What to do first if You are manager who starts project and must establish quality assurance department ? You need people, some test manager and test engineers, how to do it, which aspects requests our attention ? Education, work experiences or maybe certificates ?

Nowadays I observe that majority of software testing oriented people attaches great importance to certification – ISTQB has 100 thousands graduates ! Is this good from employer point of view ? How to choose right person when all of them have the breast full of distinctions ?

It’s a safe bet that a person who pass additional exam in his/her life gain some extra knowledge and will know the theory a bit better. On the other side I know some sort of people who only have “these kind of papers” and do not care about expanding horizons.

I think that the work experiences are the clue, person with bunch of diplomas without real life testing evidence is a risky choice. Below are list of available certification for quality care staff and some advice for right choose.

Vendors certification:

• HP / Mercury
• Segue
• Rational
• Empirix

good if we want engieener specialized in some sort of test tools.

On the other side we have vendor-neutral exams and courses:

ISTQB Certified Tester

• three levels: Foundation, Advanced, Expert
• exam prices : 200-300 Eur
• website : http://www.istqb.org

Certified Software Quality Analyst (CSQA)

• work experience required
• exam prices: 350-400 $
• website: http://www.softwarecertifications.org/

Certified Software Test Engineer (CSTE)

• work experience required
• exam prices: 350-400 $
• website: http://www.softwarecertifications.org/

Certified Manager of Software Testing (CMST)

• work experience required
• currently hold an active CSTE Certification
• exam prices: 600 $
• website: http://www.softwarecertifications.org/

Certified Test Manager (CTM)

• work experience required
• formal education required – minimum 10 days (http://www.testinginstitute.com/Course_List.php)
• website: http://www.testinginstitute.com/ctm.php

Certified Software Test Professional (CSTP)

• formal education required – minimum 10 days (http://www.testinginstitute.com/Course_List.php)
• exam prices: course price (500-1000 $)
• website: http://www.testinginstitute.com/cstp.php

Six Sigma Black Belt Certification (SSBB)

• website : http://www.asq.org/certification/six-sigma/

Above exams and courses, I think, are strictly connected with test manager skills not for test engineer.

Finally, check that our potential employee is visible by google :) Maybe this is strange and funny but true ! Test manager should do any internet activity: blog, digg, twitter or be only a commentator. Check social media like linkedin, facebook, results might be hard to interpret but often authoritative.

Summary
So, if You want to hire a test engineer, look at CV in order:

• work experience
• internet activity
• vendor certificate
• vendor-neutral certificate

Test manager:

• word experience
• vendor-neutral certificate with formal job experience requirment
• internet activit
• vendor-neutral certificate

So, do not rely on certificates only! Think, think …
and do not use “Tester” in advertisment as a job position , rather “Test engineer” :)
What’s Your opinion about that process of IT specialists typecasting with distinctions ?

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