

Ex-coder, lost interest, moved to QA, no more options now - ethenhunt

I picked up programming during my graduation. Was able to code fairly good on an academic level in C, C++ and Java. When I moved to my first full-time programming job, I struggled a lot with enterprise level coding. It came to a point where looking at code made my head hurt.
I quit and took a job as a QA. In this role I faired well, since I do have a technical side to understand the minutiae and I also have the product sense to envision good features and UX. I was valued in this job for both my QA skills and my ideas. Due to some contractual obligations this job came to an end and I had to take the first one that was handed to me.
Now the big buzzword in the field of QA is Test Automation. This lands be square back to where I started from 4 years ago. This has become an inescapable skill to land a good job in QA. Companies and recruiters have little or no appreciation for being technically competitive and adding value to the product from someone in my role. If I do not know Test Automation, I am considered as someone not being serious about their job. I am not sure what to do next.
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AdmiralAsshat
May I suggest giving this course a runthrough?

[http://c.learncodethehardway.org/](http://c.learncodethehardway.org/)

I read it to learn how to code, but one of the useful things in it for you
would be the fact that Zed starts to make you write unit tests for each new
program he has you write. I think this is personally invaluable, and I took
that skill with me when I took over QA duties at my job, where all testing was
previously manual.

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czbond
Take a job coding at a startup for a year if you do enjoy coding. That can get
you back into the field, and can help you make good pay and determine where
you'd want to land. Good QA people are hard to find, but the position has a
sort of limit career wise. In addition, you could consider a position as
product manager which has a higher growth career path. Just my 2 cents.

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godlikemouse
Go where your passions lie, don't just go after what you are able to do right
now. Find something you absolutely love doing and go after that. Sometimes we
get caught up in the day to day money making and forget to live. Ask yourself
why you got into coding or QA to begin with, you might be in the wrong field
for the wrong reasons.

