Tech or Non-Tech Background for QA Software Testers, that is the Question

As mentioned in my previous interviews, I do not possess a tech degree and I became a QA. Being in the industry and talking to QA leads and HR people, I found out that it sometimes might be hard to find good QA software testers.

So why is that?

And there is also the question about the necessity of a tech degree.

Today, I am interviewing Marek Elznic, a QA Lead & Project Manager at Ackee in the Czech Republic on this topic. Marek has a degree in computer science and has worked in multiple tech positions throughout his career. Now, as a QA Lead, he hires QA Engineers/Software Testers. So let’s ask him about his opinion on this topic, shall we?

Hello Marek, thank you for accepting my interview! I believe that it will help a lot of people to understand the in and outs of getting a Software Tester/QA Engineer job. As I saw in your LinkedIn, you have a tech background so it probably was not hard for you to become a QA Lead, right? You also worked on different tech positions. How did you end becoming a QA Lead?

It wasn’t intentional. I’ve joined Ackee as a Project Manager, and later on, it… happened. I’ve always been interested in QA; however, when I started as a QA Lead, I had to learn a lot. And I still do. 

I really like that you are interested in my opinion about how it is to be a QA Engineer/Software Tester candidate without a tech degree. 

Well, I think not having a tech degree and working in tech is sort of humbling because I know that there is a big ocean of knowledge I only touched with my hand. On the other hand this humility makes me open to learning more and I doubt I will ever reach the point of being a “know-it-all” person. Having a degree in computer science will help you understand computers and the Internet better. It does not make you a great employee or coworker though. What do you think?

I honestly think no one will ever reach that point. I personally try to keep a broad overview of different disciplines and technologies, but someone deep in a given field will always know more. For example, I know how to develop iOS apps, but I can’t compare myself with our iOS developers, and I guess they wouldn’t give me a junior position ?

And I totally agree, I learned a lot of hard skills at university, but since then, I am mainly working on my soft skills like communication or feedback. And that’s something you rarely get from some tech educational institute like Uni.

Now you work as a QA Lead so I suppose you are participating in hiring new QA talents. Do you feel like it is hard in the Czech Republic to find good quality QA Engineers/Software Testers? And if so why?

I don’t have any personal comparison with hiring in other countries. However, from conversations with my friends abroad, the Czech Republic is doing fine. During many and many interviews, I encountered a lot of skilled QA engineers. 

The tricky thing is to find the right culture and team fit. Not everyone shares our values, and not everyone is suited for our team at any time. 

What kind of personality are you looking for in a QA Engineer/Software Tester usually? What personality types make a good QA Engineer/Software Tester in your opinion?

I have three key personality features I am looking for the most. Analytical thinking, approach to challenges, and adaptation to changes. If someone feels comfortable in changing environment, likes challenges, and is analytical, we can teach him almost anything. 

Do you have a good experience with QA Engineers/Software Tester applicants with non-technical background? For example in my experience, my broader background allows me to look at the product more holistically as a QA (from UX, legal, and business perspective to name a few). Are there any pros and cons to having a more versatile work experience in your opinion?

In general, yes. In our QA team, I would say it’s split in half with and a half without a technical background. And it works well. 

I honestly believe every knowledge is helpful for something, although it may seem otherwise. Knowledge of legislature can give you an edge for product design, psychology for UX… and this doesn’t stop at IT. This applies to almost anything in life. 

Is there a big difference in technical skills between QA Engineer/Software Tester with technical and non-technical background? In my case, it might take me a little bit longer to write an automated test but I get it done and get better at it with practice. 

You described it perfectly, I see a big difference in the learning curve, but that’s obvious. Once you know the programming and algorithmization concepts, learning a new language or framework is much easier.

Also, QA engineers with technical background usually have well-trained analytical thinking. Which other QA engineers may or may not have.

Is there a way to recognize whether a person without a tech background will have a hard time to learn technical skills? Could you check that in the interview? For example in my case if I write an automation test live at the interview the interviewer can see how I approach the problem rather just seeing if I was able to solve the problem.

I am looking for the three key features I mentioned before. Also, if an applicant seems promising, we usually invite him for an afternoon to our office. We prepare some real-life tasks and help him to solve them. It allows us to see how the person works, how he solves problems, what questions he asks, etc. 

On the other hand, the person sees our projects, our tools, meets the team and can easily decide whether that’s a place he wants to work or not. 

Do you feel like having a testing certification helps to become a successful QA Engineer/Software Tester when not having a tech background? If so which one?

My short answer is no. I’ve seen so many applicants with ISTQB and/or other certificates failing to answer simple questions. 

My long answer is it depends. There are plenty of excellent materials (courses, conferences, videos, etc.) that will help you become a better QA engineer, learn new skills, languages and techniques. But I guess you don’t need a certificate to prove your skills. I personally would never ask for it. 

What is the one thing (if there is one) that the QA Engineer/Software Tester candidate should not mention in the interview? For example, I heard that some candidates said that they just wanted to try testing or they wanted to do testing only to become developers etc. Would that make an influence on how you decide about such a candidate?

I can’t really think of one. Many people see testing as an intro to IT. And in many ways, I understand why. Tester regularly sees developers, designers, or project managers’ work and has to speak to all of them. It allows him to discover the process and realize what he wants to do next. Some of them may find that testing is much more exciting and complex than they thought at first.

I love to see my colleagues succeed, and I don’t mind whether it’s in QA or not. 

Is there anything else you would like to add that could help prospective QA candidates without tech background when looking for a software testing job?

It may seem harder for you than it is for everybody else. Be patient; you can do it ?

Thank you so much for making time to answer these questions. I believe that your input will help a lot of people!!!