As a manual QA professional, you need a manual tester resume. And to win the gig, you will need an effective work summary. Luckily, manual testers are uniquely prepared for that task. With a test set of resume creation best practices, you can build a work summary that properly displays your skills and years of experience.
To help define what a good resume might look like, let's explore several success metrics related to a manual testing work summary. Use the following tips, tricks, and resume samples from EPAM Anywhere hiring specialists to build the ideal manual tester resume and try to grow your salary.
How to structure your manual QA tester resume
A great resume presents your relevant attributes in the best possible manner. Yes, you’ve got the talent, but a rote list of technicals may not catch the attention of a hiring rep (who often has to field thousands of applications). To stand out from the crowd, use a professional resume format.
How to put manual testing skills on your resume
First, be sure to present any of the hard skills the company directly requests at the top of your resume. You can find those desired technical skills for manual testing in the job description. Often, companies will list specific software development technologies such as Zephyr, JIRA, Selenium, and MySQL. Display those requirements prominently.
Other organizations may only provide a broad outline and list less specific testing tools related to the software development life cycle (SDLC) and system testing. Many adverts for manual testers will request generalized talents, such as mastery of the various quality assurance methodologies, working within an agile Scrum process, and defect tracking. In such a scenario, you will need to complete additional research and discover the company's needs.
Writing your resume according to an organization's pain point customizes your work summary with relevant information. Don’t forget: every company is hiring for a purpose. They are in search of support, especially since the role of a manual tester is critical to application performance. The exact type of support needed will be context-dependent to each team and business, so the more you can discover about the firm, its process, and its mission, the better.
You may have to read between the lines on some job descriptions and look up information on the company website. But once discovered, place your relevant attributes and certifications at the top of your CV. Adapt your resume to show how your manual tester skills solve problems for the hiring organization.
How to describe your manual testing roles and responsibilities on your resume
Listing your technical skills is an important start. But you will also need to back up your claims with proof. A recruiter wants to know how you have used your skills to achieve success. You can provide such evidence by including examples of your previous manual testing projects.
Be sure to create a second primary section of your QA tester resume with details describing recent and relevant work. Many manual testers list their history in chronological order, but you can always display applicable projects first (especially if you have limited work experience).
Ideally, you can provide information that describes your unique approach to the QA testing process. What manual testing roles and responsibilities did you take on? What problems did you address, and how? How do you improve the experience for the end user? Did you help meet particular business requirements? Give direct test data, such as why you used a specific test case, your test execution, or perhaps how you participated in regression testing.
The work experience section is also your chance to showcase your soft skills. Each entry can demonstrate moments where you exhibited leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. Leverage your previous achievements to explain to a hiring rep how you would fit into the company culture and repeat past successes.
How to format descriptions of manual testing projects for your resume
Your experience and skills sections will earn you the manual tester job interview, but don’t forget about formatting. If your resume is unreadable and messy, the recruiter may pass on your application, even if you are overqualified. Ensure you have a presentable document before each submission.
Luckily, there are some well-known resume formatting tips that can keep your CV looking up to date and professional:
- Use a simple white background instead of busy colors.
- Format the writing with a traditional 1” margin.
- Select a professional font at 12pt (Arial, Calibri, Cambria).
- Structure your resume with clear sections divided by whitespace (Summary, Skills, Work Experience, a bachelor’s degree in computer science, etc.).
- Include your contact information.
- Save in .pdf to reduce transfer errors.
Manual testing resume for freshers
As a beginner in manual testing, you might wonder how you can structure your resume to match the job requirements. Here are some sample manual tester resumes for 1 year of experience or less.
NAME SURNAME Software Testing Engineer SUMMARY:
TECHNICAL SKILLS:
TECHNOLOGIES:
WORK EXPERIENCE (A SAMPLE CV PROJECT DESCRIPTION): [customer/employer name] May 2022 – now Project Role: Junior Software Testing Engineer Customer Domain: Retail & Distribution Team size: 20 members Responsibilities:
Database: MySQL Tools: Wave, Accessibility color picker, axe-coconut, Koa11a, Chrome Dev Tools, VO EDUCATION: BA in Computer Software Engineering, 2020 LANGUAGES: English B2 |
Manual testing resume sample for middle-level experts
To demonstrate what the best resume might look like, we created the following sample for a manual testing resume for 3 years of experience. Use this standard sample resume for a manual software tester to help guide your efforts as you craft your personal work summary.
Middle-level manual tester resume sample #1
NAME SURNAME Software Testing Engineer SUMMARY: Software Testing Engineer with 3 years of experience in manual functional testing and test automation. Practical experience in the following areas:
TECHNICAL SKILLS:
TECHNOLOGIES:
WORK EXPERIENCE (A SAMPLE CV PROJECT DESCRIPTION): [customer/employer name] March 2021 – now Project Role: Software Testing Engineer Customer Domain: Software & Hi-Tech Team size: 14 members Responsibilities:
Database: PostgreSQL Tools: JIRA, Confluence CERTIFICATIONS: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester, 2023 EDUCATION: BA in Computer Software Engineering, 2021 LANGUAGES: English C1 |
Middle-level manual tester resume sample #2
NAME SURNAME Software Testing Engineer SUMMARY: Software Testing Engineer with 4 years of commercial production experience in the healthcare business domain.
TECHNICAL SKILLS:
TECHNOLOGIES:
WORK EXPERIENCE (A SAMPLE CV PROJECT DESCRIPTION): [customer/employer name] April 2023 – now Project Role: Manual Tester Customer Domain: Life Sciences & Healthcare Team size: 6 members Responsibilities:
Database: MS Dataverse Tools: JIRA, Confluence EDUCATION: BA in Software Engineering, 2017 LANGUAGES: English C1 |
Sample resumes for experienced manual testing engineers
A senior engineer should have a different work summary than a junior apprentice at the start of their career. You have advanced skill sets that deserve recognition — highlighting those attributes front and center will change the structure of your professional resume. If you are advanced in your career, follow the example shown in our experienced manual testing engineer resume sample.
Senior manual tester resume sample
NAME SURNAME Senior Software Testing Engineer SUMMARY: Software Testing Engineer with 5+ years of functional testing experience (API testing, Database testing, GUI testing).
Abilities:
Key achievements:
TECHNICAL SKILLS:
TECHNOLOGIES:
WORK EXPERIENCE (A SAMPLE CV PROJECT DESCRIPTION): [customer/employer name] June 2021 – now Project Role: Software Testing Engineer Customer Domain: Manufacturing & Auto Team size: 10 members Responsibilities:
Database: PostgreSQL Tools: DBeaver, Postman, Bruno, Visual Studio, Jenkins, Kafka CERTIFICATIONS: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester, 2023 EDUCATION: MA in Computer Software Engineering, 2019 LANGUAGES: English C1 |
Lead manual tester resume sample
NAME SURNAME Lead Software Testing Engineer SUMMARY:
TECHNICAL SKILLS:
TECHNOLOGIES:
LEADERSHIP SKILLS:
WORK EXPERIENCE (A SAMPLE CV PROJECT DESCRIPTION): [customer/employer name] August 2019 – now Project Role: Quality Engineer Customer Domain: Media & Entertainment Team size: 18 members Responsibilities:
Technologies: SAP Commerce Cloud, AEM 6.4, Salesforce, Google Cloud Platform, Algolia LANGUAGES: English C1 |
Download our manual test engineer resume template
To make the creation process simple, we also built a manual QA tester resume template. The downloadable QA manual includes a ready-made resume structure (or if you prefer, a test script) that you can copy and modify. Plus, you will find additional tips and tricks that help you customize your resume writing so you can create a document according to your personal qualities instead of employing a one-size-fits-all resume builder.
Tips for making your best manual testing CV
Your well-formatted manual tester cv will impress most recruiters. But there are a few additional steps you can take to improve your work summary and increase your odds of earning an interview.
1. Include a profile summary or resume objective
Some highly experienced testers may skip the resume summary, but for those who want to stand out, use an introductory objective. In two to four sentences, showcase the specific and relevant achievements you possess. A tailored intro provides a snapshot of your submission and can grab the attention of a hiring rep.
Since most of your manual test engineer resume will be data-based bullet points, you can convey some personality with an opening statement. In addition, you can include some buzzwords and keywords that help you pass an applicant tracking system (ATS).
Don’t overload the summary with unnecessary sentences. Avoid using writing formulas that may churn out stale wording. Lastly, remove any confusing details, random sentences, and outright lies.
2. Show your impact
To take your manual software tester resume to the next level, it is crucial that you display results. Avoid reciting standard statements, and instead use data to explain how your efforts created improvements.
For example, fill your resume with numbers that display the results of your efforts and test plans. Your summary should show the dollars saved, problems solved, or projects completed as a development team member.
Generic statements about your work ethic or technical skill do little to persuade a hiring manager. Raw data about the outcomes you achieved provides indisputable evidence of your abilities.
3. Use action verbs
To help define your impact, use verbs. Verbs refer to actions, and that wording helps express your past successes with energy. It is the age-old proverb: “Show, don’t tell.” Instead of using words that describe who you are, paint a picture through your activities.
For example, you could describe yourself as a team player, a hard worker, and a leader in project management. These words offer a static report. Or, you could use action verbs to demonstrate those qualities, such as “partnered,” “communicated,” “contributed,” “built,” “validated,” and “delegated.” On a resume, always describe who you are through what you do.
4. Include a QA engineer cover letter
If possible, include a QA engineer cover letter. A CV gives you much more opportunity to convey your unique style and approach to a hiring rep. That has immense value, especially for tester jobs that receive thousands of submissions. You can include much more detail and nuance in a cover letter than the few sentences available in your resume objective statement.
5. Optimize your LinkedIn profile as your online CV
Lastly, transfer some of the data and job titles you compiled in your resume to your LinkedIn page. While LinkedIn is a social media platform, it is still well-regarded in most professions. Many companies even require a link to your LinkedIn profile.
Having a well-crafted digital footprint that provides convenient access for hiring reps can only support your submission. Use LinkedIn as a tool to boost your odds of success.
Apply for a manual tester job at EPAM Anywhere
Are you ready to start your job hunt? Now that you have a perfect resume, we encourage you to explore the available remote manual tester jobs at EPAM Anywhere. Access a supportive community of manual tester engineers and discover numerous work opportunities that can supercharge your career.
As Chief Editor, Darya works with our top technical and career experts at EPAM Anywhere to share their insights with our global audience. With 12+ years in digital communications, she’s happy to help job seekers make the best of remote work opportunities and build a fulfilling career in tech.
As Chief Editor, Darya works with our top technical and career experts at EPAM Anywhere to share their insights with our global audience. With 12+ years in digital communications, she’s happy to help job seekers make the best of remote work opportunities and build a fulfilling career in tech.
