function within an organization, including both manual and automated testing. Responsibilities may include managing teams, defining QA strategies, establishing quality standards, and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
Quality Assurance Consultant/Trainer
Experienced QA automation professionals with strong expertise and industry knowledge may choose to become consultants or trainers. They provide consulting services to organizations, helping them optimize their QA processes, implement automation frameworks, and improve overall testing efficiency.
They may also deliver training sessions or workshops to share their expertise with others in the field.
The career path for QA automation professionals can be flexible, and there may be variations based on individual goals and opportunities.
Continuous learning, staying updated with industry trends, and acquiring additional certifications in automation tools or frameworks can help professionals progress in their careers and explore new avenues within the field of QA automation.
Who is QA Automation for?
QA automation is primarily for organizations and individuals involved in software development and testing. Here are the key stakeholders who benefit from QA automation:
- Software Development Companies: QA automation is beneficial for software development companies of all sizes. It helps ensure the quality and reliability of their software products while improving efficiency and reducing time-to-market. By implementing automation, development companies can enhance their testing processes, increase test coverage, and detect defects early in the development lifecycle.
- Quality Assurance (QA) Teams: QA automation is particularly relevant for QA teams responsible for testing software applications. It enables them to automate repetitive and time-consuming test cases, allowing testers to focus on more complex scenarios and exploratory testing. Automation enhances the accuracy and reliability of test execution, speeds up testing cycles, and enables quick regression testing when new changes are introduced.
- QA Engineers and Testers: QA automation is for professionals working in the field of quality assurance and software testing. It offers an opportunity to enhance their skills in: automation tools, scripting languages, and frameworks. QA engineers and testers can leverage automation to streamline their testing efforts, improve productivity, and gain a competitive edge in the job market.
- Software Developers: QA automation also benefits software developers who collaborate closely with QA teams. By incorporating automation into their development process, developers can detect and fix issues early on, ensuring that their code integrates smoothly with the rest of the system. Automation helps developers deliver higher-quality code, reduces rework, and improves the overall development workflow.
- Product Owners and Business Stakeholders: QA automation is valuable for product owners and business stakeholders who have a vested interest in delivering high-quality software products. Automation ensures that the software meets user requirements, functions as expected, and provides a positive user experience. It instills confidence in the product’s reliability and can lead to increased customer satisfaction and business success.
Is QA Automation a good career?
Yes, QA Automation is a good career. From excellent work-life balance to career advancement opportunities, a six-figure salary and remote work options and other perks, this is a tech role you’ll be happy in.
This is not an entry-level tech role. You’ll have to have some Manual QA experience under your belt before you work in this field. If you do, and you’re looking to transition into QA Automation, I recommend the career training program, Careerist.
In a fraction of the time it would take to get a 4-year college degree, you can learn QA Automation and be on your way to learning these skills and landing a QA Automation job.
Read our Careerist review which breaks down how this training program works including the curriculum, length of the program, and a lot more.
What excites you about pursuing a career in QA Automation?