Manual tester CV example

What contact details should I include in my manual tester CV

Before tackling the lengthier sections, you must add your most current contact details at the top of your manual tester CV, ideally in a slightly larger and bolder font to make them stand out. Why is this essential? Employers can’t invite you to the interview stage if you’re a nameless and informationless candidate! Remember to include:

• Full name
• Location
• Phone number – the best one to reach you on
• Email address – keep it work appropriate

Example of contact section for a manual tester CV

Start your manual tester CV with a personal statement

Recruiters receive hundreds of CVs, especially for manual testing because it’s highly competitive. So, how do you cement yourself as the best candidate? The secret is a persuasive personal statement summarising your most desirable qualities and accomplishments. However, there’s a catch – you only have three to four short sentences to get your point across.

Luckily, we have a handy formula to help. Open by explaining who you are, including your career focus and years of experience. Next, drop in a statistic that differentiates you as an expert in your field. For instance, you might have “implemented a brand-new testing strategy that boosted productivity by 93%”. Lastly, reiterate your unique capabilities and specialisms, such as “knowledge of financial software”.

Above all else, don’t go over the word count. We know you want to wow the hiring manager, but waffle isn’t the way forward! Here are some extra tips to inform the writing process:

• Use the third person to sound more professional
• Include plenty of positive adjectives to uplift the tone, like “passionate”, “dedicated”, and “confident”
• Keep the information relevant to the job advertisement
• Don’t lie or embellish – employers can sniff out inauthenticity
• Provide evidence of skills and experience using numbers

Example of personal statement for a manual tester CV

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How to present your work history on a manual tester CV

Employers love to sink their teeth into the work history section because there are so many delicious titbits on offer, from how long a candidate typically stays with an organisation to whether they’ve received any promotions or workplace awards. On top of this, it’s a chance to underscore your key strengths and explain all the fantastic things you can bring to the table.

Generally, you should include between three to six responsibilities underneath each role – more for newer or relevant positions. Other information includes:

• Job title
• Employment start and end dates
• Company name
• Company location
• Brief list of duties
• Career achievements

Like the personal statement, it’s paramount to play your best hand. As such, qualify as many responsibilities as possible with a tangible result or example. Let’s say you “completed various types of test” – can you be more specific and mention the outcomes? If you “investigated technical issues”, how many did you successfully solve? The more details you can provide, the better. Otherwise, it’s all hot air!

Next, avoid too much repetition. If you’ve discussed “troubleshooting software” underneath one job, talk about “test script creation” in another. Covering different responsibilities shows the employer the breadth of your capabilities. Multitalented candidates are worth their weight in gold.

There’s nothing worse than a robotic manual tester CV that put the hiring manager to sleep. To combat drowsiness, keep the tone upbeat with positive adjectives and action verbs. The latter are especially engaging and convey confidence – some of our favourites include “programmed”, “engineered”, and “proposed”.

Example of work experience for a manual tester CV

Top skills for your manual tester CV

While you should pepper every section with your top talents, it’s helpful to have a dedicated area for your best CV skills. Here, you summarise your most sought-after qualities to reassure the employer that you’re the right person for the job. We suggest listing around 12 skills in total, split equally between hard skills and soft skills.

So, what’s the difference? Hard skills are often learnt on the job or via formal training, and they’re specific to manual testing – think “defect creation”, “reporting bugs”, and “analysing system specifications”. In contrast, soft skills are transferable or character-based – you might be “goal-oriented”, “adaptable”, and “quick-thinking”.

You can’t include one without the other because hiring managers prefer well-rounded candidates with the right knowledge and personality. Need some more inspiration? Read through the following lists:

How to add education to your manual tester CV

Education can cinch you the top spot if you’re battling against other outstanding candidates. It’s the foundation for your career history, opening up another world of exciting opportunities. You can discuss extracurricular courses and certificates alongside school, college, and university qualifications.

What does it take to become a manual tester? Most analysts complete a degree in Software Engineering. However, you could swap this for a qualification in your chosen field, such as “Finance” or “Computer Science”. As you’ll require a goldmine of information to get your foot in the door, we suggest combining your studies with an internship. Search for entry-level testing positions or placements to bolster your chances.

Some businesses also require candidates to have at least one Software Quality Assurance Certification. Some of the most popular options include the “Certified Test Engineer (CSTE)”, “Certified Software Quality Analyst (CSQA)”, and “Certified Associate in Software Testing (CAST)”. Read the job advertisement carefully to see whether you’ll need additional training.

When summarising your qualifications, include:

• Name of school, college, university, or other awarding body
• Study start and end dates
• Subject title
• Qualification level – such as Bachelor’s degree or A level
• Qualification result

Example of education for a manual tester CV