automation tester resume example

The job market for automation testers is ripe with offers, attracting more applicants than ever. With more applicants, you can expect more competition.

This means you'll need the right tools to stand out, and your first tool to open the door to employment should be your test automation engineer resume, which is why we’ve compiled a few automation test resume examples below.

As you'll find throughout our article, a tried and true method exists to build an effective automation testing resume. Using our examples, you can pass through the tracking systems that block some applicants and get your resume in front of a human being, solidifying your recruitment.

You'll first see three examples for regular automation testers, senior automation test engineers, and automation testing managers. You'll also find tips for structuring your resume in the second half of this article.

Automation testers need firm experience in hard skills like Java, Python, or similar programming languages. Testers get this experience through working with companies, volunteering on projects, and developing solutions while in school. You'll want to highlight these hard skills in your resume.

You'll also want to connect those hard skills directly to success. For example, you might highlight how your testing process resulted in a 20% improvement in customer satisfaction.

Resumes are also an effective way to display soft skills like communication and collaboration. Briefly discussing how working with your teams bolstered your verbal and written communication skills can help. You should also provide details on how you contributed to the team.

Below, you'll see a sample with these tips in mind:

Once you study this QA tester resume sample, you can use it to get to the next phase: the interview. For more tips, check out our automation testing interview questions article.

"Senior" positions have a minimum of five years of experience. During this period, automation testers will have gained more real-world experience, bolstering their accomplishments list. Naturally, this means the expectations for seniors are a bit higher.

First, QA automation engineers need to affirm their programming languages. They must also display experience working with automation, testing tools, and more advanced toolsets.

Senior engineers are also expected to plan test activities and produce results. They're expected to take up more of a leadership-focused role, calling launch meetings and handling project management factors.

Connecting this work to specific business goals and accomplishments is just as important. Without proof of your contributions, businesses might not consider you for a senior position.

Below, you'll find a few examples leveraging these tips:

To get a little more insight into how senior QAs might impart their knowledge and experience, check out this story on how one passed the ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Exam. It'll give you some insights (and an appreciation for how a bit of storytelling can work in your resume).

The critical word in this resume example is "manager," which demands the need for management-driven activities. So, instead of individual contributions, focus on how your contributions directed the entire team.

Your project management experience during your senior days will be essential here. You'll want to feature accomplishments from this period to affirm your ability to manage projects, budgets, and team members.

A deep understanding of the software development life cycle and agile methodologies is also crucial. Technical experience is still essential, even though you should highlight your abilities to lead and communicate.

Below is an example of a QA manager's resume:

Using these resume templates is a great way to get started on inspiring your own resume. You can check out our CV template below to make things even easier.

A CV, or curriculum vitae, is a deeper version of your resume. However, in modern times, people use "CV" as just another word for their resume.

To inspire your automation tester CV, check out this free downloadable template you can use to wow your next potential employer:

There are potentially hundreds of other applicants looking at the job you just applied for. These applicants might have similar experiences, backgrounds, and education.

Below, you'll find some advice on how you can help your CV stand out:

Make a 2-3 page resume

To make your CV stand out, start simple: make a two- to three-page resume.

Back in the day, CVs (the old form) could be up to ten pages long. So, if you've got a long list of accomplishments, offer a long-form CV that's up to ten pages. You can reference the best parts of this 10-page version for your two-page version.

Never provide a 10-page CV upfront — you'll cause recruiters to run for the hills. Instead, consider your CV to be more like a movie trailer for the full thing (the actual movie), showing the best parts to get people to attend the premiere.

Structure your resume clearly

Use pre-existing resume structures (like our free CV download above) to stand out. Following a well-known format and clarifying your sections will make it easier for the recruiter to read your resume. In turn, this makes it easier for them to find out how great you are.

There are two popular formats you can choose from:

• Reverse-chronological order: Order your job experience from newest (first) to oldest (last). This is the ideal format for those seeking senior or management roles because it highlights your expertise.
• Hybrid order: This is a resume that balances your job skills and professional experience. This is ideal for those with many skills (but not much experience).

Regardless of what resume structure you choose, keep it simple. Don't get too flashy with the fonts, include unnecessary images, or choose colors that distract from your talents.

Some applicants choose to have two versions of a resume: a style resume (built in Canva or a similar image editing tool) and a basic one (made in Google Docs or Microsoft Word). Some Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) aren't smart enough to understand complex designs.

Reference all the technical skills needed to be an automation tester

In the resume examples above, you'll notice we put in a lot of technical skills. After all, that will be the bulk of your job, so you need to know your stuff.

So, what's needed to be an automation tester? Different technology applications and programming languages are a good start. It also helps to list out analytical abilities, problem-solving skills, and process management.

However, not all automation testers are created equal, and each job is different. This is why you'll want to see if the job description matches your skills.

If the job description asks for something specific, put that skill upfront on your skill list. In other words, always read the job description carefully and prioritize the hiring company's needs.

However, be sure these are things you can actually do. After all, you'll need to answer related questions during the interview. You can check out this article for QA engineer interview questions.

Pick your top automation testing projects for the resume

Part of your technical prowess is identifying where you learned and applied your skills. To do this, you need to reference the projects you contributed to that put your skills to practice.

Think of the projects you worked on in and outside of class during college. Explain how these projects solved problems and made things easier.

After college, if you need a bit more experience, take some free time to volunteer for projects. This volunteer time can be for local organizations or public projects. For example, you can work with friends and publish projects on websites like GitHub.

This will become part of your online portfolio and give you extra firepower to complete your resume.

Quantify your work results

Listing your projects and what you did is only part of your resume's skill justification list. The other half quantifies how these projects contributed to the greater good.

Quantification applies specific growth and improvement statistics to your resume. For example, you could show how your project contributed to a 20% increase in conversions.

You'll want to connect to how your work creates results (not just the project). So, be specific to yourself and avoid just discussing general group accomplishments.

Use action verbs

Action verbs make the resume look a lot more dynamic. Action verbs are helpful for writing better stories, creating online content, and (most importantly for us) describing accomplishments.

Here are some example action verbs:

• Accelerated
• Constructed
• Explained
• Facilitated
• Shaped
• Perceived
• Oversaw
• Identified
• Designed
• Assembled

Action verbs are fancier alternatives to more basic words. So, have a thesaurus (online or otherwise) handy to brainstorm ideas.

Use the online job description's keywords

Keywords refer to the words a job description uses to... describe a job. By using the words and phrases identified in these descriptions, the automated resume tracking systems bring you to the front.

Copying and pasting the job description and editing them for clarity in your resume is how you get noticed by these online systems. Don't try to get too creative here, as that will confuse these systems.

Plus, using these job description references proves you’ve read and prioritized the needs of the reader (hiring manager). This focus gives you a solid chance to compete against other applicants.

For example, you wouldn't focus on your other experience if the job description prioritizes Python expertise. Once you mention your expert-level knowledge, you can use this for your Python automation testing interview.

Include a QA automation engineer cover letter

If a business says "cover letter optional," that means "mandatory" (they use creative language). You probably won't be considered if you don't provide a cover letter. So, check out our article for more tips on creating an automation engineer cover letter.

Consider LinkedIn as your public CV

Don't want to create a whole new 10-page document for what you do? Most job applicants would agree with you, so you can use LinkedIn as your public CV. Check out these LinkedIn profile tips to learn how to leverage this tool.

Now that you have some tips, test automation engineer CV examples, and a free template, try out your new resume with us! Check out our remote QA automation engineer jobs at EPAM Anywhere.

We wish you the best in your future job search! You can do this!