Careerist Review: How I Became a Manual QA Tester

I wrote this Careerist review to share my experience studying online for the first time. I previously worked as a teacher and had only basic tech skills. I have now been working for two months at a medium-sized American tech company as a Junior QA Tester. My salary is the market average, but it might grow in four months if I keep performing well. Let me tell you how I studied and searched for a job in tech!  

Choosing the Platform and Course

First, a friend sent me a referral link to Careerist.

Here is how their referral program looks.

Before joining this platform, I compared it to others. Here are some points that led me to choose Careerist:

• My friend's recommendation
• Good feedback from other students on Career Karma, Sitejabber and Switchup
• Reasonable prices and personalized payment plans
• The 100 percent money-back guarantee (if you fail to get a job within one year of graduation)
• The ability to study remotely without quitting my job as a teacher
• 1:1 mentorship
• Included career coaching

Careerist's Manual QA course is the largest in the US. It employs over 300 professionals.

I chose Manual QA because the profession does not require coding skills, and the demand for testers is high. After working as a tester, it should be easy to switch to other occupations in tech.

The platform also offers QA Automation and QA Bundle programs. One day I might go back to study QA Automation. I got a taste of it in the Advanced Testing Skills module. The more testing methods I know, the better my employment opportunities.

Apart from QA testing, this boot camp has four other programs available:

• UX/UI Design (the newest course)
• Sales Engineering (resembles Sales Management)
• Systems Engineering (similar to Software Development)
• Data Analytics

In my Careerist review, I will only cover the Manual QA course. My program lasted 15 weeks, and I spent an average of seven hours per week studying.

Beginning the Program

After I provided my contact details on the course page, a manager quickly got back to me. She answered my questions and offered a personalized payment plan. The tuition would have been $5,600 if I paid upfront, but I split it into payments. I ended up paying $6,400 in total. It was not cheap, but the salary range for graduates is $69,000 to $105,000. I knew my investment would pay for itself soon.

I had to wait two weeks for the beginning of the course, so I read the curriculum on the program's page ahead of time. I learned that the course consisted of eight modules:

1. Software QA Fundamentals
2. Web Testing
3. Mobile Testing
4. Server Communications and Test Environments
5. Test Cases and Bug Reports
6. Preparing for the Job Market
7. Advanced Testing Skills
8. Final Lesson—Q&A Session

The number of lessons in each module varied from one to four. Most modules had two lessons.

Let me be honest in my Careerist QA review. Initially, I thought I would struggle with the methods used for learning. But the Careerist team understands the tastes and habits of its target audience very well.

Careerist created comprehensive tips for people who have never used Zoom and other similar tools.

After the first lesson, I felt confident and inspired. The teacher explained what to expect from my future occupation, and I was excited about the possibilities.

Learning Process

I had two options: participating in interactive classes or watching pre-recorded lectures. I attended interactive classes as frequently as I could. However, the lectures sometimes conflicted with my work at school, and I often had to watch pre-recorded videos. I actually enjoyed both formats. When I had questions about the contents of the pre-recorded lectures, the mentor explained things to me privately.

To my surprise, QA testing turned out to be pretty simple. I would rate its difficulty level as 3.5 out of 5. The program contents were very well structured, which definitely made the course feel more manageable. The pace of instruction was neither too fast nor too slow.

In the modules devoted to technical skills, I especially enjoyed three lessons:

• Overview of the Main Testing Types and Software Bug Classifications
• Testing Web Applications
• Testing Mobile Applications and Writing Test Cases

I would like to share more screenshots in my Careerist review. When studying online, self-discipline is vital. The program dashboard allows you to track your progress.

Your achievements are visualized nicely on the Careerist platform.

To confirm that you have specific skills, the platform issues certificates. You unlock them one by one and can download them.

I loved this gamified approach.

Once you complete the initial training, your internship begins. This part of the program is important because employers want specialists with experience. If you lack real-world experience, you should have a portfolio of completed projects.

You may see more information in the Career Coaching tab when you complete the internship stage.

I learned not only how to test websites and apps but also how to interact with employers. To land the best jobs in tech, it is essential to:

1. Compose a compelling resume.
2. Create a convincing LinkedIn profile.
3. Know how to pass the interview with the HR Manager.

The interview rehearsal was a game-changer for me. The mock-up HR Manager tested my knowledge, but he did it differently than I expected. I struggled to gather my thoughts! The mock interview allowed me to make a list of my mistakes and recommendations to correct them. This preparation helped me to shine in my real-life interviews.

The coaches also shared advice for moving to higher positions in the future. I appreciated it! I know how to negotiate a salary increase in the future. I understand when and how I should try to upgrade to a mid-level and then a senior position.

In this part of the program, two lessons stood out for me:

• Interview Questions and Answers
• The Job Market and Salary Negotiations

Every bit of information was useful. The program did not include abstract theory, only down-to-earth facts and figures.

Here is a screenshot from the Career Coaching section.

My Careerist review would be incomplete without mentioning a few drawbacks:

• I would like more practical assignments.
• I could never get enough of the 1:1 mentorship. I wish my mentor could spend more time with me.
• I wanted more career coaching. In particular, more interview rehearsals.

However, fulfilling my wishes would undoubtedly raise the price and length of the program. All things considered, I was satisfied with my experience.

Job Hunting

In the last passage of my Careerist review, I would like to tell you about the Job Application Service (JAS). Only Careerist graduates have access to it. JAS automates your job search and saves you from manually checking hundreds of openings. Instead, you tell JAS about yourself, and it suggests openings to you. It is very convenient!

This service deftly matches employers with employees. It only recommends the openings that fit your skills, expertise, and expectations. It was crucial for me because I kept working as a teacher after graduation, and JAS saved me so much time!

The interface of JAS is intuitive.

The main shortcoming of JAS is that it cannot pass the interview and complete test tasks instead of you!

It took me seven weeks to find my current job. I did not use any tools except JAS. I feel happy and grateful! I have many new things to learn at work and need to be flexible. My teachers warned me about that. My colleagues and managers say I have good basic skills that will serve as a strong foundation for my professional growth.

To sum up my Careerist review, I recommend this platform to anyone who wants to start a career in tech. As far as I can judge, the programs provide you with all the knowledge necessary for a confident start. The instructors are genuinely helpful and good at staying positive. They are always ready to provide information and emotional support to their students. Careerist programs are perfect for individuals with zero tech expertise who want to change their lives and join this promising industry.