QA analysts are an incredibly important part of any development team. A quality assurance analyst is tasked with ensuring that the product meets standards at each stage of development. This includes both producing the final deliverable and often supporting the product after it has been completed. Without a conscientious QA department, businesses have no way of ensuring the final quality of the product that they deliver.
The Ability to Communicate Clearly and Effectively
QA analysts need to be able to interface directly with the development team. They have to be clear about any inconsistent results that they receive and they need to be able to describe the issues that they encounter. Both writing and active listening are necessary skills for a QA analyst to have. In addition to being able to communicate clearly, QA analysts should be personable and easy to work with. A QA analyst may have to navigate frustrating problems and may have to work with teams that have varied skill sets. Strong interpersonal skills will make the entire process easier.
Problem Solving Skills and Technical Comprehension
A QA analyst doesn’t necessarily have to be a programmer, but it helps. Most QA analysts should understand the fundamentals of software programming and have at least some rudimentary knowledge of the technical side of the systems that they are working on. In general, QA analysts should have fantastic problem solving skills; they should be able to think creatively and laterally in order to resolve difficult issues. The more technical knowledge a QA analyst has, the more potential issues they will be able to identify. As an example, a programmer will know how to do MySQL injections and will be able to test forms for SQL injection attacks. A QA analyst who isn’t a programmer may not even know about SQL injections; they may only know that irregular characters should not be allowed, but they may not know why.
Thoroughness and Attention to Detail
QA analysts have to be incredibly thorough in their testing. Their job is to discover any potential issues and to try to break anything that they can. If anything is not caught by the QA analyst, then it will be caught by the customers that are using the end product. QA analysts are often given specific test cases, but otherwise they must often find new and unique ways to try to test the system. They may need to test out many variations of the same process and they will need to test each variation as thoroughly as the last. This also means that a QA tester cannot become easily bored or distracted.
Do you have what it takes to be a QA analyst? Whether you’re an experienced professional or simply looking for an entry-level QA position, Software Specialists has the job listings for you. Software Specialists works closely with both employees and employers to find the matches that are best for them. Contact Software Specialists today to learn more about employment within the software industry.
