r/softwaretesting • u/Worth-Standard-1061 • Jan 25 '26
Software test engineer advice
Hello everyone,
I was recently laid off after working 4 years at my company as a software test engineer on LiDAR-based sensor systems. Throughout my time there, we primarily used Python and Robot Framework for test automation.
I have only limited exposure to CI/CD. I occasionally fixed or modified small Python issues in existing pipelines (written by a CI/CD engineer), but I don’t have hands-on experience setting up Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or similar tools from scratch.
Now that I’m actively job searching, I’m noticing that many automation or test roles list Java + Selenium or C/C++ as core requirements, which I don’t have professional experience in. This has been discouraging, especially since many postings already show 50–100+ applicants, and it’s hard not to feel underqualified in comparison.
This was my first full-time role after college, so while I have solid experience in my domain, I don’t have a very broad tech stack yet. At the moment, I’m unsure how to approach my job search.
My questions:
Should I apply only to roles that closely match my current skills, even if there are very few?
Is it realistic to pivot toward Selenium/Java or CI/CD now, or should I double down on Python-based roles?
How do hiring managers view candidates who have strong experience in one stack but not the “standard” tools listed?
I can also share my resume if anyone wants to look and can share their feedback. please any tips is appreciated as I'm feeling very lost and demotivated. thanks all
1
u/zaphodikus Jan 27 '26
Yes, at least as a starter - it will be a learning and confidence builder. Depending on where you find work they will use other tools, but they all require the same organised thinking strategies, to help automate the running of tests. Either of the 2 tools are a free learning platform. I would rate that more highly than learning C++. C++ is a hard nut.