What to Look for in a QA Engineer Resume – A Recruiter’s Perspective
Introduction: Resumes Don’t Tell the Whole Story—But They Do Tell Something
Let’s face it—most QA resumes look the same at first glance.
Lists of tools. Certifications. Maybe a few bullet points about previous testing projects.
But as recruiters who specialize in QA hiring, we’ve learned how to spot signal vs noise—and how to identify the QA engineers who are actually equipped to deliver results.
Here’s what we look for when reviewing QA resumes on behalf of our clients.
1. Real Project Context, Not Just Tool Lists
A resume that says “Selenium, Postman, JIRA, Jenkins” without context isn’t helpful.
We want to see:
- What kind of projects were tested? (e.g., e-commerce platform, mobile banking app)
- What was the engineer’s specific role?
- How did they apply those tools in real scenarios?
✅ Great resumes describe testing outcomes, not just tools used.
2. Evidence of Strategic Thinking
QA isn’t just about finding bugs—it’s about preventing them.
We look for signs the candidate understands:
- Test planning and prioritization
- Risk-based testing approaches
- How to align QA with business goals and deadlines
Even a sentence like “Prioritized regression suites based on customer-impact risk” tells us they think beyond test cases.
3. Automation Depth (Not Just Buzzwords)
Everyone claims to know automation—but very few describe how they applied it.
Look for details like:
- Frameworks built or customized
- CI/CD integration experience
- Types of scripts written (UI, API, unit, performance)
✅ Tip: Real automation engineers include examples like “designed a custom Selenium-PyTest hybrid framework integrated into GitLab CI.”
4. Clear Communication Skills
A QA resume should reflect attention to detail and clarity—two qualities critical in the job.
We check for:
- Concise descriptions of work
- Proper formatting and consistency
- No excessive buzzwords or filler language
Poorly written resumes are often a red flag for bug report quality and general communication skills.
5. Growth & Learning Mindset
We value resumes that show:
- Continuous upskilling (e.g., completed a course in performance testing or AWS)
- Exposure to new tools
- Interest in DevOps, security, or agile QA practices
QA is evolving—and the best engineers keep learning.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Look at the Resume—Read Between the Lines
A strong QA resume tells a story. It shows how the engineer contributed to quality—not just what tools they touched.
At QA Plus, we help companies go beyond the paper and find QA engineers who truly fit their technical needs and team culture.
📩 Contact us today if you want every QA resume on your desk to already be vetted, proven, and ready to interview.