As a test engineer, you’re the perfectionist behind every successful piece of software. Your meticulous testing of code and interface allows businesses to deploy reliable, user-friendly applications without problems.
Managing test scripts and automation tools, as well as collaborating with engineers and developers, are just some of the things you do daily making it hard to find the time to find the perfect resume template and create a resume that accurately summarizes your diverse skill set.
What if you could do it with little effort while still achieving great results? You can! With our test engineer resume examples and cover letter writing tips, you’re just a couple of steps away from a new job.
Why this resume works
- To make your test engineer resume stand out, you must be tactical with what you include in your bullet points. Achievements without the backing of numbers will not cut it.
- Include milestones such as cutting post-release defects by 72% and improving response times by 62% and be keen to emphasize the impact of your input.
Why this resume works
- Every other applicant will be keen to include impactful achievements in their software test engineer resume. Don’t follow the majority, but instead, make your application unique and appealing to recruiters. How?
- Throwing in your CSTE certification will automatically tip the scales in your favor. Once you gain that advantage, add quantified metrics, and you’ll be a mile ahead of the competition.
Why this resume works
- Don’t be shy to demonstrate what you have under your sleeves when applying for a technical role such as this one. In fact, your drive test engineer resume would be the piece to beat if you showcase authority in your abilities.
- A winning formula here is by emphasizing your mastery of pertinent tools such as Nemo Analyze, EDX SignalPro, and ArcGIS and how you’ve used them to solve problems and optimize performance.
Related resume examples
Adapt Your Test Engineer Resume to Impress the Recruiters
Whether you’re more confident in drive testing or software testing hardly matters—you have a unique blend of skills and an understanding of the very foundations of being a tester. To score some brownie points for this part of your resume, study the job description with the same meticulous attention that you pay to your testing projects.
Keep it all about your technical know-how. This could be anything from test automation, performance testing, or Agile methodologies.
Dig deeper. For instance, if you’re a test automation engineer, don’t just list that; instead, list Selenium, PyTest, or other frameworks you use to get the job done. Similarly, if you specialize in drive testing, list hardware you utilize to analyze coverage, such as TEMS Discovery.
Need some ideas?
15 popular test engineer skills
- Selenium
- Jira
- Git
- Python/Java
- Jenkins
- LoadRunner
- Appium
- Nemo Outdoor
- Bugzilla
- Burp Suite
- Atoll
- TEMS Discovery
- Anritsu MG3690C
- TestRail
- EDX SignalPro
Your test engineer work experience bullet points
Depending on your niche within test engineering, your daily responsibilities and projects will vary.
For example, drive test engineers tend to perform network analyses using tools like Nemo Analyze and Actix Analyzer. Meanwhile, software test engineers validate API functionality with tools like SoapUI and conduct load testing with Gatling. This is why trying to match your resume to each job is so important.
Focus on the proudest achievements of your career rather than just your responsibilities. Make them shine with some quantifiable metrics, such as any of the following:
- Emphasize the manual testing time savings your test scripts and integration strategies resulted in.
- Mention the efficiency optimizations caused by your implementations, such as reductions to total test cycle times or reduced issue resolution times.
- Highlight the excellent defect detection rates you maintained or the defect reduction rates your projects led to.
- Specify how your testing led to system or network optimizations, be it increases in system capacity or network coverage.
See what we mean?
- Leveraged Atoll and TEMS Discovery to conduct drive tests, resulting in a 54% increase in network coverage
- Planned test cases using Appium for mobile app testing, achieving a 98% defect detection rate
- Utilized JIRA for efficient defect tracking and project management, leading to a 67% reduction in issue resolution time
- Implemented Selenium automation scripts to improve test coverage, which resulted in a 43% reduction in manual testing effort
9 active verbs to start your test engineer work experience bullet points
- Automated
- Led
- Leveraged
- Planned
- Implemented
- Spearheaded
- Identified
- Developed
- Optimized
3 Tips for Writing a Test Engineer Resume When You’re New to Testing
- Flaunt your certifications
- If you have any relevant testing certs, such as the ISTQB Foundation Level or Certified Agile Tester, brag a little and show them off. This helps you show your commitment to the job, and that’s crucial at this stage.
- List your digital toolkit
- Show recruiters you’re ready to hit the ground running by mentioning any testing tools you’re familiar with. For instance, if you have some experience using tools like Selenium, Jira, or Appium during your training and education, talk about them in greater detail.
- Add some projects
- Dive into the details of any testing projects you’ve worked on, including things you did in college or during a boot camp, but also personal projects (especially if you’re self-taught). For instance, if you created automated test scripts using Python or analyzed your home network protocol using Wireshark, talk about those experiences.
3 Tips for Writing a Test Engineer Resume if You’re Already Experienced
- Delve into your specialization
- If you’re specialized in a certain niche, such as performance testing or security testing, that’s going to look impressive on your tester resume. Mention the specific tools and methodologies you use, be it SonarQube or LoadRunner, and prioritize mentioning achievements related to your area of expertise.
- Highlight your financial impact
- Show recruiters how your testing strategies made a positive financial impact on the company and aligned with key business goals. You can do this by highlighting times when your testing led to gains in metrics like user satisfaction or client retention, not to mention a decrease in bug reports.
- Show your leadership
- If you’ve led teams or mentored junior test engineers, showcase this in your work experience. It also helps to mention times when you’ve worked with non-technical stakeholders.
In general, it’s best to stick with a single-page resume. However, if you have more than a decade of experience as a test engineer, you can go with up to 2 pages. Generally, it’s best to keep it concise.
If you’re just starting out, a career objective is a great way to tailor your resume and show your enthusiasm for the job. Include a specific mention of the company and role and a career trajectory you’d like to follow within the company, such as working your way up to being a lead software test engineer.
Study each job description carefully, noting the skills it emphasizes. Then, highlight these skills in your resume if you’re proficient in them. For instance, if the job talks about browser automation, you know you have to mention your Selenium expertise.
