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Soft Skills Every QA Professional Must Have
When we talk about QA professionals, the spotlight often falls on technical expertise: automation tools, scripting languages, or bug-tracking software. But the truth is, the real magic often lies in soft skills. These “human” skills can transform a good QA engineer into an exceptional one.
Here’s a breakdown of the most essential soft skills QA professionals must have — along with examples of how they come into play:
1. Communication Skills
QA professionals don’t just find bugs; they tell stories about them. Clear and concise communication is essential, whether you’re:
- Writing a detailed bug report: “Steps to reproduce, expected vs. actual behavior…”
- Explaining an issue to a developer: “This happens when the user clicks X after Y. Let me show you…”
- Collaborating with stakeholders to align expectations.
Example: Imagine a scenario where you discover a critical bug during a sprint. Instead of saying, “The feature isn’t working,” you explain, “When a user inputs invalid data, the system crashes instead of displaying an error message. This could negatively impact user trust.” Clear communication like this ensures the issue gets the attention it deserves.
