How do I Become a Quality Assurance Engineer?

A quality assurance engineer must know specific programming languages that are pertinent to ensuring the quality of a company's software programs. Knowing how to create batch scripts which test a piece of code before being pushed to production is necessary in order to become a quality assurance engineer. This type of engineering training is usually developed as an undergraduate studying within a university's computer science program. The best quality assurance engineering jobs require candidates to hold a bachelor's degree, although you can also find jobs that will accept candidates with an associate's degree.

Certain programming languages are important for producing scripts that will test software before it is introduced to the market. Languages such as C++ and Java are usually used for these kind of scripts. As someone who wishes to become a quality assurance engineer, you should learn how to program in these languages. You should also practice writing scripts that can test code. Start with a simple code that either you write or you find available online through open source means. If your script can find a bug in the software, then you have successfully begun to develop the knowledge required to become a quality assurance engineer.

Not everyone has the time or the self discipline to teach themselves computer programming or to find code to test for quality assurance purposes. Going through a formal university program in computer science or information technology can prove invaluable to the aspiring quality assurance engineer. A four year university program will afford you the opportunity to learn about programming principles and strategies in a more detailed manner. Universities typically help their students find internships or work-study opportunities so that students can gain firsthand experience of their desired career. To become a successful quality assurance engineer, you should secure these kind of internships.

Although most quality assurance positions are available to bachelor's degree holders only, you can find some positions that will accept a candidate with an associate's degree in computer science or a related position. These positions are typically on the customer support side of quality assurance. Your associate degree program will give you much needed engineer training in topics related to information technology, such as database maintenance, deploying batch scripts, and writing testing code. If you would like to become a quality assurance engineer but do not have the time or money required for a bachelor's program, you may want to consider getting an associate's degree in a programming related discipline instead.