So you’re ready to apply for your first QA job. Or maybe you’re already in QA, but looking to start at a new company. Where do you begin? The first step is putting together a stellar resume and LinkedIn profile. And the best part is, you don’t need years of job experience to do so. Read on for our resume advice for QA testers.

Do You Really Need a LinkedIn Profile and a QA Resume?

In a word, yes. There are some careers where a LinkedIn profile might not be necessary. But a LinkedIn profile can provide invaluable job and networking opportunities in the world of tech.

Which Do You Start With?

It only takes five minutes to register on LinkedIn, so it’s an easy first step. And if someone wants to add you, you’ll have a link to give them even before you add profile details. However, when it comes to completion, it’s more important to finish your resume first.

Although it’s beneficial to have one, you can still apply to many jobs without a LinkedIn profile. The same can’t be said of a resume. Continue reading →

You may notice that most software testing job postings are for QA Analyst or QA Engineer. There are other software testing job titles out there, but these two are the most common. So what’s the difference between a software QA Analyst vs. QA Engineer?

The truth is that there’s no evergreen definition of the differences between a QA Analyst and a QA Engineer. Sure, you might find articles with well-thought out details for each position. However, in real workplaces, the reality can be quite different. Read on for the standard definitions for each. In addition, you’ll find out what you can expect (or not expect) on a more practical level.

QA Analyst Job Description

The “QA Analyst” job title usually refers to a manual QA position testing software like websites or mobile apps. As a result, these are some of the tasks you can expect from a QA Analyst role:

• Writing test cases (or using test cases written by others)
• Manually testing software
• Reporting bugs
• Identifying user experience issues
• Collaborating with developers and project managers (often in an Agile QA process)
• Providing QA estimates to help the team plan out release timelines

Continue reading →

So you have a solid resume and LinkedIn profile, and you’re ready to get a new software testing QA job. How do you find QA jobs, what do you apply for, and how do you follow job application best practices?

Where to Look For QA Jobs

In this day and age, there are dozens of major job sites. On one hand, it’s great to have so many resources. But on the other, it can be difficult to cut through the noise. You also don’t want to end up wasting time.

Some of the best sites for finding QA jobs include:

• Indeed
• Hired
• Vettery
• LinkedIn
• Dice
• AngelList
• Jooble

Interested in working from home? If you’re located in America, Mindful QA is often hiring for remote QA jobs, including remote manual testing jobs and remote QA automation jobs. If you’re just looking to pick up extra hours on the side, we also have work for part-time freelance QA testers.

Indeed QA Jobs

Indeed has two main options: Indeed Prime and an online job board. If using the latter, you can filter and save searches by location, job title (for example, QA analyst or QA engineer jobs), experience level, salary, and more. You can also read reviews of the employer posting the position.

Indeed Prime is a free service that lets you post your resume Continue reading →