• Occupation Overview
• Future Growth Opportunities
• Job Description

II. Job Requirements/Prerequisites:

• Skill Requirements
• Experience Prerequisites
• Education/Training Required

• Bay Area Education/Training Resources

IV. Getting A Job:

• Employers Who Are/Will Be Hiring
• Recommended Job Search Strategy

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Skill Requirements

Intellectual - basic

• Attention to detail.

• Able to work under pressure.

• Strong follow-through.

• Ability to learn quickly.

Intellectual - specialized

• Knowledge of computer programming and software QA techniques.

• Familiarity with software testing tools such as QAPartner.

• Good troubleshooting skills.

Social

• Good written and verbal communication skills.

• Excellent team player.

Physical

• Requires working in a seated position, looking at a computer screen for prolonged periods.

Skill Maintenance Requirement

• High. Each program a QA Engineer tests will be different and must be understood. In addition, testing tools, operating systems, and computer platforms will change frequently. Remaining current can be accomplished by reading industry publications and books as they come out, attending conferences, and taking short courses.

Experience Prerequisites

Most jobs require 2-5 years of experience in QA. If one has experience as a Computer Programmer, a certificate in software testing can be used to get around the QA experience. Another way to get into a QA job is to start as a Software Engineer with a company and then move into QA. (Company experience can offset a lack of QA experience.)

Familiarity with automated test and defect tracking tools such as QAPartner, Silk QA, Win Runner, Microsoft Visual Test, QA Radar and DDTS is needed. This is in addition to competence in the relevant programming language (such as C, Assembler, C++, Java, Perl, Cobol, Prolog, and Pascal), operating system (such as Windows 98, Windows NT and Unix), and sometimes database (such as MS Access, SQL, Sybase, Ingres, and Oracle).

Education/Training Required

AA or BS in Computer Science or related field, and a certificate or coursework in Quality Assurance or Software Testing.