#AskRaghav | QA Career Roadmap | Roles in QA Testing team

#AskRaghav | QA Career Roadmap | Roles in QA Testing Team

Introduction

In today’s episode, we will address a common query about the career path and roadmap for Quality Assurance (QA) or testing professionals. Here, we'll break down the different roles within the QA and testing domain.

Entry Level: QA Trainee or Software Tester Trainee

As a QA Trainee or Software Tester Trainee, your main responsibilities will include:

• Learning QA fundamentals, the QA process, and testing procedures.
• Writing and executing test cases.
• Identifying, raising, and tracking defects using defect tracking tools.
• Understanding team communication and the defect tracking process.
• Initially focusing on the foundation skills and basic knowledge necessary for QA.

Junior Level: Software Tester or QA Tester/Engineer

After gaining some experience, you can transition to a Software Tester or QA Tester/Engineer role:

• Continue writing and executing test cases.
• Raising defects and following up on them.
• Training new team members.
• Taking on higher responsibilities while expanding your skill set.

Mid-Level: Test Analyst or QA Analyst

Upon further experience, you transition to a Test Analyst or QA Analyst:

• Involved from the beginning of the QA process, including requirements discussions, testing strategies, and test planning.
• Managing what tools and techniques should be used.
• Overseeing the testing process from start to finish.

Advanced Level: QA Engineer / SQA Engineer

As a QA Engineer or SQA Engineer:

• Responsibilities are similar to QA Analysts but more focused on the technical side of QA.
• Creating frameworks, solutions for the testing process, and engineering aspects of QA.

Technical Path or Management Path

Technical Path

• Technical Lead: Manages the QA testing team with a strong emphasis on tools, scripting, and frameworks, in addition to technical team management.
• Test/Automation Architect: Focuses on designing and developing frameworks and guiding the team technically.
• Expert: Can specialize in a particular domain like QA process, automation, DevOps, performance testing, or security testing. Experts can choose to continue within organizations or move into freelancing.

Management Path

• Test/QA Lead: Focus on team and people management with some involvement in technical aspects.
• Test/QA Manager: More emphasis on managing people and resources.
• Senior Management Roles: Higher-level management, focusing heavily on people skills and fewer technical tasks.

Conclusion

This comprehensive career path offers two distinct avenues: the technical path and the management path. You can choose your trajectory based on your interests and skill set. Always aim to expand your skill set and never stop learning.

Keywords

QA fundamentals, software tester, defect tracking, test cases, test analyst, QA engineer, technical lead, test architect, management roles, freelancing, DevOps, performance testing, security testing.

FAQ

Q1: What is the starting role in a QA career?
A1: The starting role is typically a QA Trainee or a Software Tester Trainee.

Q2: What are the responsibilities of a QA Trainee?
A2: Learning QA fundamentals and processes, writing and executing test cases, identifying defects, and understanding team communication.

Q3: How does a role transition from a Software Tester to a QA Analyst?
A3: With experience, a software tester can move to a QA Analyst role, gaining involvement in the entire QA process from strategy to test planning.

Q4: What is the difference between the technical path and the management path in QA?
A4: The technical path focuses on hands-on technical skills and frameworks, while the management path emphasizes managing people and resources.

Q5: Can QA professionals become freelancers?
A5: Yes, after gaining extensive skills and experience, QA professionals can choose to become freelancers.

Q6: What specializations can a QA expert pursue?
A6: Specializations can include QA processes, automation, DevOps, performance testing, and security testing.

Q7: What should you consider before transitioning to freelancing in QA?
A7: It's advisable to start freelancing alongside a job to assess feasibility before making it a full-time career.