💡 What the Top 1% of QA Candidates Are Doing Differently (and How You Can Too)

The QA job market is flooded right now.
But amidst all the layoffs, rejections, and ghosted applications, there’s a small group of candidates rising above the noise.

These are the people getting callbacks, landing offers, and building momentum — even when others are stuck refreshing LinkedIn job boards.

What makes them different?

It’s not fancy degrees.
It’s not 15 years of experience.
It’s not even who they know.

It’s how they approach the process.

Let’s break down what the top 1% of QA candidates are doing right now — and how you can apply the same moves, no matter where you’re starting from.

1. They Think Like Builders — Not Applicants

Most job seekers are in “waiting” mode:
→ Apply.
→ Hope.
→ Wait.
→ Repeat.

The top 1% flip the script.
They don’t wait for permission to prove themselves — they build things that prove it automatically.

What this looks like:

• Forking real-world apps and writing robust test suites with Playwright or Appium
• Setting up a GitHub Actions workflow that runs tests on push
• Documenting a test plan and strategy in a polished README
• Creating a mock PR review to show critical thinking

When hiring managers see this, their reaction is:
“I can already imagine this person on our team.”

You don’t need a job to start acting like you already have one.

2. They Don’t Just Learn — They Apply and Publish

It’s easy to say “I’m learning Playwright.”
It’s powerful to show:

“Here’s a repo where I tested a React app with Playwright + GitHub Actions. I used @pytest.mark.parametrize to avoid duplication and added trace logs with Allure.”

The best QA candidates ship learning in public.

That means:

• Creating a small portfolio of repos that demonstrate your skill
• Recording a Loom walkthrough of your approach
• Writing short blog posts like:
  • “5 Bugs I Found Testing an Open-Source App”
  • “How I Automated Mobile Tests with Appium in 3 Days”
  • “Using Claude to Generate and Refine Test Cases: A Real Example”

Don’t just tell people you’re improving — show them how.

3. They Go Deep on Tools That Matter Right Now

The market is shifting. Fast.
And top candidates are keeping pace.

They're not just listing "Selenium" or "Postman" and hoping for the best.
They’re diving into modern stacks like:

✅ Modern Test Automation

• Playwright (Python or TypeScript)
• Appium for Android/iOS
• WebdriverIO for modern JS testing

✅ AI in Testing

• Using Claude 3 or ChatGPT to:
  • Generate test cases from requirements
  • Suggest edge cases
  • Refactor flaky test logic

✅ Test Management & DevOps Awareness

• Zephyr, Allure TestOps, or TestRail for TCM
• GitHub Actions, CircleCI, or Jenkins for CI/CD
• Basic Docker and API mocking awareness

They don’t need to master all of these — but they understand how and why they’re used.

They build small projects around them.
They document what they learn.
And they connect tools to impact, not just checkboxes.

4. They Simulate Real-World QA Thinking

Hiring managers don’t just want executors — they want thinkers.

Top QA candidates demonstrate:

• Test strategy: What to test, and what not to test (and why)
• Edge case sensitivity: “Here’s a flow that might break under concurrency.”
• Risk-based prioritization: “Here’s what I’d test first in a short sprint.”
• Product mindset: “I noticed this app doesn't handle offline gracefully. Here’s a test for that.”

Try this:

Pick a real app — any app.
Write:

• A test strategy (in Notion, Markdown, or Google Docs)
• 10 sample test cases
• 3 edge cases they missed
• 1 accessibility issue
• 1 performance idea

Post it. Share it. Tag the company if you’re feeling bold.

Even if they don’t respond — the next hiring manager will see how you think.

5. They Use AI — But Don’t Let AI Use Them

Let’s get one thing straight:
The best candidates aren’t afraid of AI — they leverage it.

They treat AI like a teammate. Not a crutch.

Examples:

• Paste requirements into Claude 3 and ask for test case ideas
• Use ChatGPT to:
  • Write basic test data generators
  • Refactor a flaky test
  • Write a mock API response handler
• Ask “What are 5 edge cases for a password reset flow?” — then vet and edit the responses

What sets them apart?
They don’t blindly accept answers.
They review, refine, and explain them — just like they would if working on a real team.

6. They Engage With the QA Community

This isn’t just about learning. It’s about visibility.

Top candidates:

• Comment on QA posts
• Ask smart questions
• Share things they’ve learned
• Connect with hiring managers, tech leads, and other testers
• Offer to review portfolios or pair on projects

You don’t have to be “internet famous” — just present.

Most people aren’t showing up.
If you do, you’ll be noticed — and remembered.

🚀 Final Thoughts: It’s Not About Luck — It’s About Leverage

There’s no denying the market is competitive.
But competition doesn’t mean chaos.

The top 1% of QA candidates are doing the work that most others won’t.
They’re not just applying. They’re creating leverage.

They build.
They share.
They connect.
And they make it easy for hiring managers to say “Yes.”

You can start that today — even in small ways:

• Pick one tool to try this week
• Build one small test suite
• Write one short post about what you learned
• Send your resume to a mentor for feedback
• Join one QA community and say hello

This is how you go from between roles… to unstoppable.

🙌 Want feedback on your resume or GitHub?

DM me on LinkedIn. I’m happy to help QA professionals grow, build, and get back in the game.