Writing a QA or software tester CV is a lot like writing any other CV, but there are some particular things you want to include to ensure that your details get the attention of the right person.

Things to do:

1. Stick to the general rules of preparing a good CV- nice layout, careful proofreading, good length. Check out these tips on CV writing in Ireland if you’re not sure how to format your CV.
2. Clearly articulate what the product you were testing was, what technologies it used, and what industry or sector it fits in. For some positions previous experience in the industry or with the key technologies is the deciding factor.
3. Clearly label any types of testing you were doing. Don’t go overboard with the buzzwords, but connect the dots to any keywords HR people will be seeing on the spec. Look at target job descriptions to be sure you’re using the same terminology as the people looking for you (for example, test cases, automated testing, etc.)
4. Explain exactly what you were doing- don’t just regurgitate your job description. Specifics add credibility and make you memorable, so don’t just say what you were doing, explain with who, for how many, using what system, etc. Just keep it to 2 sentences/3 lines per bullet point. (How many bullet points? 6-10 for long term positions, 3-4 for short term projects. If you’ve been in the same role for ages, try to break it into 2-3 subsections (with 6-8 points each) for readability).
5. Make sure to articulate what was different about this role from any other role. Lots of last minute testing for frequent web releases? Extreme load testing requirements?

Some things not to do:

1. Don’t have such a glut of detail or buzzwords that a normal person (who doesn’t work in your field) can’t understand what you do. Keep in mind that your CV likely has to be OKed by a non-technical person before it gets to the line manager.
2. Don’t be vague. At the moment in Dublin, there is a slight surplus of QA people in general, but certain specializations are much harder to find (someone with a lot of automated testing experience, or a background in Mac testing, for example). The upshot of this is if you don’t explicitly state a particular skill it will likely be assumed you don’t have it.
3. Don’t use paragraphs- use bullets for easy readability.
4. Don’t be careless- mistakes never look good on a CV, but they’re pretty well a dealbreaker if you’re looking for work in QA.

Examples to follow.