How to prepare for a QA interview as a candidate

Welcome to another article in our series on hiring and interviewing. First, I talked about QA job descriptions and CVs and then I shared guidance on how to design a QA interview process and how to shorten the QA interview process.

This article focuses on the other side — the candidates. I see variations of the question “how can I prepare for a QA interview?” in forums and communities all the time. Landing an interview is exciting, but that excitement can quickly turn into anxiety about screwing up in the interview process. 

Interviews are designed to verify your proficiency in performing a specific job, so when you get rejected, it hurts. Anticipating that rejection can also make preparing for the interview that much more stressful.

I aim to provide a solution that has proven effective for many of my mentees and I believe leads to good results.

Preparing for a QA interview starts with where you apply

In the past, I was interviewed and hired for a Director of Quality Assurance position in a company which was working with tender contracts. I was happy, believing that I could provide a positive impact on the quality of projects the company was working on. My excitement about earning the position clouded my concerns about the company operating in fixed-time/fixed-scope contracts — leaving little chance of the company putting a heavy focus on quality. 

It took me two months to see that the concern was valid: the company only cared for signing more contracts and delivering something which barely worked so that they could sign bigger “support & maintenance” contracts later. I couldn’t cope with it, and had to quit.

Reflecting on this, I realize I was thinking more about doing well in the interview and landing the job rather than how the company matched what I was really looking for. Three months of my life were wasted.

The usual approach people take — applying to as many companies as possible — means that the most important information might be overlooked, leading to wasted time and effort in the application and interview process. 

I believe that in order for the interview prep to make sense, you first need to find out more about the company, its mission and culture, and the product you will help build. 

Start your interview prep by reducing information asymmetry

Before the interview, both the interviewer and you as the candidate have asymmetry of information: you lack information about the job and the interviewer lacks information about your skills. 

Companies design interviews to reduce the information asymmetry they have about the candidate's abilities. As the candidate, you can prepare for the interview by reducing information asymmetry on your side as well so you have a better understanding of what the company needs and how the role will function. 

Research the product and company

First, check if you like the product you're going to help build and if you can be proud of it. If possible, install it and try using it. If you genuinely like the product, there's a higher chance you'll stay with the company.

Next, check if the company's mission statement resonates with you and feels authentic. For example, Google once had a "Don't be evil" motto and many engineers felt that producing army drones didn't align with this motto, creating discontent on the team. If you believe the company's mission aligns with your values, there's a higher chance you'll be motivated to stay with the company longer and contribute more.

Talk to current employees

It's quite challenging to assess anything about the company and the job from the outside. Seek out current employees on Linkedin to see if you know anyone who works there or share a mutual connection. If you have a connection in common, ask your direct connection if they’d be willing to introduce you. People are more likely to be open to a chat if you’re connected to someone else they know.

If you don’t have any mutual connections, look for someone working in a similar position to the one you’re applying for. Don’t be afraid to message current employees and ask them about company culture, role expectations, etc. Some companies may even be willing to connect you with an employee who has no bearing on hiring decisions so you can have a more casual conversation with a peer. Even if the company doesn’t advertise this as an option, it’s worth asking during the interview process. Plus, it shows you are interested in the whole picture, not just the role you’re interviewing for. 

From the information asymmetry perspective, the main goal in personal communication is to better understand what the job you're looking at entails, what skills it requires, and what it’s like to work for the company. 

Be ready to show your work and skills

Before coming to the interview, it makes sense to improve your chances of passing it.

Know how to express your interest in the company

Recruiters often ask the question “why do you want to work for this company?” and you might hear this question from various hiring managers throughout the interview process. Don’t wait until you’re on the spot to craft your answers. 

For the recruiter, keep it high-level and to the point. Recruiters are not likely to be super familiar with the details of the job beyond the job description, so they’ll be most interested in what you like about the company and product (without getting too technical). 

For the others on your hiring panel, go a bit deeper. Leadership will be interested in your long-term potential — what you like about the company’s mission, the product’s roadmap, and potential for expansion. If you’re talking to other QA engineers, managers, and developers, they’re more likely to look for answers that are specific to the product. What is it about working on this particular product (or set of products) that excites you and why?

Use your answers to express both what intrigues you about the company and product and also how you think your experience and knowledge matches what the job role entails. 

If you happen to know anyone from the company, it’s good to mention them and explain how your interactions with these people have helped you understand the company, its values, and its products. 

Analyze the job description and interview process

Start with a thorough analysis of the job description, any available documentation on the company’s QA processes, and insights you might have gathered from talking to current employees. Identify the core responsibilities and technologies involved in the role. This understanding will help you tailor your preparation to the specifics of the job, making your efforts more directed and effective. If a position requires writing e2e tests with Playwright, take their product and write a few e2e tests; make sure you’re comfortable doing exactly what the job description says.

If you see you have gaps in your knowledge or skills, close them. Resources like https://roadmap.sh/qa might be of help here. 

If possible, gather information about the interview process. You can often ask the recruiter to share a general outline of the process including the number of interviews, who each interview would be with, and information about skills assessments. 

Many companies have a technical interview component for QA roles, which could include live coding exercises, reviewing code, or discussing how you would approach testing in specific scenarios. Knowing the format in advance allows you to prepare more effectively, whether that means brushing up on your coding skills, practicing whiteboard exercises, or preparing to discuss your approach to problem-solving in real-time.

If you find out that the company practices algorithm interview questions, for instance, use https://leetcode.com/ to practice your skills. Alternatively, you can get a mentor who will help you prepare for leetcode interviews on resources like https://www.codementor.io/leetcode-experts.

There are also multiple resources available with lists of common QA questions, particularly in forums like QA and testing subreddits. Chances are some of these questions will be at the interview too.

Show off your work

QA interviews will cover both general knowledge questions and specific knowledge questions, depending on how far into the process you are, with questions getting more specific as you progress. 

Start by prepping for common QA interview questions and topics such as:

1. What is the difference between Quality Assurance and Quality Control?
2. What is the software testing life cycle?
3. What is a Test Plan and a Test Strategy, and how are they different?
4. What are some different kinds of testing?
5. What are the pros and cons of manual and automatic testing?

The more detailed questions will be tailored to the specifics of the position, so this is where you use your research from analyzing the job description and company. Discuss how you've practiced relevant skills or technologies, perhaps even mentioning how you've simulated aspects of the role in your own time. This not only shows your dedication but also your proactive approach to fitting into the role seamlessly. 

Casually add information you've learned through your research when answering questions. For example, "Based on my understanding of your current projects from your tech blog, I believe my experience with configuring CI for Playwright could add value". 

Be sure to bring up specific challenges you've encountered in similar roles and how you overcame them. This helps to illustrate your problem-solving skills and your ability to apply your knowledge in practical situations.

For instance, if the company you're applying to uses sprints for development and does not practice shift-left principles in development and testing, and you have experience with introducing practices like requirements testing, you could inquire about the number of tasks or stories that are returned from testing to development due to misunderstood requirements. Then, you can explain how you have implemented requirements testing in the past.

If you are dealing with an interview panel and everyone seems unsure of how to get started or who should run the interview, you have an opportunity to make a bold move  — ask if you can lead the interview. This is a show of confidence that allows you to showcase your thorough preparation and deep understanding of the role. While not all interviewers will be open to this approach, it's worth proposing if the opportunity arises.

Here’s how you can do it: early in the interview, respectfully ask if you can outline how you understand the role and its responsibilities. Clarify that your intention is to demonstrate how your skills and experiences align with the job’s requirements. If the interviewers agree, walk them through how you would approach each duty listed in the job description, outlining insights you've gathered from their current employees or public-facing information. This demonstrates not just your understanding of the role but also your initiative in going beyond the job description.

You can’t prepare for everything, but preparation will reduce your anxiety

While there is no perfect way to prepare for an interview, using these best practices for preparing for QA interviews will help you build the confidence you need to have a successful interview. 

You can keep an eye out for future installments of our QA hiring and interviewing series or read previous articles here.