Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

software/web page you are testing, to understand how you can try to find flaws.The more I talked, the more I got interested in programming. Now, I had some programming in my work with C#, as I did test automation. But this wasn’t enough. As QA, a lot of the time you are not given the full picture or training as a true technical position, such as a developer. Instead of teaching how Docker works, you are just told to execute “docker compose up” and forget about it.This did not go well with me. I wanted to know more, while I did learn in my spare time, it seemed like a waste. Here I am just trying out software that developers make, but nothing more. Not to mention waiting on the developers to finish a feature, which resulted in a lot of downtime. Something had to change. And it did, however, not how I expected, as the pandemic hit. As we had a lot of QA people, a lot of us were let go as the mentioned downtime was stacking up and projects were being canceled. And so started my hunt for a developer role.<h2 id="ee8b">Job Hunting as an Ex-QA</h2><figure id="ef3e"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*WzEk-GQqkVHijPZt"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@brett_jordan?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Brett Jordan</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>There is a certain amount of stigma of trying to switch to a developer role from QA. A lot of testers only stick to manual testing and don’t deep dive into technologies, so whenever someone is trying to make the switch, companies are skeptical. Luckily, I did test automation, so I have some cred in the programming field and my studies. But this wasn’t enough. I knew it wasn’t, so I devised a plan as I needed to show that I am competent for a junior software developer role.My plan:<ul><li>Start programming</li></ul>Crazy as it sounds, but you need to do some coding to get a programming job. Who knew, right? This also made me look into what I need to prove my programming ability. I started making a portfolio of projects that were public on my Github account. For example, a system that you can book certain rooms, make reports, login store in databases.<ul><li>Fresh up on interview questions</li></ul>As QA, you don’t really get tested as the developers do. For QA roles, you need some creative thinking, a good candidate can look from different POVs — as a tester, manager, regular client who could be 60 years old and does not understand computers. Developers have it harsher, you must know data structures, alg

Options

orithms, pass technical tests. Typical whiteboard interview questions. Remember, I’m going for a junior role.<ul><li>Apply to jobs</li></ul>Seems logical, but you would be surprised how many self-taught programmers never apply to jobs. People tend to get stuck in tutorial limbo, where you never think you have enough knowledge to get a job. How to mitigate this? I set a deadline of date X, that is the last date before I must start applying for jobs. Whether I am fit for the job is ultimately up to the company.<ul><li>Sleep</li></ul>Programming is like a muscle. You must do it regularly to get good at it. Same as muscles. You need quality sleep. Sleep improves memory retention and learning. There are also problems that you just can’t solve without a good night’s sleep.<h2 id="4eaa">The Developer Interviews</h2>I’ll be honest, I did not perform my best in the first few interviews. Having started as QA, I knew a lot of programming concepts, but not the terms. I also had considerably less knowledge of databases than I should have. It didn’t help that a lot of the interview questions were pop quizzes instead of a discussion to test your technical ability.Depending on the interview itself, I usually was given a technical task. A small test task that usually was around 4–8 hours to make projects from scratch. They usually had fairly precise requirements.This helped A LOT. While I made my own projects, making something for someone else, with requirements, really helped me at least feel like in the role of a developer. While I didn’t do many, there were some rejections, but those rejections also gave me constructive feedback on my code, which I used to improve further. And soon enough, I landed a software developer job. It wasn’t fast by any means, it took over 6 months, due to the pandemic erasing a lot of junior software developer positions.<h2 id="a94d">Conclusion</h2>While in the same industry, QA and developers are often in two different worlds. For people who are and want to get savvier in programming, switching roles is not that uncommon. This also results in a shortage of good testers. Ultimately, this is quite a leap and a challenge to do. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I recommend starting small. Learn programming on the side, make your own projects for a portfolio.My journey had me switching companies because of the pandemic. However, you might be able to land a developer role in the same company. Don’t be afraid to show your work and your skills to the developers. Get feedback on your code, improve and make the switch!</article></body>

Why and How I Switched from a QA Role to a Developer Role

Having different perspectives in IT is crucial if you are going to succeed.

Technology and software are everywhere in our lives. From computers to smart IoT devices such as toasters. We’ve come a long way since 1969 when humanity landed on the moon in a spacecraft that had less than 1 million times less computational power. As processing power improved, so did our devices, web pages, and software. IT is one of the fastest-growing and profitable industries on the planet. Even giant companies like Amazon provide cloud services, which account for around 12% of the total revenue for Q1 2021.

But someone has to plan, develop and produce all this software. Developing software is not easy. You need system analysts, to plan and get requirements from clients, developers to write code, quality assurance to check that the product is ready to go live and will be a smooth experience, and project managers that oversee all the above.

I was always the technology kid. I loved computers and due to my old computers breaking a lot; I had to dive deep into them. Know how they work, how to optimize their speed, learn about the processes. It was inevitable that I would end up in IT sooner or later. After finishing my BSc in Computer Science and starting my master’s, I too entered the workforce. Eager to learn and do. The job market, however, is quite ruthless. We all know the harsh reality of companies wanting experience when you have none. Some roles in IT, however, are easier to get into due to their low knowledge requirements, such as QA. So I landed my first job as a QA engineer that specialized in test automation.

QA and Test Automation Role

I have to admit; I was good at breaking things. Whenever I get a project, not only I could think of ways to break things, it also came naturally to me. Things just broke. I got to know the basics of IT while worked as QA. How does a project go from A to Z? How to talk to clients, developers, gather requirements, make reports. QA is a very social role. You need to talk to developers and system analysts to understand the software/web page you are testing, to understand how you can try to find flaws.

The more I talked, the more I got interested in programming. Now, I had some programming in my work with C#, as I did test automation. But this wasn’t enough. As QA, a lot of the time you are not given the full picture or training as a true technical position, such as a developer. Instead of teaching how Docker works, you are just told to execute “docker compose up” and forget about it.

This did not go well with me. I wanted to know more, while I did learn in my spare time, it seemed like a waste. Here I am just trying out software that developers make, but nothing more. Not to mention waiting on the developers to finish a feature, which resulted in a lot of downtime. Something had to change. And it did, however, not how I expected, as the pandemic hit. As we had a lot of QA people, a lot of us were let go as the mentioned downtime was stacking up and projects were being canceled. And so started my hunt for a developer role.

Job Hunting as an Ex-QA

There is a certain amount of stigma of trying to switch to a developer role from QA. A lot of testers only stick to manual testing and don’t deep dive into technologies, so whenever someone is trying to make the switch, companies are skeptical. Luckily, I did test automation, so I have some cred in the programming field and my studies. But this wasn’t enough. I knew it wasn’t, so I devised a plan as I needed to show that I am competent for a junior software developer role.

My plan:

Start programming

Crazy as it sounds, but you need to do some coding to get a programming job. Who knew, right? This also made me look into what I need to prove my programming ability. I started making a portfolio of projects that were public on my Github account. For example, a system that you can book certain rooms, make reports, login store in databases.

Fresh up on interview questions

As QA, you don’t really get tested as the developers do. For QA roles, you need some creative thinking, a good candidate can look from different POVs — as a tester, manager, regular client who could be 60 years old and does not understand computers. Developers have it harsher, you must know data structures, algorithms, pass technical tests. Typical whiteboard interview questions. Remember, I’m going for a junior role.

Apply to jobs

Seems logical, but you would be surprised how many self-taught programmers never apply to jobs. People tend to get stuck in tutorial limbo, where you never think you have enough knowledge to get a job. How to mitigate this? I set a deadline of date X, that is the last date before I must start applying for jobs. Whether I am fit for the job is ultimately up to the company.

Sleep

Programming is like a muscle. You must do it regularly to get good at it. Same as muscles. You need quality sleep. Sleep improves memory retention and learning. There are also problems that you just can’t solve without a good night’s sleep.

The Developer Interviews

I’ll be honest, I did not perform my best in the first few interviews. Having started as QA, I knew a lot of programming concepts, but not the terms. I also had considerably less knowledge of databases than I should have. It didn’t help that a lot of the interview questions were pop quizzes instead of a discussion to test your technical ability.

Depending on the interview itself, I usually was given a technical task. A small test task that usually was around 4–8 hours to make projects from scratch. They usually had fairly precise requirements.

This helped A LOT. While I made my own projects, making something for someone else, with requirements, really helped me at least feel like in the role of a developer. While I didn’t do many, there were some rejections, but those rejections also gave me constructive feedback on my code, which I used to improve further. And soon enough, I landed a software developer job. It wasn’t fast by any means, it took over 6 months, due to the pandemic erasing a lot of junior software developer positions.

Conclusion

While in the same industry, QA and developers are often in two different worlds. For people who are and want to get savvier in programming, switching roles is not that uncommon. This also results in a shortage of good testers. Ultimately, this is quite a leap and a challenge to do. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I recommend starting small. Learn programming on the side, make your own projects for a portfolio.

My journey had me switching companies because of the pandemic. However, you might be able to land a developer role in the same company. Don’t be afraid to show your work and your skills to the developers. Get feedback on your code, improve and make the switch!