Lecture on QA Automation Engineering - Key Points and Interview Preparation

Introduction to Lecturer

Speaker: Sergio Kromchenko, founder of Codemify Boot Camp
Experience: Over 9 years in teaching and practicing QA
Agenda: Share three pieces of news and dive into 30 interview questions for junior QA automation engineers

Student Interviews: Interview with two ex-students now working as QA automation engineers.
Student Job Offer: One student received an offer of $65/hour without completing the course (exceptional case).
Upcoming Webinar: Free webinar in 3 days (link below the video).

Attendees: Sergio, Lucas (in Brazil), and Anastasia (in Texas, originally from Ukraine).
Weekend Activities: Casual Monday-morning-style chat to illustrate that QA engineers have lives outside work.

Prepare to share your background and experiences related to QA automation.
Emphasize practical, hands-on experience with projects, even if not professional (internships, personal projects, etc.).

Tell me about yourself, but specific to QA automation.
- Focus on your transition into QA, any related technical skills, and your specific duties and tools used in current/past roles.
What is QA automation and why is it important?
- Automation helps in efficiently testing software ensuring coverage and reducing manual labor.
Difference between manual testing and automation testing.
- Manual is performed by humans; automation uses scripts to execute tasks.
Choosing Test Cases to Automate.
- Prioritize critical paths, repetitive tasks, and scenarios that take a long time manually.
Tasks that cannot/should not be automated.
- Highly dynamic interfaces, complex integrations, UI subject to frequent changes, tasks that are easy manual tests but hard to automate.
Handling Flaky Tests.
- Implement stable waits, ensure unique selectors, log failures, rerun failed tests, and debug issues in isolation.
Handling Timeouts in Tests.
- Set global/test-specific timeouts, strategically place waits, and ensure elements are interactable to avoid premature actions.
Using Page Object Model.
- Separates selectors and actions into reusable templates making maintenance and readability easier.
Debugging Failed Tests.
- Use debugging tools in Playwright, log errors, console logging, and trace features to inspect step-by-step execution.
Parallel Test Execution in Playwright.

Configure workers and parallel execution settings in Playwright for faster test run and efficiency.

Do not over-rely directly on code snippets; understand the logic and adapt to context-specific scenarios.
Apply to numerous positions to gain interview practice and understand market expectations.
Early and consistent study, leveraging community knowledge (forums, documentation, peer group discussions).

Start early with pre-educational material if available.
Gain practical experience through any available avenues (internships, volunteering on projects, etc.).
Practice JavaScript extensively, as it is highly relevant in QA automation.
Observe and learn from other successful QA engineers' paths and challenges.

Encouraged to stay engaged with courses and apply persistently for job opportunities.
For further clarity or personal guidance, connect via Codemify's contact options.
End note emphasizing continuous learning and staying updated with QA industry trends.