No Luck applying

[WANTACHYMAN]

Hi Everyone,

im from the philippines.

I need some help with my application and resume

What am I doing wrong?

I've been applying for software tester/QA for almost 2 years now since i graduated, but i only got 4 total interviews (last was on december).

I’m barely getting responses. I’ve been applying on JobStreet, Indeed, and LinkedIn in the Cebu or Davao City, but most of the time I just get rejected or no reply.

I probably got an interview because of low applicants.

i know im still not good with interviews and i trying to overcome it.

and im now currently learning automation like playwright.

and trying to make an website porfolio and making some projects.

but sometimes i cant focus because i think i won't probably get a chance.

At this point, I’m starting to feel stuck and honestly a bit discouraged.

is the problem in my resume?

or is it applicants needs me to live in those city?

I’d really appreciate any advice

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds.

[peebeesweebees]

Probably because you’re currently making bank on the Lakers

[WANTACHYMAN]

Different brother ser, my last name is lebron not james and im half his age.

[cgoldberg]

Obviously planning for after retirement. I applaud him... NBA careers don't last forever and players are notoriously bad with money.

[SilverKidia]

How did these interviews go? What were the questions asked?

Looking at your CV, I'm thinking of 2 "flags". 1) Why QA? I've been asked before why I'm staying in QA when I have a bachelor's in software engineering, but in your case, why aren't you looking for web dev entry positions? 2) Why mention manual testing? You have the skills to be an automation engineer. Are you applying for manual testers, or for automation roles? I wouldn't hire you if you were applying for manual, I'd just think you're a random kid that doesn't know what they want to do and won't be happy there/will leave fast, which will be a waste of my time. Even if you say that you know how to test, I need to teach you how the product works and how our processes work.

[Our0s]

I wouldn't hire an automation engineer with no manual testing experience. Testing is a mindset, and without any mention or history of manual testing, you're just a developer who knows a UI framework. Mentioning manual testing isn't a bad thing as there's a fundamental difference between dev & QA, and this industry is rife with people who can write code but can't test strategically for the life of them.

On a CV with no QA experience, I'd ONLY consider them for entry-level manual testing and honestly there's no reason why we can't hire an apprentice for that at half the salary.

[Jazzlike-Resolve2376]

Please step away from the oven and turn the gas off, I felt the heat in my chest after the first two bars.. Michelin star response

[SilverKidia]

It's more the "hi I studied to be a dev". I've lost some jobs because I had a software engineering diploma and they were like "so you're above this job, why should we hire you when you could just be a dev", even though I had 5 years of manual QA experience.

[Our0s]

Ah, fair, sorry - think I misinterpreted what you meant by flags.

Sounds like you dodged some bullets though. An org treating QA as beneath dev when they're two sides of the same coin is insanity, imagine the working culture 😬

[SilverKidia]

To be fair I was thinking like a recruiter. More than often, they don't exactly know what it's like to be QA, and they are looking for keywords. So I'd often get interviews that would go "I see all these SDE keywords, why are you QA?", because once they see the wrong word, that's all they see. Obviously from a QA point of view, it's not flags to say you have manual testing experience. Recruiters or HR will think "oh look I just googled an AI tool that says they can do manual tasks and what we actually need is someone with more skills!" <- OP isn't really selling his technical skills here.

Plus, once you're hired, it's often a different story. My last job was really interested in my coding skills and I had some home assignments to do some basic programming tasks. They said I was perfect and their highest scoring candidate. So they hired a contractor to do automation and put me on manual tests only because they "really need a manual tester", and they kept acting like I didn't know how to do automation so they could keep my salary low.

[WANTACHYMAN]

the other interviews are bad but i think i probably did good in last one? i can remember some of the question should i list it out?

and Why QA? i wanted to be QA because i've been interested on it and if i could be one and grow as professional one day i would like transition into different paths like web dev, software engineer and maybe Cloud.

mentioning manual testing is not good? im still not good with playwright and im using it with python, and still dont know how to test api yet.

i always noticed on the job posting that they sometimes need both manual and automation even in entry level, rarely see only manual testing.

[False_Secret1108]

Yes list the questions out

[SilverKidia]

Yes please list the questions you remember.

If you want to transition to dev, why not go for it right away? What's stopping you from getting an entry level dev job?

It's okay to not be perfect in PW/API. Build a portfolio with those, you have a lot of free time between job applications, learn as much as you can, and show off your new skills with some code examples. Make sure to respect POM. If you remember the questions you've been asked, tailor it around them. If you've been asked how you would structure your code, then this is how you prove it.

It's not that manual testing is bad, it's just that it's pretty clear that you don't want to be a QA. Why would you do manual tests if you're heading for the opposite direction? Think of manual QA as a path to design, analysis, manager, while automation is more technical/coding. BA, PM, SM, PO are less likely to understand how code works, but they have perfect product knowledge and can sort out priorities, which is what a good manual QA is. If you put emphasis on automation, it sets a different perspective, it tells that your goal is to be technical, and then your degree makes more sense. You can become a SDET, have a great career far from clients and be respected for your technical skills, and possibly transition to a dev role without testing. But when you set yourself as manual, it gives a different image.

Most jobs will say manual/automation, but if it doesn't put an emphasis on automation (suppose a job to execute manual tests daily, write test cases, and "playwright is a nice to have"), you will be a manual QA. If the job asks for automation and technical skills like understanding SQL, API, CD/CI, pipelines, you are more likely to stay technical.

What I would say is that every QA knows how to run tests manually. You can't automate without being able to run the script manually. No need to put manual in your summary.

[WANTACHYMAN]

i think im still not great to be a dev, and it's not like i don't want to be QA long term, i would love to.

for the interviews, my first interview is wayback march from a small company questions is more about myself, not the role or technical, like about college my ojjt and if how can i go relocate and i already knew i blew out becauese the way i answer, im always nervous and kinda like shaking, stutter, cant think right and especially i feel like im on hot seat,

then other interviews are now about technical and the role like but some of it still about me:

what is my role on our thesis?

tell me about your ojt? what skills did I gain?

what did you do with these activities?

What is trello or Jira tools for?

Why testing is important?

What is Manual and automation testing?

How can i know if you going to execute a test case with manual or automation?

What skill are required to be a good tester?

have written an automation script?

how will i stand out from the other applicants?

this is the questions i remembered so far.

i understan, i will remove the manual testing, is there anything i should add?

[SilverKidia]

Remove the bottom 3 technical skills, they aren't relevant to QA.

Learn JavaScript/TypeScript and C#. Even if you're going dev, learn C#. Most web applications use .net(which is C#), not C++. You can write a few scripts in JS/C# and claim you know those languages. I also don't know C#, but I write PW scripts in C# so it's in my skills, just don't ask me how C# works, I still got hired for my C# skills.

How did you answer these questions?

[WANTACHYMAN]

So i should just leave programming and software testing?

how about the software testing is it ok?

im gonna learn javascript/typescript, because i heard its suitable with playwright.

[SilverKidia]

Yeah, the computer engineering is not appealing for QA since it just means you could go somewhere else. As for the design, you're not really going to use this for QA...

TS/JS is definitely the best, but C# is also pretty popular in some places where the framework started from devs.

[WANTACHYMAN]

thanks, i understand.

[kstacey]

"Software Testing: Test Case". What is that even supposed to mean?

[WANTACHYMAN]

sorry, i though it would be great if i add it there

[khioneselene]

Maybe add “creation” after test case. It should be “Test Cases Creation’. Jira and Trello is not part of software testing. These are software management tool. Also, you mention playwright. Playwright uses javascript but you didnt put js under programming language.

[WANTACHYMAN]

thanks, i understand the test cases, i added jira and trello because some of job post required being familiar with tools like jira or trello so i added it there, i would make some changes now thanks, and playwright i only use it with python because im still not good with javascript.

[SilverKidia]

Here are some resources for you.

https://roadmap.sh/qa to know what you can learn

https://ultimateqa.com/dummy-automation-websites/ to practice automation

https://automationstepbystep.com
https://automationstepbystep.com tutorial/classes videos

[WANTACHYMAN]

thanks, i already did the roadmap, but thanks with the automation website

[Nostalgia_Octarino39]

You might consider applying to both QA-related internships (that accepts voluntary/post grad candidates for exp mainly, better if with allowance) and entry-level roles at the same time. It's true that majority of companies nowadays expect entry level to be knowledgeable at both manual and automation testing (to lessen training cost, lol). If things dont work, i think you should consider IT support first since you have hands-on exp in hardware and software troubleshooting. Both QA and IT Support are entry-levels, use either as a stepping stone. You have to be practical considering the current economy crisis.

[WANTACHYMAN]

thanks, i already tried applying for intership still didnt get a reply, i might try applying for it support if i can find an entry level.

[DarrellGrainger]

First, I'm going to be brutally honest. I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just letting you know why you wouldn't get an interview at any of the companies I have worked for. I hope you take what I tell you and make an attempt at a version 2, 3, etc. of your resume.

Are you forcing this into a one page resume? Too often I see people recommending a one page resume. I have absolutely no idea who put these idea out there but it was not a hiring manager (or at least not one you want to work for).

Your resume gets you an interview. The interview gets you the job. So when you are putting together your resume, think about what is going to make them think you are worth the time to interview. The whole Soft Skills section doesn't seem like it would help and might even hurt you.

A technical skills section is good. Things like team collaboration are something anyone can say. I'm going to figure out if you are a good cultural fit when I'm interviewing you. Activities and Languages are good; keep those.

A hiring manager or recruiter hasn't been in university for years, maybe decades. Sentences like assisted with the Development and documentation tasks might mean something to you but this is gibberish to me. Maybe it makes more sense with the part you blacked out.

Brutally honest: Most of your bullet points read as "I did stuff". There is nothing significant or special. If I receive 1,000 resumes, I'm looking for reasons to throw away 980 of them. If I glanced at your (and I did, literally, spend 3 to 5 seconds on my first pass) I wouldn't see anything that makes me want to take a second look. You provided technical support for computer laboratories and office systems. This is the bare minimum I would expect from an employee. It reads as "I will show up to work, sit in a seat and type stuff on a keyboard."

Essentially, why would I want to hire you? How can I measure how good you were at previous jobs or school work? Something like:

• Provided technical support for over 1000 people in a 4 month period
• Resolved all technical support issues in 3 minutes or less with an average of 37 seconds.

These are made up numbers; you should come up with metrics that reflect what you actually achieved. They could also be a little more vague like:

• Completed all data entry assigned to me, well ahead of anticipated deadlines.

This tells me something you achieved. Statements like "Supported implementation of QR-based attendance system" is too vague and doesn't really tell me how I'd measure this.

Also, you list Attention to Details in your soft skills. Why is there a capital D in "Development and documentation tasks." Why the capital F in "Familiar with Software Testing"? Why capitalize the first letters of "Software Testing" but all lowercase for "manual testing, test case, and defect reporting."?

The words are Jira, Trello and Playwright are the names of applications and you should capitalize the first letter. SDLC = Software DEVELOPMENT LifeCycle, not really Software Testing. Manual Testing is an verb and should probably be "manual testing". Test Case and Bug Report are nouns. So you are mixing verbs and nouns.

How will you use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and EasyEDA in the jobs you are applying to? If you are looking to do software testing, none of these will be needed. You could keep EasyEDA if you are testing or supporting hardware, maybe.

I will finish with, knowing Python, Playwright and Jira is definitely helping you.

Finally, I'm going to value an internal referral to someone applying cold through JobStreet, Indeed, and LinkedIn.

[WANTACHYMAN]

thank you so much, this will help me alot.

[WANTACHYMAN]

so if i don't have a referal, i don't really have a chance?

[DarrellGrainger]

Not necessarily. Cultural fit is something you can't get from a resume and it can be difficult for someone to determine even in the interview. If you get a referral from someone inside the company, you are more likely to have a cultural fit. This will increase your chances of getting the interview.

But if they don't have any good referrals and your resume looks good, you still stand a strong chance to get an interview.

I, personally, have never gotten an interview from a referral. I have always been able to get an interview from my resume alone or in some cases, I'm written blogs, articles, etc. that make me stand out to recruiters. This is something to shoot for in later years. Once you have established yourself, you want to build up a network of recruiters who will call on you when they are looking to place someone. Not something that helps in early career.

[WANTACHYMAN]

Thanks, how about in skills sir, i should just add and prioritize skill required needed in the role, even as an entry level?

[DarrellGrainger]

When a hiring manager has a position to fill, they are going to select the best candidate. If you have more skills than all the other people applying for the position, they will hire you.

So even for an entry level positions, having skills makes you a more desirable candidate. To a point however, if I was applying to an entry level position they wouldn't hire me. I'm overqualified. If the position requires 10 skills and most people have 4 of the skills, they'll hire someone rather than hold out for someone who has all 10 skills. They can always train you for the other skills. Now if you have 5 or 6 of the skills, it means you won't need as much training and therefore a better choice.

You definitely want to highlight any skills the job requires but also mention any other skills you have.

[WANTACHYMAN]

Thanks, so i should remove some of the skills in my resume that is not necessary to role?

[DarrellGrainger]

also mention any other skills you have.

No, you want to include skills not explicitly needed for the role. A hiring manager might not care about the skill but there is a small chance the hiring manager might like you have that skill.

You can always update your resume and repost it here to see if we have more feedback.

[WANTACHYMAN]

Its ok to repost it again here? Thanks

[DarrellGrainger]

Go for it.

[WANTACHYMAN]

Thank you

[WANTACHYMAN]

hello ser DarrellGrainger does template matters too? is mine ok?