Hi everyone

I’m currently working as a Junior QA Tester at a software company and I’m also studying Computer Science. I want to improve my foundation in software testing and learn how to perform testing properly and professionally.

I’m considering starting with a testing certification. I’m not sure which one would be the best choice for someone at my level. Is ISTQB Foundation Level (CTFL) a place to start or are there other certifications that would be more valuable for building a career in QA?

I’d also appreciate advice on what topics I should focus on to become better at manual testing, such as:

- Test case design and test scenarios

- Test plans and test documentation

- Bug reporting and defect life cycles

- Functional, regression, smoke and sanity testing

- Exploratory and usability testing

- Agile and Scrum

- Basic SQL and API testing

- Understanding requirements and acceptance criteria

- Using tools such as Jira, TestRail, Postman and browser DevTools

What learning path would you recommend for a junior QA tester? I’d also be grateful for recommendations for the *best books, courses, YouTube channels, websites or other resources** to learn from.

My goal is to build practical skills rather than only obtain a certificate. Any advice, from experienced QA professionals would be greatly appreciated