Software Tester Resume Sample, Example & Writing Tips 2024
It’s far easier to find your dream job (or employer) than it is to actually get the job that you find in a listing. The reality of the situation is that your software tester resume has the most significant impact on moving forward toward an interview. Your quality assurance resume needs to proclaim loudly that you are better than all the other applicants.
It’s a simple idea, but it can be more challenging to put it into practice. Whether you are building a resume for a software tester as a fresher or someone who has tons of experience, you have to do things right and avoid mistakes. It can be an overwhelming process, especially if you try to start from scratch on your own.
You need to show that you know software programs and programming languages from the inside out. But things like collaboration and communication are equally important. Most software testers have to work with people both on and off their teams, so social interaction is typical.
This guide will help you pull everything together to create the perfect software tester resume, no matter who you are and how much experience you already have.
Software Tester Resume Sample
One of the first things to be aware of when making a software tester resume is that every job description is unique. What one recruiter wants to see may not be the same as the next hiring manager. Therefore, while the point of a resume is to show that you are an excellent candidate, you also need to add keywords that show you can handle the specific job you want.
This doesn’t mean that every resume you send out has to be made from a blank Microsoft Word page. Creating a master resume is always a good idea. This is where you keep all your information about past jobs, education history, and references so you can easily add it to the resume you send out. From there, you tailor it to the job posting.
To get a better idea of what a software tester resume might look like, all you need to do is look below this paragraph. Valor’s resume has all the required sections and explains why he is the man for the job he’s applying for. The format, tone, and structure should be similar with your own software testing resume.
How to Write a Successful Software Test Resume: QA Testing Resume Tips for 2024
As someone working as a software tester, you need to show that you have the skills to pay the bills. Most hiring managers will see dozens or even hundreds of software tester resumes, and you have to make yours stand out. That can be a tall order without a bit of help.
We mentioned creating a master resume, and this is where you want to start that. You can outline the resume sections, take down information about what you did at jobs before this one, and add details about education, skills, and much more. For example, the sections below are typically used to make a software testing engineer resume.
- Personal Contact Information
- Resume Objective
- Work History
- Education & Certifications
- Skills
- References
After you get these sections set up in your resumes for software testing, you’re ready to move forward and fill in the gaps. This is just an excellent way to get started with the resume format so you can quickly go through the following steps. As you continue reading, we’ll go through each section and how to set it up to see success.
Section #1: Personal Contact Information
Maybe you are an expert at Selenium automated testing or you’ve done countless test cases to prepare for an entry-level position. All of that is going to be expounded on later. But, first, you need to let the recruiter or hiring manager know who you are. That starts with basic personal contact information. This is an accessible area to start but always double-check your work for typos or inaccurate information.
Contact Information Example
As you can see, Valor is in the middle of a job search, and this section of the resume gives a bit of information about who he is. Now, this isn’t the time to go into all this software development experience. Instead, it’s the place to share how a potential employer can reach out to you. After all, the main goal of the perfect software tester resume is to get an interview and blow it out of the water.
The amount of information you list in the contact section doesn’t need to be overwhelming. In fact, placing your name, phone number, and email address is enough. However, a street address or your city and state is often included. Some people also add their most professional social media link, such as LinkedIn.
How to Format This Section
Thankfully, the contact information section is relatively easy to format. You just want to be sure the project manager looking at the resume has a way to get back to you. That means that you should make sure you use a font that is easy to read, select a simple format, and provide all the information needed. The great thing is that this section won’t often change between jobs, so it’s a one-and-done situation.
Don’t overcomplicate this section of the resume. Multiple phone numbers or email addresses should be avoided. Be sure the contact information you provide is professional and will look good on a resume.
Section #2: Resume Objective
Now that we’ve moved past the contact information section, you get a chance to show off your skills with JavaScript, SQL, HTML, and more. The hiring manager has your basic info, and now you get to show off a little bit. In fact, the more you can show your skills in the resume objective, the better. This section has to count since resumes are largely looked at for only a few seconds.
So what should you add in the resume objective for a software tester resume? It should share information about what you can do, how much experience you have, and what sets you apart from others. The main challenge here is making it short enough to read quickly before the rest of your resume is scrutinized.
Resume Objective Example for Entry Level Software Tester Resume
Above is a software testing resume for freshers who want to get into the industry. While you may not have work experience in this field, you need to show that you can come in and do the job. Consider the different things you’ve done in the past that correspond to tasks listed in the job description. If you have high-quality abilities in Java or Agile, that’s a start.
If you’re starting out completely from zero, consider taking software testing courses and doing projects that let you stand out. Learning automated and manual testing on projects will give you some experience to share with a recruiter. This can make you more appealing than someone who hasn’t put any work in.
Resume Objective Example for Mid-Career Software Testing Resume
If you’ve done some work, you want to do things differently than the software testing resume for a fresher. Instead, consider a software testing resume for one year of experience or more. You can get an idea of what that looks like above on Valor’s mid-career objective. At this point, you likely understand manual testing well and have done some test plans and more.
Break out the numbers whenever possible. Explain what you have done that helped a past company succeed. Then, tie it into the new job description and show how you could help the business do even better than it already is. This is a fantastic way to work your way to an interview.
Resume Objective Example for Senior Software Tester Resume
Finally, we have a resume objective for a software testing resume with five years of experience or more. At this point, you probably know a lot of specialized skills, like regression testing, various types of software, and all sorts of tricks to speed up the job. The trick here is putting in the most relevant information without making this section too long.
The job description will tell you what a company is looking for, and you can write up the objective to match that. Focus on the skills that clearly matter when making a case of why you are the right candidate. As with the other objectives, quantifying what you did is important. If you can add figures and numbers, make sure to include them.
How to Format This Section
As you can see with our free resume for software testers, the resume objective format doesn’t change much. It doesn’t matter if you’re new or have been doing this work for decades; the format will be about the same. Try to stay between two and four sentences to make the section concise.
Section #3: Professional Work Experience
As a QA software tester, it’s essential to show what experience you have had in the past. This should be information that indicates you can handle the job you are applying for. The resume objective is often what gets a recruiter interested in you, but your work experience gives additional information about what you are capable of.
You might think that the experience section would be challenging to fill out for someone new to the industry, but it doesn’t have to be. Be creative and think about what you have done in the past that is similar to what the job requires. For example, if you’ve worked on test scenarios in school or on your personal time, you’ll have a chance to add that in later sections.
Using action verbs is recommended for writing out your work experience. This shows you as an exuberant person who can handle the stresses of a software testing job. While you write out your past experience, delve into the things that match the job description and make sure to highlight them as you go.
Work Experience Example
In the image above, you can see that Valor has a lot of professional experience. You want to show the same thing with whatever your top skills are. Maybe you know how to do acceptance testing on Windows and Linux, which matches the job description. Perhaps you were head of a team that collaborated with developers. It goes here whether you did bug tracking or data organization at a job.
All of these technical skills are hard skills, but you also want to share the soft skills you have. Things like teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving matter a lot when working on a team. Even someone who has all the best tech skills might not be the right fit if they don’t offer soft skills.
How to Format This Section
Whether you go with a functional tester resume or a chronological tester resume, the formatting matters. Remember that a reverse-chronological resume is the most common and works well for those with experience. However, a functional resume can be better for someone moving into a new field of work.
No matter what resume you choose, make sure you use bullet points to explain your job responsibilities. Add in metrics that you did well with and otherwise show off what you are capable of. Start with the most recent job you had and add in your title, when you were there, and the tasks you did.
Section #4: Educational Background
When you create a resume for a software testing job, tester skills matter, but so does your educational background. The education section of your software testing resume ensures an employer that you have the background needed to do the job. In this case, a bachelor’s degree is typically expected.
In addition, if you have a higher degree or certifications, that can go here. If you prefer, a separate certification section can be added, but this isn’t mandatory.
Education Example
Valor’s resume above shows that he has a bachelor’s in computer science. You can easily see that he also has experience in the industry through several certifications. Are you certified in Python and is that important for the job? It can go here. You can look at tester resume examples to get an idea of how other people set up this information.
How to Format This Section
For someone with experience, the formatting of this section is simple. First, you add in your most recent degree or certification, list where you got it, and when. Then you move backward, as you can see in our software testing sample resumes above. This is all you need to add, but you may want to go above and beyond for someone new to the industry.
As an example, you could add your GPA. In addition, you might note any honor’s courses you took that correspond to the job description. Additional information is fine, especially if your work experience is limited, and adding it in won’t cause the resume to be more than one to two pages long.
Section #5: Skills and Abilities
Now we come to one of the most critical parts of a software testing resume: the skills section. If you didn’t have a chance to touch on methodologies you know, your expertise with test automation, or how you led a QA team, this is the place where you want it to go. This is also the last chance you have to refer to skills in the job description.
As we’ve mentioned, both hard and soft skills are helpful to add here, but the specific skills will depend on the job. This could be anything from functional testing to Jira and Scrum, testing tools, Excel, or system testing. Add in what the recruiter wants to see if you want that interview.
Skills Example
What you are good at might be very different from what you see Valor is good at above. That’s completely okay. It only matters that you’re honest about your abilities and that you choose the right skills to focus on. If there was nowhere else for you to mention a skill that will set you apart from other applicants, this is the place to include it.
Of course, these should be relevant skills that fit the position. Adding skills solely to add extra information may end up being a negative choice. It could lead hiring managers to believe that you aren’t fit for the job since you’re talking about skills unrelated to the position.
How to Format This Section
As someone making a software tester resume, you know what troubleshooting is all about. Get yourself into that mindset when you create this part of the resume. Think about what you would want to see listed if you were a recruiter for the position. Then, take the skills you have that match that and include them.
For the format, it doesn’t have to be much more than a short list that shows what you can do and how good at it you are. A star system, ranking method, or even a short description of how proficient you are in a skill will give the hiring manager the information needed to decide whether to contact you.
Section #6: References
We’ve gone through your contact information, resume objective, work experience, education, and skills. The only thing you have left is to add a few references and then send that resume to the hiring manager. You want to select people for this section who know your software quality and are aware of your ability to make test scripts and test reports.
References Example
You can see from Valor’s example above that the references section is a simple one. We always recommend including references since most managers will ask for them if you move forward. Having them on the resume facilitates a quicker process, which may mean getting the job earlier than expected. Use the example above for your own resume for a software tester job.
How to Format This Section
The software testing resume sample above gives you an idea of the format you need. You can see that there are three references, which is relatively standard. You can go with up to five if you have them, and they won’t take up too much space. It’s up to you whether you want to use all professional references or add one that is more personal. However, do not add family members and friends to the reference list.
Adding contact information isn’t recommended at this point. That can be provided later. Just note “available on request,” and the person who will contact them will get with you. This ensures you keep privacy intact for those who agree to be a reference for you.
Related Resume Templates
Our sample resume for an experienced software tester is a great place to start with building one of your own. However, we also have other examples of resumes that can be adapted to software tester resume samples. A few of the most popular options include the following:
Final Points on Writing Good Software Testing Resumes
Most software testing resume samples are similar and give you a sound basis for creating your own perfect resume. However, consider compatibility with the job you want and your own personality when choosing a template for resumes and a cover letter. You want to add a touch of your own flair to show that you are different from everyone else who is applying.
Once you build your master resume, it’s easier to create new resumes for different job postings. Make sure you go through the resume before sending it out to proofread and catch any errors. The next step is a cover letter, and then you’re all set to start applying.