Beyond the QA Interview - Master Quality Assurance and Build a Solid Career

Build a sustainable, future-proof career in Quality Assurance. Focusing on both broader strategies for building a long-lasting and fruitful career, as well as tactical interview preparation, this book is a comprehensive roadmap to developing the technical, functional, and soft skills that will help you stand out in the job market.
The book takes a two-pronged approach to building your career in quality assurance and testing. It first helps you develop the foundational functional skills that large tech companies look for, and then guides you through step-by-step strategies to ace QA interviews. Combining real-world insights, structured skill-building, and a strategic approach to career growth, this ultimate guide for QA professionals will help you gain expertise in test planning, test automation, AI in testing, metrics, and quality reporting, making you a competitive candidate.
The book begins with an introduction to the QA profession, followed by a clear plan on which skills to develop and how to develop them. It then goes into detail on how to tailor your skills to specific industries and position yourself as a highly relevant expert. The second part of the book delves deeper into the interview process itself, offering crucial tips on how to showcase your competencies and deal with challenges, such as areas where you may have less experience. It also provides valuable advice on what to do after the interview, regardless of whether you got the job or not.
Using practical QA methodologies combined with career guidance and interview strategies, this book offers readers a holistic view, from mastering technical skills to navigating career advancements and succeeding in interviews.
What You Will Learn

• Develop critical abilities like process thinking, structured communication, leadership, and assertiveness
• Learn how to handle both technical and behavioral interview questions with confidence
• Gain deep expertise in test planning, test automation, AI in testing, metrics, and quality reporting
• Master the art of handling setbacks, learning from interview experiences, and position yourself for future success

Who This Book Is For
QA Engineers, Software Testers, Test Automation Engineers, QA Leads and QA Managers

List of contents

Chapter 1: Is QA Dying.- Chapter 2 - The QA Profession.- Chapter 3 - Own Your Career.- Chapter 4 - The 3 pillars of Next Level QA.- Chapter 5 - QA in the Software Development Life Cycle.- Chapter 6 - Master Testing Competencies.- Chapter 7 - Master Process Competencies.- Chapter 8 - Master Measurements Competencies.- Chapter 9 - Master Test Automation Competencies.- Chapter 10 - AI in Testing.- Chapter 11: How to prepare for QA Interview.

About the author

Ahmed El-Deeb is a Quality Assurance Manager at Amazon, leading the QA strategy for Fire TV products. With more than 18 years of experience in software quality and test automation, he has driven quality initiatives at global tech giants like Amazon and Delivery Hero, specializing in automation strategies, test strategies, QA processes, AI-driven testing, and CI/CD pipelines.
Beyond his industry leadership, Ahmed is an active thought leader in software quality engineering. He is a Software Industry Columnist at ACM SIGSOFT’s Software Engineering Notes, where he writes on contemporary Software Industry topics. He has spoken at Ministry of Testing Meetups and Jobstack Technical Workshops.
Ahmed is also a QA mentor at MentorCruise, where he has guided dozens of QA professionals in advancing their careers and mastering software testing principles. His expertise in AI in testing, test automation frameworks, and scalable QA solutions makes him a recognized authority in the field.

Summary

Build a sustainable, future-proof career in Quality Assurance. Focusing on both broader strategies for building a long-lasting and fruitful career, as well as tactical interview preparation, this book is a comprehensive roadmap to developing the technical, functional, and soft skills that will help you stand out in the job market.
The book takes a two-pronged approach to building your career in quality assurance and testing. It first helps you develop the foundational functional skills that large tech companies look for, and then guides you through step-by-step strategies to ace QA interviews. Combining real-world insights, structured skill-building, and a strategic approach to career growth, this ultimate guide for QA professionals will help you gain expertise in test planning, test automation, AI in testing, metrics, and quality reporting, making you a competitive candidate.
The book begins with an introduction to the QA profession, followed by a clear plan on which skills to develop and how to develop them. It then goes into detail on how to tailor your skills to specific industries and position yourself as a highly relevant expert. The second part of the book delves deeper into the interview process itself, offering crucial tips on how to showcase your competencies and deal with challenges, such as areas where you may have less experience. It also provides valuable advice on what to do after the interview, regardless of whether you got the job or not.
Using practical QA methodologies combined with career guidance and interview strategies, this book offers readers a holistic view, from mastering technical skills to navigating career advancements and succeeding in interviews.
What You Will Learn

• Develop critical abilities like process thinking, structured communication, leadership, and assertiveness
• Learn how to handle both technical and behavioral interview questions with confidence
• Gain deep expertise in test planning, test automation, AI in testing, metrics, and quality reporting
• Master the art of handling setbacks, learning from interview experiences, and position yourself for future success

Who This Book Is For
QA Engineers, Software Testers, Test Automation Engineers, QA Leads and QA Managers

Product details

• Authors: Ahmed El-Deeb
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 24.03.2026
• EAN: 9798868821653
• ISBN: 9798868821653
• No. of pages: 300
• Illustrations: Approx. 300 p.
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > IT, data processing > IT; Open-Source und sonstige Betriebssysteme, Informationstechnik (IT), allgemeine Themen, Open Source, Software Testing, The Computing Profession, Software Testing Best Practices, QA Interview Preparation, Quality Assurance Career Growth, Test Automation Career