Your title says a lot about the expectations for your job application. You assure quality, therefore, your quality assurance resume must be of the highest quality. Every detail counts in your job, so you need to show your high standards from the start.
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To ensure a positive outcome in your job hunt, you need to use the same skills you apply to inspecting new products and processes. You have made many judgments in your career and now your future employer will make judgments about you.
To ensure that you show off your very best, you may consider using professional job-hunting tools such as the resume examples and resume guides at Resume.io, where you will also find an online resume builder.
This resume guide, along with the corresponding quality assurance resume example will cover the following topics:
- What does a quality assurance professional do?
- How to write a quality assurance resume (tips and tricks)
- The best format for a quality assurance resume
- Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education, skills)
- Professional resume layout and design hints.
A quality assurance professions by any other name …
Not all companies give quality assurance professionals the same title. When looking for a new position in the production field, you may also want to search for the follow job titles:
- Quality Assurance Associate
- Quality Assurance (QA) Technician
- QA Specialist
- QMS/QA Specialist
- QA Internal Auditor
- QA Compliance Manager
- Quality Systems Coordinator*
*Source: GetReskilled
What does a quality assurance professional do?
Quality assurance professionals have tremendous responsibility when it comes to the safety and functionality of their projects. They are not the same as quality control inspectors, whose job it is to check finished products to ensure they are good enough for market.
Increasing automation and technological advances have led to a steep decline in quality control positions, but quality assurance professionals may be in high demand, depending upon the niche in which you work. Industries such as software engineering, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, medical devices, health care, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and chemical development all use quality assurance professionals.
A Changing Market
Disruptive technologies that can monitor and track production are changing the job of quality assurance professionals. Companies use radio frequency identification, or RFID, tracking to monitor where products are in the manufacturing process and blockchain ledgers to investigate how or why bad products have entered the market.
This does not mean you will soon be out of work. Instead, your future employer will look for higher level attributes that will make you a more valuable member of the team.
Expertise in a specific industry, project management, data analysis and the ability to understand people and how they use products will stand you in good stead in the future, according to Northeastern University Graduate School.
How to write a quality assurance resume
You know the devil is in the details. That’s why, before you even start thinking about your quality assurance resume, you need to know what should go into it. Your CV should contain the following elements:
- The resume header
- The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The resume skills section
- The education section
You will appreciate the structured approach to resumes as you are detail-oriented and process-driven. Each element above should maintain a consistent tone that falls in line with the culture of the company to which you are applying and the nature of your role. That means personalizing each application. Your resume should also reflect your attention to detail and the streamlined processes you develop.
You can achieve that by:
- Keeping your future employer’s needs in mind and write as if you are communicating with that company
- Make a winning first impression with a clean, professional design and template that represents your style visually
- Optimize your resume with keywords and phrases that will help you overcome the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) hurdle.
A great reason to get personal
There’s another reason you should personalize your resume and it’s the least personal reason imaginable: algorithms. Applicant Tracking Systems use algorithms to rank your resume against other candidates, so no matter how great your prose is, if you don’t get past this software, you won’t be seen by a hiring manager.
There are hundreds of different ATS programs and each company may use a different one, so there’s no definitive guide to beating them, but if you take these steps, you will greatly improve your chances of being seen by a recruiter.
- Analyze the job listing and compare it to your resume.
- Make sure you use the exact wording that you find in the listing
- Add any skills you have that are mentioned
- Use standard section headings.
Don’t leave any relevant information for your cover letter (see our templates and examples here). The ATS may not scan it at all. Instead, use your cover letter to complement your resume and add more personality to your candidacy.
Choosing the best resume format for quality assurance
The tried-and-true reverse chronological order resume is most likely to be your best bet format. Why? Because it works and because it makes it easy for recruiters to find the information they seek within your quality assurance resume.
If you are in a technology or specialty field and need to highlight niche or complex skills, you may want to use functional resume format instead. Within this format, you can expand your skills section to show off your expertise and contract your employment history to a simple listing of employers or contract engagements.
Other life situations that call for different resume types are gaps in work history, first-time entry into the job market or career changing. Check out our alternate formats for more information on how to write resumes in those circumstances.
Resume summary example
What is a resume summary? Don’t get hung up on the word summary. If it helps you to imagine this section better, think of it (or even call it) a profile. While the rest of your quality assurance resume is concisely written, here you have about five sentences to delve into your personal work philosophy and explain exactly why you are the right person for the job.
Essentially, you are answering the following question the hiring manager has: How will you alleviate my pain point? Hiring managers have a position to fill for a reason and they crafted the job description to find the person to solve their problem. Make sure you tell them how you will do that in your summary. Don’t be shy! Include complimentary words to describe your personality and work style as well as your quality assurance abilities.
Since this may be the toughest section to compile, check out some of our related resume samples for more guidance. We offer a production worker resume sample, manufacturing technician resume example, material handler resume sample, machine operator resume example and operations manager resume sample among others.
See the quality assurance resume example text below to get you started.
Experienced and reliable Quality Assurance professional with over ten years of experience working in companies to ensure the highest quality outcomes possible. Adept in providing suggestions and solutions to improve and enhance productivity. Bringing forth a seasoned history of helping companies to achieve success and improve efficiency.
Employment history sample
Your employment history section is where reverse chronological order comes into play on your quality assurance CV. Start with your most recent job and work your way back no farther than 10 years. Think through all the responsibilities you’ve had as a starting point. Then, try to show how you solved problems and improved processes through those responsibilities.
There’s no need to write in complete sentences on a CV. Start out with a strong verb that describes an action you took and how it solved a problem. Include hard data, if you have it, or details that show your results. The more specific you can be, the better your resume is.
Reduced production time by 15 seconds, leading to 10% increased products to market and error rate to .001% from .005%, realizing a 5% cost savings.
Cut production time and error rate.
The resume sample text below gives you an idea of an employment history.
Quality Assurance Administrator, Rejuvenate Products, Miami
August 2012 - September 2019
- Inspected material prior to production to ensure authenticity and quality.
- Performed tests on all devices prior to and during production.
- Monitored and tested equipment prior to recording data.
- Reported any issues to senior management immediately.
- Made suggestions to enhance the safety and efficiency of products.
- Removed products and materials that failed to meet established guidelines.
Quality Assurance Analyst, First Line Manufacturing, Fort Lauderdale
May 2008 - July 2012
- Studied blueprints and operations prior to performing inspections.
- Used a combination of handheld and electronic inspection equipment.
- Recorded inspection results and prepared detailed reports.
- Offered suggestions to enhance the safety and overall quality of products.
- Worked with senior executives to develop problem-solving strategies.
Resume skills example
Why do you need a skills section? After all, these attributes appear in your summary and work history sections. You need this section of your quality assurance resume because it allows hiring managers to quickly decide whether you’re a great candidate without drilling further down into your document.
Within this vital component of your resume, you should list your top 5-7 skills, tailored to each individual job. Above, we mentioned that you need to be excellent at understanding people, and that is true. Make sure you list those soft skills as well as the technical skills you have developed throughout your career.
The importance of soft skills
The quality assurance software company InfinityQA lists several important technical and data analysis skills, but also says the following attributes are necessary in quality assurance personnel:
- Problem-solving
- Positive communication with other departments and suppliers
- Leadership
- Willingness to learn new skills
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Sound judgment and decision-making
See the quality assurance professional resume example content below.
- Detail Oriented
- Teamwork Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Problem Solving Skills
Quality assurance resume education example
The education section of a quality assurance resume sample shows off your academic successes. You probably have a bachelor’s degree and maybe even an advanced degree. List those here. (No need to include your high school diploma if you have a master’s degree.)
You may also choose to list any professional certificates you have earned or classes you have taken that are relevant to your career.
If you have more than one or two professional affiliations, awards or publications and you have the space, consider adding a section to include those.
See resume example content for formatting this section below.
Bachelor of Communications, University of Miami, Miami
September 2004 - May 2008
High School Diploma, St. Anne's Preparatory School, Jacksonville
September 2000 - May 2004
Resume layout and design
Presentation may not be everything, but it sure is a lot. You’re a detail-oriented person so make sure your attention to detail extends to your design and layout. Make your design stand out without getting flashy. Your goal is to keep it clean and organized, just like your work process. Check out our resume samples for ideas.
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Go easy on your reader’s eyes by leaving plenty of white space.
- Stay away from gimmicks and flash -- you want hiring managers to read the content, not be distracted by the layout.
- Resist the temptation to narrow the margins or lower the type size to fit in more of your amazing accomplishments. If it’s too hard to read, your carefully crafted bullet items won’t matter.
- Proofread, or use an online resume-builder (like ours) that includes spellcheck.
Consider using one of our expertly-designed resume templates to save time and the hassle of formatting your document.
Quality Assurance text-only resume example
Profile
Experienced and reliable Quality Assurance professional with over ten years of experience working in companies to ensure the highest quality outcomes possible. Adept in providing suggestions and solutions to improve and enhance productivity. Bringing forth a seasoned history of helping companies to achieve success and improve efficiency.
Employment history
Quality Assurance Administrator, Rejuvenate Products, Miami
August 2012 - September 2019
- Inspected material prior to production to ensure authenticity and quality.
- Performed tests on all devices prior to and during production.
- Monitored and tested equipment prior to recording data.
- Reported any issues to senior management immediately.
- Made suggestions to enhance the safety and efficiency of products.
- Removed products and materials that failed to meet established guidelines.
Quality Assurance Analyst, First Line Manufacturing, Fort Lauderdale
May 2008 - July 2012
- Studied blueprints and operations prior to performing inspections.
- Used a combination of handheld and electronic inspection equipment.
- Recorded inspection results and prepared detailed reports.
- Offered suggestions to enhance the safety and overall quality of products.
- Worked with senior executives to develop problem-solving strategies.
Skills
- Detail Oriented
- Teamwork Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Problem Solving Skills
Education
Bachelor of Communications, University of Miami, Miami
September 2004 - May 2008
High School Diploma, St. Anne's Preparatory School, Jacksonville
September 2000 - May 2004
Key takeaways for a quality assurance resume
- Depending on the niche, quality assurance professionals have some good opportunities, if they can show higher-level skills.
- Understanding people is as important as your highly developed technical and data analysis talent.
- Take the time to focus your resume sample for each prospective employer.
- Make sure your detail orientation shines through in your layout and design.
- Using the online resume maker as a way to make your life easier and the job application process - faster!
