One plays a significant part in the development of software as a manual tester. A tester often collaborates with the development team to resolve bugs and avoid software problems. To make sure the program is successful, the tester must be able to track defects, analyze and run test cases, and do manual tests ‒ this can be learned in manual testing courses.
Duties for this job position include creating test plans and procedures, collaborating with the test manager, creating test cases for different testing purposes, suggesting documentation to enhance software quality, and working with the development team to fix problems and mistakes.
Any candidate for a manual QA testing role must be proficient in programming languages, test management tools, and software code in order to be accepted for the job. In addition, the applicant should have excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a team.
What is a manual QA tester?
The manual testing of new software throughout both the pre- and post-release phases of the software development lifecycle is one of the prominent roles and responsibilities of the manual QA tester. The tester’s job is to uncover any faults or flaws in the software that users could run into and then work with developers to find solutions to fix these issues.
There is a possibility to work as a “black box” tester, which means you have test the system blindly, without having any knowledge of its code or inner workings. On the other hand, you can also operate as a white box tester, in which case you have access to and knowledge of the system’s code and internal workings and are able to examine each test case from the standpoints of both users and developers.
In order to work as a manual quality assurance tester, you have to manage many responsibilities, including:
- coordinating testing, monitoring test results for each build, and reporting any flaws found;
- management of departmental inventory, testing troubleshooting, and reporting of inventory problems;
- employing HTML code to contribute to the development of websites;
- communicating to the relevant managers the findings of testing during the software development lifecycle;
- investigating flaws, as well as documenting, monitoring, and reporting application issues.
The list can go on, but the most important part is ‒ the candidate for the manual QA tester position has to be well-versed in both relevant technical skills and soft skills.
Becoming a manual QA tester
A mix of education and work experience is the basic requirement for becoming a manual QA tester. Some companies hire juniors fresh from the courses and gradually teach them, and some employers exclusively look for candidated with at least three years of experience.
Your knowledge of the quality assurance methodology and your experience can be proven by an appropriate certification.
There are different certificates you can get based on your future career goals. Above these, strong communication and analytical abilities are required. It’s your responsibility to test software, find problems, and notify developers of any issues. You must perform tests, analyze outcomes, and document each stage of your manual testing for quality assurance objectives.
So, first you have to complete your training and get an appropriate certificate. You can get hired easier in this case. If you already have a few cases in your portfolio, this is a sign of your experience. Don’t forget that continuous learning is the key to success, and once you become a manual QA tester by being employed in this position, you will have to constantly work on your skills and knowledge.
