Welcome to Recruitday’s Blog Series “Top 10 IT Jobs in the Philippines 2022!” Last week, we touched on the career of data engineers as the third IT role on the list. Today, we will explore another engineering position: quality assurance (QA) engineers.   

Software defects can ruin an organization or a business. It can cause substantial financial damage and endanger customers and personnel. Let’s take historical events, for example. Starbucks shut down 60% of its stores in the United States and Canada because a software failure prevented the processing of transactions. It was forced to serve coffee for free, resulting in a loss of revenue. On the other hand, China Airlines was in turmoil when a software defect caused its Airbus A300 to crash, killing 264 people in 1994. The stakes are high for any organization that integrates technology into its operation, but that’s the reason for having dependable quality assurance (QA) engineers.   

This tech career comes with serious responsibilities as software programs pass through QA engineers’ scrutiny before reaching the users. However, it’s also as fulfilling as it’s challenging because you can significantly impact an organization.   

Ways that QA Engineers Help Businesses  

When you become a QA engineer, you will have an integral role in business efficiency.   

Enhance software development  

QA engineers implement agile methodologies to accelerate the development of complex projects. You will work with developers to ensure continuous testing and an effective development cycle based on specific business needs. With an enhanced software development cycle, businesses can utilize systems to boost their operations.  

Let’ say your company is building an application that lets its consumers shop for its products online. To shorten the timeline, your job is to collaborate with the developers and break the project into several phases to shorten the timeline. You will be involved in continuous monitoring and improvement at every phase to minimize errors along the way.  

Increase productivity  

Significant business growth relies on reducing costs and maintaining high-quality products. QA engineers make this happen by increasing productivity through efficient product testing that prevents any errors and avoids replacements and retesting.  

For instance, a business launched a virtual wallet to allow customers to go cashless shopping anywhere. However, the company didn’t want to spend too much on QA testing, so it didn’t undergo thorough checking. Upon release, a barrage of negative customer feedback sent the company scrambling to fix the errors, replace the system, and retest, costing it so much more than what it could have spent on an efficient QA process.   

Release ‘clean’ products  

QA engineers’ primary responsibility is ensuring that products are free of bugs before being released into the world. They check every aspect of the software, including functionality and user interface, providing customers with a positive experience when interacting with the product. A seamless purchasing journey boosts a business’s credibility and reputation and keeps customers happy.  

Imagine this scenario. A retailer is losing customers because the pandemic has forced them to shop online instead of going to a physical store. The owner then decided to go digital and invest in a mobile grocery store. A skilled QA engineer worked on testing the software program’s functionality and user interface and user experience designs with the customers’ convenience in mind before releasing it. As a result, more customers began using the program because of how easy and seamless it is to use.  

 

 

Prevent security attacks  

Security attacks like malware, DOS, and SQL Injection could compromise the privacy of user data and down the server, disrupting the business operation and damaging consumer trust. QA engineers prevent these blockades by implementing security measures, timely updates, and fixes.   

A common example is if a bank’s system is hacked, customers’ account information could be stolen. Hackers can drain money from their savings accounts. Often, the bank’s cybersecurity system is blamed for this as it’s not enough to protect the database. QA engineers have a role in preventing this scenario by monitoring system health and looking out for vulnerabilities.  

QA roles are not as famous as other IT positions. Still, they carry the same weight of responsibilities and create as much impact on businesses. We never really hear tech students saying they want to be QA professionals, as the spotlight rarely shines upon this particular IT role. However, as digitalization and automation take over the business world, QA engineering positions are starting to get appreciated even more.   

IT professionals are beginning to realize the potential careers they can build from quality assurance. QA experts are getting more involved in the software life cycle. Combining the technical and soft skills that allow you to work well with others can land you on different lucrative QA career paths.   

• Specialized Role  

From entry-level QA engineer/tester roles, you can move on to being a senior QA engineer/tester and soon a leading testing specialist. Choosing a specialization can further establish your career. You can opt for performance testing, security testing, test automation, and usability testing, among other aspects of QA testing.   

• Developer Role  

Suppose you’re interested in the development side. In that case, you can make your QA engineering position a steppingstone to a software developer role. Since you can learn programming basics from your job as a QA engineer, you can quickly adapt even without formal education.   

• Project Management Role  

Being in the QA field can lead you to the path of project management, where you get to lead and manage a team. So long as you develop your communication, decision-making, and problem-solving skills, you may progress into managerial roles, including project or resource management and test lead.   

• Business Analyst Role  

Some QA engineers also pursue business analyst roles since they have experience in understanding user needs and how to meet them. Business analysts are the bridge between IT teams and customers. Being in a position where you test different software aspects to ensure that users have a positive experience gives you a great starting point.   

The field of QA engineering is abundant with learning and growth opportunities. It is up to you and where your passion and interests lie to decide which path to take. The most important thing is to continue sharpening your technical and soft skills, carry out your responsibilities, and love what you do.  

Thank you for joining us in discussing the fourth in-demand IT job on our list. Next week, we’ll talk about the exciting job of mobile developers and why it landed a spot in our top 10 IT jobs in the Philippines. Check this article to see the top 10 IT jobs list.   

Ready to join a tech workforce of driven and motivated professionals? Check the available tech jobs in your chosen track, register in training courses to upskill, or refer your friends and earn today. 

 

SEPTEMBER 01, 2022

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