Your resume is the very first step in any job application process. It’s an opportunity to advertise yourself and demonstrate that you are the best person for the available position. Getting an interview call depends on how you present your skills in resume or CV.
How Much Time Do You Get to Impress Employer?
Software testing market is becoming very competitive and getting the job is even more difficult. For a single QA job positions recruiters are getting hundreds of quality assurance tester resumes.
You must stand out from the crowd and writing a good resume is the very first opportunity to do so. Recruiters don’t have time to read all the resumes througly. Your resume will be quickly scanned within 20 to 30 seconds. Yes, you get hardly 20 to 30 seconds to persuade your employer to take the decision if to call you for an interview.
Does that make sense? To make a first good impression on prospective employer you must represent yourself effectively on first page of your resume, rather the first half page of your resume is very important to make or break it.
I see so many candidates pay very little or no attention to write a good resume. They just copy and paste others resume without even bothering to change the interests and hobbies. Remember, no matter how talented you are, if you don’t present your skills properly in resume, no one is going to see your talent.
How to Make a Great First Impression From Your Resume or CV?
Many candidates write whole story about themselves without thinking what employer’s want. First focus on employer’s need. Read the job openings carefully. Note down all the job requirements. Judge yourself based on these requirements. Prepare list of your skills matching with job requirement and highlight these skill on first page of your resume.How to Maximize Your Chances of Getting an Interview Call?
Make sure you have a clearly stated job objective mentioned on top of your resume. Keep it short one or two lines and avoid writing irrelevant cliches. Freshers always needs to keep different versions for different jobs. E.g.: If you are applying for software testing position highlight software testing skills at prominent place in your CV.
Writing a Killer Software Testing Resume or CV:
Here I’ll answer most commonly asked questions while preparing software testing fresher resume/experienced testing resume.What if you don’t have software testing experience?
If you are a experienced software tester then you shouldn’t have any problem writing your project details.
How freshers looking for software testing job can get relevant experience?
1) The answer is simple. Get some experience by working on dummy projects available on internet. Search for online dummy projects (e.g. Inventory management software) and download test software and all available documents. Follow complete testing process like:
- requirement analysis,
- writing test cases,
- executing test cases,
- logging defects and,
- preparing test reports
2) By adding dummy projects learned from software testing courses:
If you have joined any software testing course to learn manual testing and automation tools then you can put this dummy project experience in your resume, which may range from 1 to 6 months. This way you will have at least some experience to put in your resume rather than keeping the experience section entirely blank. This will be an added advantage from other freshers resumes.
How to write project details in tester/QA resume?
In job experience section write details of projects you worked on. Write project details with following headings:- Project name:
- (Optional) Client name:
- Project description: (Brief project overview in 2-3 sentences)
- Environment: (mention software coding language, testing tools etc.)
- Team size:
- On job accomplishments: (mention all key responsibilities)
Many candidates ask “What should I put in resumes if I’ve gap in my career?”
Don’t hesitate to put the valid reason for any gap in your career. Also you shouldn’t have any problem getting job after gap in your career. There could be thousands of reasons for career gap like – enjoying holiday, relocation, handling family business, skill upgrade, maternity etc. Be honest and I’m sure you will easily convince interviewer about your career gap.On-the-job-accomplishments on first page of your resume:
Convince employer that you have problem solving skill by giving some real time examples from your work experience. Clearly state what was the problem and how you solved that problem at workplace. Prepare some solid examples to support your claims. You can put these examples in your resume also. Also be ready to answer all relevant questions asked by interviewer for your accomplishments. E.g: “When I joined so and so project in my company I saw the work was ad-hock and there wasn’t any standard software testing process. I took initiative building a standard software testing process that fits our project needs. By this streamlined process we managed our time effectively and started concentrating more on main software testing tasks”.Mention relevant modules/subjects you studied
This will matter most for freshers. For software testing positions candidates having computer networking and system administration skills are preferred. If you studied any subject or completed any course related to computer networking and system administration then add it in you resume. If you have Linux/Unix operating system knowledge then put it in relevant-skills section of your resume.Software testing certifications and training:
Software testing certification is an added advantage for all testing and QA positions. Rather, testing certifications like ISTQB, CSTE etc. are mandatory criteria for most of the companies. Always keep learning and equip yourself with necessary tools and skills so that you will never face any job problem in future. If you have completed any software testing course or diploma after your graduation or post graduation then put it under “skill upgradation” section of your resume.How to learn software testing skills to put in resume?
IF you don’t have necessary relevant skills to add in your resume then learn those skills online. Like for software testing jobs learn defect tracking and test management tools. You can get all open source software testing tools online. Download widely used open source tools and start practicing at home.E.g:
1) Learn TestLink test management tool online: TestLink online
You can practice everything on above demo TestLink page. Once you get good hands on experience on TestLink tool you can put this skill in your resume.
2) Search for online version of Bugzilla defect management tool or download and install Bugzilla defect management tool on your home PC. Learn how to add and manage defects in Bugzilla. Once you get basic knowledge of this tool you can add this tool under “Defect management tools” skill section.
This way you can learn many automation tools online.
Sample Software Testing Resume Essential Parts:
- Personal details (Name, email and contact) at the top- Career objective – not more than two lines
- Educational qualification – in reverse chronological order (Latest education first)
- Skill upgrade details – like testing certifications, training, computer networking and System administration skills
- Work experience – in detail for each employer and project
- Interests and significant achievements
- Additional personal information like marital status, Passport details etc not more than 3 details.
Tips for Writing Effective Software Testing Resume:
Software testing resume format tips1) Keep CV brief but comprehensive in expression
2) Keep in mind – Single spelling error is sufficient to reject your resume. Spell check for twice.
3) CV should be easily readable
4) Make a clear job objective
5) Highlight relevant skills
6) Do not put fake experience or skills
7) Focus on what employer’s need and prepare your resume with relevant skills you posses.
8 ) Always think from employer’s perspective. Think what recruiter will expect from the job position.
9) Avoid table structure. Use tables to mention your qualification and skills only.
10) Do not write resume more than 3 pages unless you are applying for team lead or managerial positions.
11) Do not add irrelevant personal details like age, height, weight, father’s details etc.
12) No need to write ‘Curriculum Vitae’ or ‘Resume’ word at the top of your resume.
13) Do not use word “I” while describing project responsibilities. E.g: Instead of “I wrote test cases..” use “Wrote test cases…)
14) Make sure you write your name, email address and phone number on top of the resume.
15) While writing education always start with recent education first.
16) Write qualification details with columns – Education/Qualification, School/College, Year, Percentage/Grade, Class
17) Write relevant skills and on-job-accomplishments on first page of your resume and work experience, educational details on second page.
Most important – Be ready to explain everything you put in your resume. On request you must present necessary examples to interviewer.
Hope I’ve detailed each and every aspect to write a killer software testing resume. Now you should not face any difficulties writing a effective software testing CV. If you need help, please put your queries in comments.
No comments:
Post a Comment