Quality Assurance

How do you get hired as a QA Tester?

By Jonathan Hunter — Lead of Talent Acquisition, AAA video games. Nearly a decade hiring for major studios. Last updated: [August 2026]

You get hired in games QA by proving you are systematic rather than simply thorough — that you find the WHY behind a bug, not just the fix. QA is the most common entry point into the industry, so volumes are high and the two-second CV scan is brutal. The testers who stand out are the ones who show they contributed to building the product, not just checking it at the end.

  • Show systematic, logical reasoning — identify the WHY behind a bug, not just the fix

  • Senior testers are a development partner, not just an end user; show how you’ve contributed to the actual building of products, not just end testing

  • Good organisation is essential — evidence of following (or creating, if you’re a Lead) clear test plans and sticking to them


QA is a common entry point into the games industry, but strong testers are easy to spot from a good CV. There are a few key areas you can highlight to stand out from (very competitive) noise.

What recruiters are matching your CV against

A recruiter turns the hiring manager’s brief into three to five must-have attributes, then scans for them. For QA roles, they are usually trying to match:

  • Genre & platform fit (e.g. live-service multiplayer, mobile, console certification) as well as discipline (Audio / Visual / Tech etc.)

  • Process & reasoning (can you show HOW you investigate a bug, not just that you found one)

  • Evidence of being a contributor to the dev process, not just an end-point tester

When describing your experience

The best thing you can do to get hired is prove you’re systematic, not just thorough — that you can isolate a root cause, reproduce it reliably, and write it up clearly enough that another department can act on it without chasing you for details.

Context: always tie your testing back to the bigger picture. Show you understand how a bug affected Design’s intent or Engineering’s build, and how your testing fits the wider sprint schedule. Also try to give examples of how your testing influenced a design choice or direction.

And…

Always explicitly outline your tools and process. Don’t hide your engine experience, your bug tracking software, or your test methodology inside a dense paragraph — bold those keywords so they jump off the page during the initial scan.

My three CV rules

These are the same three rules I apply to every CV I review, whatever the discipline.

1. Make it easy to read. A recruiter spends roughly two seconds on the first scan of your CV, deciding whether to keep reading or reject. Use white space, bullet points, and bold text on the keywords that matter, and put the most relevant information at the top. Two pages is standard — the exact length matters far less than whether the page can be scanned quickly.

2. Be explicit. Never rely on the reader to infer anything. Use the formula: task + tool or technique + product or location + result. If it isn’t written down, the recruiter will not guess it, and they will not look it up.

3. Favour facts over descriptions. ‘Improved efficiency’ and ‘good team player’ are opinions, and they carry no weight. Objective, quantifiable facts are irrefutable. Back up statements with numbers wherever you can.

For QA, that means explaining exactly how you contributed: what you tested, which tools and methodology you used, how you fit into the wider team and sprint cycle, and what the measurable outcome was.

If you’ve been a Senior or Lead

If you’ve held Lead or Senior QA responsibilities, say so explicitly — how many testers you coordinated, how you structured the test plan, and how you handled shifting deadlines. That’s a different, and more senior, story to simply executing test cases someone else wrote.

ALWAYS be explicit, telling the reader exactly what you tested, found, and fixed:

Implied

Tested builds and reported bugs in Jira.

Explicit

QA Testing: Executed and maintained a 200+ case regression suite in Jira for a AAA live-service shooter, root-causing and reproducing critical netcode desync bugs pre-certification and reducing post-launch crash reports by 30%.

Related guides

•     How do you get hired as a Games Industry Artist or Animator?

•     How do you get hired as a Games Industry Engineer?

•     How do you get hired as a Games Industry Designer?

•     How do you get hired as a Games Industry Producer?

I’ve hired whole AAA QA teams. If you need support, I’m here to help!

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