What are the most effective ways to gain QA experience?

In my perspective, Before you jump into the nitty-gritty of QA work, it's like learning the superhero basics – get the hang of fundamental stuff! Understand the software development life cycle (SDLC), know the testing types like unit, integration, system, and acceptance. Learn the testing techniques – black-box, white-box, and gray-box are like superhero moves. And don't forget the best practices for creating test cases, plans, and bug reports – they're like your superhero tools. You can pick up these skills from online courses, books, blogs, podcasts, and webinars. It's like leveling up before you start your superhero journey in QA!

To effectively gain quality assurance (QA) experience, a combination of education, certifications, and hands-on practice is a must. Enroll in relevant QA courses offered by online platforms like Coursera, and Udemy to build a solid foundation in the field. Complement this education with industry-recognized certifications such as ASQ-CQE (American Society for Quality-Certified Quality Engineer), ISO 9001 for quality management systems, and process improvement methodologies like Six Sigma, Lean, and Kaizen. These certifications not only enhance your knowledge but also add credibility to your skillset. The blend of theoretical learning, a wide range of certifications, and practical application forms a robust base for a successful career in QA

Dive into real projects (freelance, volunteer), master QA tools (Selenium, pytest), network fiercely, learn like a sponge, embrace feedback. Share your wins, build your brand. Be the QA rockstar you were born to be

My advise would be learn the testing and QA concepts. Why do we do QA and testing in first place and the key role of a QA tester One will need to be strong in understanding requirements and create scenarios and test cases thinking as a user , that is the key A good qa person is one who think from a user's perspective

In my experience, getting hands-on is a must. If you really want to get started in QA, look for large publishers or developers with a large main QA department. Staff turnover can be high and contracts short but often you don't need prior experience to get started. It's entry level QA but it's a starting point. From there you get your feet wet and can start learning your trade. I got into the industry that way and I've been in the industry now for 16 years.

Gaining knowledge from guidelines, standards, and courses is very important, but practicing on the ground is much more effective, and the experience gained from practicing will help you excel faster. So as a starter, take internship opportunities, participate in online discussions, when you join a company start with taking a general overview then start deep diving in a horizontal way, discuss with the expertise, and understand what you are learning carefully.

Technology is advancing day by day, and it is involved more and more in the QA functions to facilitate and control the processes. So learn more about the most popular QA systems used in your industry. Try the free trials offered on their websites to learn more about them, ask SMEs about the differences and why do they prefere one system not the other.

Connecting with QA professionals will help you expose to different prespectives, gain different experiences, learn from different situations. The experiences gained from practicing and the actual day to day situations is always more valuable and closer to the reality. Use LinkedIn to connect to different QA experts, it really works.

Seeking feedback and improvement is crucial for any job not only QA. It will help you move forward and advance in your career, identify your strengths and weaknesses, will help you identify the right development plan ... so you can utilize your time, effort, and resources correctly.