Here’s How to Become a Quality Assurance Manager

Have you ever ordered a product only to return it because the quality was not as good as the company claimed? Underperforming products can ruin a company’s reputation. It occurs when you don’t conduct a quality check or assurance before releasing a product on the market. Quality assurance is an important step in the product manufacturing process. It tells you whether the product meets your audience’s preference, if it resolves their issues, or if it’s up to your company’s standard.

The demand for an experienced and qualified quality assurance manager is on the rise. This has opened up many opportunities for people specializing in quality check services. But, what exactly do you need to become a professional quality assurance manager?

Roles and Responsibilities of a Quality Assurance Manager

When a company launches a new product, they hand it to the quality assurance manager to check its features and ensure it has no defects. Their main job is to check whether the product meets the specifications established by the company. They need to ensure that the product caters to the audiences’ needs and is designed keeping the customers’ problems in mind.

As a quality assurance professional, you might be asked to check the quality of foods, toys, electronic appliances, cosmetics, and products from other categories. You need to start as an inspector and serve a particular industry for a couple of years before you get promoted to the manager’s post. Here’s what you need to get a job as a quality manager at a reputable company.

Minimum Qualifications Requirement

The minimum qualification requirements in this field depend on which industry you join. For most positions, a bachelor’s degree is often sufficient and is all that you need to get a job as a product inspector. For a better job, you can complete your master’s and enroll in additional courses to become a certified QA analyst. 

Usually, people are hired as an inspector, and they work their way up. Technical knowledge with experience in the business background is mandatory for the role of an analyst. You should also have a basic knowledge of the life cycle of product development.

You must complete your bachelor’s degree in science, statistics, or business. Additionally, you must enroll in courses in human resources, statistics, business analytics, product development, and other relevant subjects. For those planning to advance their career in the software quality assurance field, a degree in computer science or other relevant field is required.

Complete Your Internship

As mentioned before, you can’t get a quality assurance manager’s job right after completing your qualifications. Companies look for practical experience before hiring you as a product inspector or analyst. You can gain hands-on experience from an internship. You can pursue an internship during college.

Mention your internship, achievements, the number of years you worked as an intern, and your contribution to the company’s growth in the quality assurance resume. Practical experience will make you a better candidate for this role. Most colleges offer internship programs that you can continue alongside your bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Improve Your Skills

A good quality assurance manager is a keen observer. They pay attention to detail and ensure that the product — at all stages of development — meets the client’s specifications and the best quality standards. In addition to ensuring quality, a manager must have the skills to identify the room for improvement. They need to come up with a strategy that can prevent loss and maximize output. Here are the skills a company looks for in a quality assurance professional:

• Great communication and negotiation skills
• Leadership and teamwork
• Statistical skills
• Problem-solving skills

In addition, they must have technical knowledge of the product development cycle, various stages, and the components of the product.

Get a Certification

Certification won’t only help improve your skills and knowledge in this industry, but it increases your chances of getting a job as a quality assurance analyst or manager. To learn the latest practices and trends in this industry, you need to obtain certification either online or from a university offering advanced quality assurance manager certification programs.

Become an Experienced Quality Assurance Analyst

As a quality assurance professional, you will get a job in the manufacturing industry where you will be responsible for identifying defects in the product at different product development cycles. Your career will most likely start with an entry-level job before you get a manager’s post. 

Create a Resume

Once you have completed your qualifications and the minimum experience, create a quality assurance resume and highlight your skills. You can choose a ready-made template for a manager’s role online or create a resume from scratch. Either way, a resume should be short and well-written. It must show your qualifications, certification, skills, experience, and contact information in clear and concise terms. You should also mention your achievements or specializations.