Depending on the exact field of work that you are looking into for quality assurance, your skills and knowledge may need to be upgraded on a regular basis through periodic schooling or training at an accredited facility. There are many QA jobs that are perfect for those who are fresh out of school and are looking to begin their careers, while other employment positions for QA, or QC (quality control), may require additional training with field experience or previous knowledge in that sector of the market. Finding out exactly how much training or experience is needed for specific jobs out there today is essential in order to gauge how you wish to begin your career as a QA Advisor or QC Analyst.
Skills and Attributes
Jobs in the quality-assurance field rely highly on attention to detail and to overall quality in order to retain a standard that is required by the organization that you are working for. Although it is unlikely that you will ever have things running perfectly in any company, having to meet a higher set of standards for manufacturing a product or delivering a service is an ideal situation. Also, for those looking to work in the quality field and to become successful at what they do, this is a great way to start.
Much of the job of a Quality Assurance Advisor or Quality Control Analyst deals with analyzing data and communicating with other team members on all levels in the company. Having good communication skills and being able to relay information to those whom you may be working with on a number of occasions is important, especially if the team that you report to or take direction from has different technical expertise than you do. The ability to communicate on a level that is understandable by those who need simple terms or even an engineering management team that requires extensive detailed knowledge to make further decisions is essential for any QA or QC position today.
Training and Experience
Many positions in the quality assurance field today are readily open and available for those potential employees that have just completed a relative course through an accredited educational institution. If you are one of those graduates looking for work immediately out of school, have no fear. The variety of employment positions out there are vast no matter where you are located in the world, and with your new-found training you are sure to find an organization that would enjoy putting your new skills and training to work for them. Once you complete the necessary education and training you will find many doors to find jobs in the QA and QC fields opening up for you.
For those who have been working in the field in which they wished to for years and have recently upgraded their skills to include quality assurance or quality control, your employment options will greatly improve. You will find that there are many positions within the organization where you are presently employed which you can move to on a lateral level or can switch to different departments entirely without leaving a company where you are comfortable working and have made substantial gains including company benefits, stock options, retirement packages, or other company incentives. Having previous field experience is immeasurable for those looking to move forward with their careers without making a large jump out of the element where they are comfortable.
Employment Searches
Once you have completed all of the necessary training and education needed to begin a position in the quality assurance field, beginning your job search is the next step. There are many ways you can start to find jobs in the QA or QC field, and you should make sure that you are not limiting yourself by how you conduct your employment search. By making sure that you explore all of the job opportunities in your area, or even in other areas that may appeal to you, you are sure to find the perfect position to utilize the new skills and training you have acquired.
Many educational institutions where you have received your training will have job posting boards to direct you to local job fairs or even open opportunities for those companies that are looking to hire recent graduates. Be sure to ask at your training facility if they have any employment help once you have completed your schooling, as many of these positions may not be openly listed to the public and can only be accessed by your educational facility. Word of mouth is a great tool to find your next job in the quality assurance market, and having good contact with your instructors or other students can only benefit your job search that much more.
Other tools for finding employment in the quality assurance field include the well-known areas of your local newspapers, trade magazines, employment agencies, or even just using the Internet on your own time. Not every open position will be posted in your local paper or trade magazine, but there are sure to be a few positions listed that may give you a good start on your job search. Be sure to use the Internet to research the many companies that are hiring as well as those that may not openly list that they are hiring, since they may still be accepting applications at any time regardless if there is an available position.
