The two common types of jobs available in quality assurance departments are that of quality assurance engineers and quality assurance managers. As a quality assurance engineer, one is required to test the product and make a list of defects. Each industry has its own quality assurance processes that need to be followed diligently. In software industry, for example, quality assurance engineers do both manual and automated testing of software products. They do various types of testing that includes black box testing, regression testing, usability testing and more. Quality of the product is ensured by putting it to most critical and difficult uses to find out every possible defect in the product.
The ability of a quality assurance engineer to catch a defected part or functionality of a product or its weakness will come in handy as part of his job. The job of a quality assurance manager is quite a responsible one and much more detailed and critical as it requires ensuring that the services, products and processes of a company meet the quality standards and customer expectations. They are responsible for work allocation and co-ordination between various departments and clients. They manage all members of the quality assurance team, conduct trainings, and also ensure that work happens on time.
Software quality assurance engineer: A software quality assurance engineer is required to obtain a four year degree in computer science or software design. Education in computer science and software design helps them in learning logical progressions, develop comfort with computers and see the development process from the designer perspective. Software quality assurance professionals must know about various programming languages like HTML, Perl, XML, C, SQL, C++, and Java. They also need to know about various operating systems, platforms and types of applications. Quality assurance managers must also have qualification in management and supervision.
Quality Assurance Professional in Manufacturing Unit: Depending on the type of product that can be garments, electronics, food items or automobile, you need to have a specialized degree. You must also have a certification or knowledge of the specific industry standards with respect to quality control and processes. Manufacturing units of foods, pharmaceutical and medical devices need to follow "good manufacturing practice" so to be part of these industries you must have suitable qualification and knowledge.
Quality assurance managers can further add to their credentials by familiarizing themselves with various quality management systems specifically from the International Standards Organization (ISO). These standards include ISO 9000 and ISO 9001. One can also look forward to obtaining specialization and experience in ISO quality assurance. Certain industries may require specific certifications or licenses to be eligible as quality assurance managers. Knowing about legalities involved would be an added advantage.
Some added skills that Quality assurance managers need to have are competent report writing and communication skills. Acquaintance with the various tools, theories and methodologies of quality administration is indispensable. A consumer-oriented attitude along with a proper negotiation skill can be an added advantage. Excellent capacities to analyze and lead the juniors would be necessary as well. They need to be well-organized, disciplined, updated and must have good interpersonal skills. They must have good analytical skills to handle complex situations.
Numerous experience and training options are available for quality assurance experts. Quality assurance engineers can look for product testing positions as part-time work or internships during your college years. You can start testing different types of products for different types of companies to gain as much diversified experience and understanding of different products as you can.
In the field of business each and every product is different from the other. Hence it is good for Quality assurance managers to gain as much experience as possible in various areas of the market to gain relevant knowledge on a variety of products. Though many of the products may not be directly related to their field of interest, the initial stages would help build familiarity, gain knowledge and develop their analytical skills. Hence, quality assurance managers should look forward to gaining few years of experience in managerial or supervisory jobs. Many companies may ask for 2-3 years of experience to offer job for quality assurance managers.
Moreover, criticality of the quality assurance process has led quality assurance mangers to be among some of the mostly highly paid professionals in the industry. So the stringent requirements of qualifications and skills are appropriately paid off with handsome salary packages. The rising demand for such monitoring professionals has led to a wide range of job opportunities opening up for quality assurance managers in fields like food production, goods manufacturing, petrochemicals, electronics, software, etc. In 2009, the median salary that a quality assurance manager earned was $68,000-$76,000 per year.
Quality assurance has been identified as a very high profile career option in all types of industries. Add to it the big salary packages, criticality and responsibility involved in the jobs, quality assurance is being looked upon by professionals as a challenging and interesting career path, especially for all those who want to pursue a really hard working and rewarding work life.
