A QA engineer resume should be like your best test plan: clear, thorough, and impossible to ignore.
It’s more than a list of tools. It shows how you work with developers, write detailed test cases, and help ship software that actually works. Whether you're new to manual testing, building automated test frameworks, or leading QA strategy, your resume should reflect the precision and impact you bring to the development lifecycle.
For a profession that demands precision, a well-formatted and detailed resume is essential.
Hiring managers are looking for QA engineers who are experts in test case design, defect management, and both manual and automated testing. These Markdown resume templates are designed to help you structure your experience effectively. You'll learn how to highlight both manual and automated testing experience, showcase your collaboration skills, and write a resume that proves you're serious about quality.
For a junior QA engineer or manual tester (0–2 years), recruiters are looking for a meticulous nature, a solid understanding of QA fundamentals, and an eagerness to learn.
You need a solid grasp of the software development lifecycle (SDLC) and how QA fits within it, especially in an Agile methodology. Knowledge of different testing types (functional, regression, smoke testing) is key.
Experience with manual test case execution is the primary requirement. You must demonstrate your ability to write clear, concise test cases, identify bugs, and log them accurately in an issue tracking system like JIRA.
QA is a collaborative role. Show that you can communicate effectively with developers and document your findings clearly through well-written bug reports and test documentation.
Your summary should highlight your attention to detail, your experience with manual testing and bug tracking tools, and your enthusiasm for ensuring software quality.
A detail-oriented and highly motivated professional with foundational knowledge of QA methodologies and manual testing. Experienced in writing test cases, identifying defects, and documenting bugs in JIRA. Eager to contribute my skills to a QA team and ensure a high-quality user experience.
In your experience, don't just say you "tested an app." Describe the process: "Wrote test cases based on acceptance criteria, executed functional tests, and logged defects with detailed steps to reproduce."
Use numbers to show your impact.
Identified 5 critical bugs that blocked a major release.
Responsible for testing 10 new features from conception to launch.
Highlight how you worked with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders.
Include terms like "Regression Testing," "Test Case Design," and "Defect Management" to align with job descriptions and pass applicant tracking systems.
For a mid-level QA engineer or a QA automation engineer, recruiters expect a blend of strong testing fundamentals and the technical ability to automate tests and improve processes.
This is the most critical skill. You must have hands-on experience with an automation framework like Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright. Show how you've written, executed, and maintained automated test scripts.
Experience goes beyond the UI. Proficiency in API testing (using tools like Postman) and familiarity with performance testing concepts (using JMeter or Gatling) are highly sought after.
Show that you can integrate your automated tests into a CI/CD pipeline (using Jenkins, GitLab CI, etc.). This demonstrates your understanding of modern DevOps practices.
Your summary should immediately state your years of experience, your expertise in test automation, your preferred tools/frameworks, and a key achievement related to efficiency or quality improvement.
QA Automation Engineer with 6 years of experience designing and implementing automated testing frameworks from scratch. Proven ability to increase test coverage by 70% and reduce regression testing time from 2 days to 2 hours. Expert in Selenium, Java, and integrating tests into CI/CD pipelines.
This is critical. Use metrics to show the value of your automation work.
Reduced regression testing cycle from 3 days to 4 hours.
Increased automated test coverage from 20% to 80% for critical user flows.
Don't just list "Selenium." Describe the framework you built or contributed to. What design patterns did you use? What libraries were involved?
Explain how you worked with DevOps to integrate testing into the pipeline. This shows your understanding of the bigger picture.
Create distinct categories for Automation Tools, Languages, API Testing, etc., to make your technical skills easy to scan.
For a senior or lead QA engineer, recruiters are looking for a strategic leader who can define the vision for quality across an organization, not just test a single product.
You must demonstrate experience in creating high-level test strategies and test plans for large, complex projects. This includes assessing risk, defining scope, and allocating resources.
Show how you've improved the overall QA process. This could involve introducing new tools, methodologies (like BDD), or metrics to improve quality and efficiency. Experience leading and mentoring a team of QA engineers is essential.
At this level, you should be involved in conversations about software architecture to ensure testability. You need to be a strong advocate for quality across the entire engineering organization.
Your summary should position you as a senior quality leader. Focus on your experience in test strategy, process improvement, and your ability to lead teams to deliver high-quality software.
Senior QA Lead with 15 years of experience defining and implementing quality assurance strategies for enterprise SaaS platforms. Expert in building and leading QA teams, implementing test automation frameworks, and driving a culture of quality. Proven ability to reduce critical defects in production by 80% through strategic process improvements.
Emphasize your experience defining the overall test strategy, building teams, and driving process improvements across the organization.
Developed the company's end-to-end test strategy, which was adopted by 5 different product teams.
Use high-level metrics to show your impact. How much did you reduce critical production defects? How much did you increase developer velocity by improving the CI/CD process?
Reduced critical production bugs by 80% over 2 years by implementing a new test strategy.
Detail your experience hiring, managing, and mentoring a QA team.
Grew the QA automation team from 1 to 10 engineers and established our career ladder.
Describe how you've worked with development, DevOps, and product leadership to instill a culture of quality.
Championed a 'shift-left' testing initiative, integrating quality checks earlier in the development lifecycle.