For anyone building a career in QA, both technical and process skills matter. Job postings often look for:
Technical: SQL, API testing (Postman, REST), basic programming (Java, Python, JavaScript), Selenium or Playwright, CI/CD (Jenkins, GitLab CI), and basic Linux/command line.
Process and communication: Test planning, risk-based testing, Agile/Scrum, bug reporting, and clear communication within the team.
Certifications: ISTQB Foundation is still common; CSTE, CMSQ, and tool-specific certs (e.g. AWS, Azure) also help. Project or portfolio work in automation and performance testing often makes more impact than certificates.
Summary: Solid test theory + one automation tool + one scripting language + Agile experience form the backbone of a strong QA profile.