From Game QA and Large-Scale Logistics Operations to QA Automation Engineer / SDET — Is This a Realistic Career Transition?
I’m looking for some honest career advice from people working in QA, SDET, and software engineering.
My background is a bit unconventional.
I have a Computer Science degree and several years of experience in logistics and warehouse operations. Currently, I lead operations for a high-volume eCommerce fulfillment center in Southern California, managing systems that process 10,000–15,000 orders per day. What I enjoy most is not just managing people, but designing systems, identifying bottlenecks, and automating repetitive workflows.
Before this role, I worked as a QA Engineer in the game industry and contributed to testing a PlayStation title (Eternights). I created and executed test plans, performed regression and localization testing, and improved testing efficiency by reducing an 8-hour test cycle to about 4 hours by identifying better save points and optimizing the test workflow.
On the technical side, I have experience with:
- Unity Test Framework
- JavaScript
- React / Node.js
- ISTQB CTFL certification
Recently, I’ve become increasingly interested in QA Automation and SDET roles. The more I learn, the more it feels like a natural fit because the way I think about logistics is very similar to software systems: packages are like data packets, tracking numbers are identifiers, and warehouse workflows are like distributed pipelines. I enjoy finding patterns, modularizing repeatable processes, and building automation to improve reliability and throughput.
My long-term goal is to transition into a QA Automation Engineer or SDET role, even if that means taking a more junior title to gain hands-on experience.
My questions are:
- Does this background sound like a realistic path into QA Automation or SDET?
- Would hiring managers view my current operations experience as a strength, or as unrelated to software testing?
- If you were in my position, would you focus on QA Automation/SDET or try to move directly into Software Engineering?
- What skills should I prioritize next (Playwright, API testing, CI/CD, etc.)?
- Are there particular industries or companies where this hybrid operations + systems background would be especially valuable?
I’d really appreciate any honest feedback from people who have made similar transitions or who currently work in these roles.