What is a Quality Assurance Specialist—and How Do I Become One?

Quality is a measurement of how well a company’s output aligns with its own standards and preferences, as well as regulatory conditions. Behind every company that meets high-level quality standards, there are talented experts working in quality assurance jobs to make it all possible.

In this blog, we will explore what a quality assurance specialist is and how you can pursue this essential career path.

What is a Quality Assurance Specialist?

A quality assurance specialist (QA specialist) is a dedicated professional who focuses on maintaining certain levels of quality for various aspects of a business. Since quality is a key concern for every company, these detail-oriented experts can work in virtually any industry. As a quality assurance specialist, you will help to ensure that your company is in alignment with its own quality standards, as well as any regulatory standards that may be in place. 

What Do Quality Assurance Jobs Entail?

Quality assurance jobs will vary depending on where you work. However, the goal will always remain the same—supporting and maintaining good quality.

Quality assurance specialists focus on specific quality measurements as outlined by the company or regulatory oversight partners. Your work will often focus on various aspects of quality that can influence the customer experience, as well as the quality of the products or services that the company offers.

The daily work of a QA specialist will include auditing and testing. Audits are a randomised sampling of specific aspects of work, while testing focuses on trying new features or systems. From listening to customer service calls to testing new software upgrades, quality assurance specialists make sure that companies maintain their required standard of quality.

In the event that the quality is not in alignment with a company’s standards, these experts may also propose strategies to meet or improve quality standards to support company goals.

How to Become a Quality Assurance Specialist

The path to becoming a QA specialist can vary depending on the industry that you plan to work for and your professional experience with it. If you are a seasoned expert in a certain industry such as life sciences, you may qualify for a role in that field based on your existing work history. However, in many cases, quality assurance jobs require you to have a bachelor’s degree in business, technology, or a field that is related to the aspect of the business that you will be reviewing.

Depending on the nature of the quality assurance jobs you apply for, it is possible that the company may require a combination of work experience and higher education or even a graduate-level degree relating to the field. Of course, being seasoned in a field can empower you to be successful as a QA specialist as well, so be sure to review the specific requirements of the quality assurance jobs you hope to pursue.

Find the Best Quality Assurance Jobs with Quanta!

Quality assurance specialists help to improve the life sciences industry dramatically, and they can come from a wide range of backgrounds and skill sets. If you are looking to pursue quality assurance jobs in life sciences, our team at Quanta is here to help you get started!

To learn more about how we can help you find fulfilling quality assurance jobs, contact us today!