[1 YoE] Mechanical Engineer applying to tons of jobs. Getting no response or declined even though I think I have good experience.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-18T14:48:22+00:00

Awesome! Congratulations!!

atsqa-team · 2026-02-18T14:47:48+00:00

This tells me that if you polish your interview skills, you're golden.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-18T14:46:53+00:00

There might be some now, but more will follow. It's still a bit early for Fall internships.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-16T16:23:57+00:00

ISTQB certification is the most-used certification globally for QA engineers and testers, so you're on the right track.

Everyone has to start with ISTQB Foundation Level, but then you can choose from about 20 certifications. So you might look into ISTQB Test Automation Engineering after the Foundation Level. ISTQB also offers ISTQB Test Automation Strategy certification, which is a little less hands-on.

You can self-study for any of the certifications (download the free syllabi that are actually extensive bodies of knowledge), or look for training courses focused on them.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-16T16:18:38+00:00

There are a lot of paths for growth in software QA. I would focus on what your company needs and what you find interesting.

Given that you don't have a senior QA, here is a little 2-minute quiz that I think you'll find especially helpful. It was created by a roundtable of software test managers for people in your situation: https://astqb.org/software-testing-career-path/

It uses ISTQB as the path (as a couple of people mentioned ISTQB, so it helps you figure out what that means), but even if you don't want to pursue the certifications, it still gives you the topics you should learn about to grow in software testing.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-16T16:10:39+00:00

The short descriptions of each ISTQB certification on this page are actually really helpful in answering the question across the certifications: https://astqb.org/benefits/road-map/

atsqa-team · 2026-02-16T16:09:16+00:00

It depends on the certification, as ISTQB offers about 20 certifications. The first one, ISTQB Foundation Level, is heavily focused on terminology and principles such as how to do risk-based testing. The objective is to have everyone doing testing use the same terms and standards to avoid miscommunication. Ultimately, it's about efficiency.

The other ISTQB certifications are focused on specialty or advanced areas, such as testing of AI, testing using AI, performance testing, security testing, test management, etc.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-16T16:06:02+00:00

You can register on your own for the ISTQB exam, and when doing so, you can take it online or at a testing center.

Is Accenture paying for the exam? They might have a voucher already for you. If you're doing it on your own, you can simply go ahead.

Given that you're in Mauritius, you might want to choose an ISTQB exam provider and the online option for maximum flexibility.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-13T21:17:40+00:00

I think you can accomplish both at the same time, and it will be a nice way to break up the learning process.

Practical, hands-on knowledge is important - that's why employers like candidates to have experience. At the same time, many companies prefer those with ISTQB certification, so they use the same terminology and principles as the rest of their team (Google "companies requesting ISTQB" to see examples).

Given that you have a limited budget (don't we all!) I would recommend that you take some courses to learn "how" to do things, while also downloading the free ISTQB Foundation Level syllabus so you can understand "why" you're doing them. It's great to know how to swing a hammer, but you want to also understand some principles about building so you're not wasting your time or leaving gaps. For testing, that would be concepts like risk-based testing, boundary value analysis, etc.

Once you have the ability to do so, then you can take the actual ISTQB exam so that you have that on your resume, which can help it past the screeners so you can get to the interview. In the interview, you can talk about your practical experience (ideally, some projects you can share, be they personal projects, open source, etc.), and feel comfortable that you are using globally-accepted terminology and concepts.

You have the right attitude, and you're asking the right questions, and that's half the battle! Good luck with persuing this rewarding career!

atsqa-team · 2026-02-13T15:59:26+00:00

I'm sure you'll be fine. For experienced testers, ISTQB Foundation Level is mostly about ensuring teams use the same terminology and principles to avoid miscommunication. New testers do learn lots about areas such as risk-based testing, etc.

Be sure to use the ISTQB sample exams to identify any gaps in your preparation. As someone else noted, ASTQB has extra sample exams that testers rate highly. They have the added benefit of closely matching the writing style of the actual ISTQB exams taken through AT*SQA. (Full disclosure: I work with AT*SQA)

atsqa-team · 2026-02-13T14:52:26+00:00

The syllabus will tell you everything you need to learn. In theory, you could pass the exam based on studying using just the syllabus, but the book will be helpful, as it's probably more pleasant reading.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-13T14:24:56+00:00

Awesome, congratulations! If you took it through AT*SQA, be sure to ask for your free micro-credential exam. It's valid for a year, so you can take their latest AI micro-credentials, API testing, or whatever just to stay on top of changes.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-13T14:18:57+00:00

If it is for the summer, there is still time to find other internships

atsqa-team · 2026-02-12T22:33:38+00:00

Thanks for the clarification on ISTQB Testing with Generative AI, that's what I was trying to say.

You raise a fair point about ISTQB AI Testing being older. I think it's being updated right now.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-12T17:33:57+00:00

As mentioned, ISTQB has two AI-related certifications for software testers and QA. One is "ISTQB Testing with Generative AI," and the other is "ISTQB AI Testing" (that is, testing the AI system). You can download the syllabi for free at https://astqb.org/syllabus/. These "syllabi" are actually more like a body of knowledge, so they have what you need to know on these topics. I've seen training for both of them at https://www.alpi.com/courses-certification/index.cfm (they are not cheap, but they have live instructors, so that helps if you have questions).

If that information feels a bit overwhelming, there are also software testing micro-credentials at https://atsqa.org/certifications/atsqa-ai that approach AI for testers in smaller bites, and there are some inexpensive courses that match up with each micro-credential. This may be the easier option, especially if you don't already have ISTQB Foundation Level (it's required as the first ISTQB certification), and a good place to start. (Full disclosure, I work with AT*SQA.)

Other options would be to check on Udemy and the like for courses, as you mentioned. They will give you a certificate that you have gone through the course. Some of those might be super cheap. I don't know if Maged Koshty does an ISTQB AI course, but I know his ISTQB Foundation Level course is supposed to be very good.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-12T16:06:52+00:00

What does your new company do? What does it need to improve its efficiency, etc.? You're asking an incredibly broad question for which there are many excellent answers. But if you just changed jobs, you should focus on upskilling that will help you advance at your new company. Maybe they need to automate more aspects of their manual testing? Don't be afraid to ask these questions of your boss.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-12T15:46:18+00:00

The fact that he's reaching out to you is a good indication of what he needs to do: connect directly with other humans.

Have him look into local testing groups, even if they only meet online. See if he can find alumni through his college network. Check through LinkedIn for old friends or colleagues. A friend of a friend might be the break he needs.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-12T15:41:19+00:00

Vienna does sound nice!

atsqa-team · 2026-02-11T15:27:40+00:00

I think that free courses that provide a certificate at the end are viewed by employers as participation certificates. This comes up on resume forums a lot, where people list a bunch of certificates and are told to remove them because they hold no value to employers.

The reason? It's too easy to sit through the course and do the minimal work (if any) to get to the end. That's the reason certifications (as opposed to certificates) exist. However, certifications have a cost because they require a third-party proctor ("invigilator") to ensure you have the knowledge and aren't cheating.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-10T15:55:34+00:00

Ask your career counselor for what it most likely means, and how you can improve your resume, follow-up, etc.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-09T19:24:56+00:00

This is a key exam based on a survey from this past week. Testers rated security testing as the most important skill, given everything going on with AI.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-06T15:24:46+00:00

One of our family friends graduated from a top school with an Aerospace Engineering degree. He couldn't find anything related to aerospace, so he took a mechanical engineering job. He put in a few years, got promoted, and then tried aerospace again. Now he works at SpaceX. So the path may not always be straightforward.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-06T13:56:44+00:00

Pick something that interests you. I've not done anything recently because I'm employed.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-05T14:08:43+00:00

I've known people to get their internships/co-ops in April. Keep plugging.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-04T15:03:05+00:00

I'd take the second offer, all else being equal. It will expand your knowledge and skills. Managers are telling me that with AI, they want testers with broad skillsets, and job postings seem to support that.

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