Automation Test Engineer resume example
By Bhagirath Sheela, founder of JobCatch ·
Automation test engineers and SDETs write code that tests code. Employers want a real programming language, a framework you built or maintained, tests running in CI, and numbers on coverage, run time and stability.
What recruiters look for
- A programming language (Java, Python, JavaScript or TypeScript)
- Frameworks: Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, Appium, REST Assured
- Tests in CI with reports and flaky-test control
- Coverage, run time and defects found
Section order
With experience
- Summary
- Skills
- Experience
- Certifications
- Education
As a fresher
- Summary
- Skills
- Education
- Projects
- Internships
- Certifications
Summary examples
Fresher
Automation test engineer who writes Java and Selenium with TestNG, with a framework on GitHub that tests a demo e-commerce site end to end in CI.
Experienced
SDET with five years building test frameworks for a fintech platform. Built a Playwright suite of 1,400 tests that runs in 12 minutes on every pull request.
Skills, spelled the way postings spell them
An applicant tracking system matches the words in the job posting, and it does not reliably treat two spellings as one skill. The left column is the form most postings use; the right, other spellings people type. Use the posting's own spelling for each application, and list only what you can discuss in an interview.
| Skill | Also written as |
|---|---|
| Automation testing | Test automation, QA automation |
| Selenium | Selenium WebDriver |
| Playwright | — |
| Cypress | — |
| Java | Core Java, Java SE |
| Python | Python 3 |
| TypeScript | TS |
| API testing (Postman) | Postman, API testing |
| CI/CD | Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, CICD |
| Jenkins | — |
| Git | Version control, GitHub, Bitbucket |
| Test case design | Test cases, Test plans |
Also worth listing if you have them: TestNG, REST Assured, Appium.
Bullet examples
Each bullet says what you did and what changed because of it. Change the numbers to your own; a recruiter will ask about every one.
- Built a Playwright and TypeScript suite of 1,400 tests that runs in 12 minutes on every pull request.
- Cut flaky tests from 9% to under 1% with stable selectors, retries for network calls and quarantine reports.
- Wrote 500 API tests with REST Assured covering payments, refunds and reconciliation.
- Moved the Selenium grid to containers in CI, cutting the nightly run from 3 hours to 40 minutes.
- Coached manual testers on writing their first automated tests.
For freshers: projects and internships
- Built a Selenium, Java and TestNG framework on GitHub that tests a demo shop end to end in GitHub Actions.
- Wrote API tests for a public API with Postman and Newman, with HTML reports.
- Internship: automated 80 regression cases for an HR web app.
Mistakes to avoid
- Record-and-playback tools as your main experience. Employers want coded frameworks.
- No CI. Tests that do not run automatically are only half the job.
- Ignoring flakiness and run time. They are the first questions in an SDET interview.
What an ATS reads from this sample
An applicant tracking system turns the PDF into plain text before anyone reads it. This is that text for the sample above, extracted by the same code as "What the ATS reads" in the app. Everything is in reading order, under the right heading, with the name and email intact — which is what a single-column template is for.
Nitin Bhardwaj Automation Test Engineer [email protected] • +91 98765 43210 • Chandigarh • linkedin.com/in/nitinbhardwaj Summary SDET with five years building test frameworks for a fintech platform. Built a Playwright suite of 1,400 tests that runs in 12 minutes on every pull request. Skills Automation testing · Selenium · Playwright · Cypress · Java · Python · TypeScript · API testing (Postman) · CI/CD · Jenkins · Git · Test case design · TestNG · REST Assured · Appium Experience SDET II, Ledgerly Finserv Feb 2022 – Present Chandigarh Built a Playwright and TypeScript suite of 1,400 tests that runs in 12 minutes on every pull request. Cut flaky tests from 9% to under 1% with stable selectors, retries for network calls and quarantine reports. Wrote 500 API tests with REST Assured covering payments, refunds and reconciliation. Automation Test Engineer, Teleserv Infotech Jul 2019 – Jan 2022 Chandigarh Moved the Selenium grid to containers in CI, cutting the nightly run from 3 hours to 40 minutes. Coached manual testers on writing their first automated tests. Certifications ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Automation Engineer, 2023 Projects Flaky-test report Quarantine report that cut flaky tests from 9% to under 1%. Education B.E., Computer Science 2015 – 2019 Punjab Engineering College · 7.8 CGPA Languages English · Hindi
Interview questions to prepare
The app's interview prep for this sample and a plain Automation Test Engineer posting. It works from the resume and the posting only, and tells you how to prepare, never what to say.
Questions every interview has
- Tell me about yourself. Two minutes: what you do now (SDET II at Ledgerly Finserv), one result you are proud of, and why this role is next.
- Why do you want this job? Read their website and one recent piece of news before the call. Name something specific.
- Why are you leaving your current job? Say what you are moving towards. Do not criticise your employer.
- What is your notice period, and what salary are you expecting? Decide your number before the interview, so you are not deciding it on the call.
About the skills the job asks for
- Tell me about a time you used Python. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Java. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Selenium. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Cypress. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Playwright. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Automation testing. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
About what the resume claims
- You wrote: "Built a Playwright and TypeScript suite of 1,400 tests that runs in 12 minutes on every pull request." Expect three follow-ups: how exactly, what was your own part, and how you know it worked.
- You wrote: "Cut flaky tests from 9% to under 1% with stable selectors, retries for network calls and quarantine reports." Expect three follow-ups: how exactly, what was your own part, and how you know it worked.
- You wrote: "Wrote 500 API tests with REST Assured covering payments, refunds and reconciliation." Expect three follow-ups: how exactly, what was your own part, and how you know it worked.
Questions to ask them
- What would a good first three months in this role look like?
- Who would I work with most closely?
- What are the next steps, and when should I expect to hear back?
Templates that suit this role
All of these are single-column and read cleanly by an applicant tracking system. Classic is free, with no watermark.
Questions
What is the difference between a QA engineer and an SDET?
An SDET (software development engineer in test) writes test code and frameworks like a developer; a QA engineer may do more manual and exploratory testing. Many postings blur the two, so read the skills listed.
Selenium or Playwright?
Selenium still has the most postings in India, especially in services firms; Playwright is growing fast in product companies. Knowing one well and having tried the other is a strong position.
Next: the Automation Test Engineer cover letter the app drafts from this resume, and how to show Java, Python, TypeScript on a resume.
More qa resume examples: QA Engineer