By: James Williams

The software quality assurance industry is undergoing a large-scale transformation, and today it requires specialists not only with technical expertise, but also with entrepreneurial thinking, the ability to work with large systems, and navigation in international security standards.

Our hero, Illia Kovalov, an experienced QA Engineer and QA Lead with more than nine years of practice, has traveled the path from cumbersome regression cycles to QA team architecture and launching his own IT projects in the USA. His portfolio includes multi-platform products, medical solutions at the HIPAA/FDA level, mobile applications, and large-scale American contracts on the Upwork platform, where he entered the top 3% of specialists (Top Rated Plus) and earned over $100,000. Today, Illia continues to develop e-commerce projects in the USA and trains a new generation of QA engineers through his community, Freelance Lab.

Illia, let’s start with the origins. Your first major project was a medical development in the USA. What were the tasks and what was the role of testing in such a high-risk product?

— This was a fundamental project for me, a medical one operating according to HIPAA/FDA standards. American research companies were collecting patient data and the results of clinical trials of new drugs. The system had to flawlessly record key indicators, transform them, and transfer them between applications and internal services.

My task was to ensure that the entire data transfer cycle worked correctly: from collecting metrics from devices to their subsequent processing in medical institutions. An error here equals a risk to the patient, so the level of responsibility was very high.

Five years of work produced large-scale results: we tested about 12,000 scenarios and identified more than 300,000 defects, which significantly increased the system’s reliability and helped the product reach a new level.

Is the project finished? Or does it continue without you?

— I completed it in September of last year, after five years of continuous work.

The next stage was the freelance platform Upwork. You have been working there for almost ten years. Which projects were key?

— Upwork became my window to the American market. Almost all clients are from the USA, and among them were truly strong projects.

One of my favorites was testing sports unmanned drones. FPV drone races are held in America, and we were creating a simulator for pilot training. I tested over 200 virtual maps, participated in offline tournaments broadcast on American TV, and monitored the platform’s stability live.

In addition, I created my own training map, which became popular among beginners. It was a rare case in QA when you see that your contribution actually affects the user experience.

And which projects are you currently working on?

— Today I am conducting testing of a VPN service for the American market, including government agencies. This is a topic with increased security requirements.

I am also participating in the development and testing of a mobile application connecting users with experts, from well-known entrepreneurs to artists. It is a knowledge marketplace, and it is actively growing.

Your resume lists more than 13 major contracts. The geography is mainly the USA?

— Yes, about ten major contracts, American companies. And all were completed with five-star ratings.

Besides your work, you created your own IT company in the USA. What does it do?

— At the beginning of the year, I opened an LLC in the USA that provides development and testing services. Currently, all my American orders go through it.

At the same time, I am developing two e-commerce projects that connect manufacturers in China with the US market. I fully manage them from scratch: from integrations to logistics architecture.

A separate part of your activity is education. Tell us about Freelance Lab.

— Freelance Lab arose from demand. I was constantly approached by friends and colleagues: where to start, how to enter the American market, how to take projects on Upwork.

Together with a university friend, we created a community, teaching how to correctly build a profile, find first clients, negotiate, and work with large clients.

Today the community has over 865 participants. We have run two cohorts, and we also conduct paid consultations, helping solve specific tasks—from growth strategies to client communication.

You also participated in hackathons. In what capacity?

— As a participant. Our team took first place. It was a valuable experience in teamwork and rapid prototyping.

You have been in the profession for almost ten years. How has the testing industry changed?

— Nine years ago, the market was simpler. There were fewer technologies, fewer tools, and information had to be collected manually. Now the industry has matured: standards have grown, development speed has increased, and requirements for security and multi-platform functionality have risen.

But the main factor is artificial intelligence. And it is often misunderstood: many fear that it will “take jobs.” In fact, it is a tool that speeds up processes. What used to take a day can now be done in half an hour.

AI will not replace an engineer. It will replace an engineer who does not know how to work with AI. The future is a tandem of specialist and AI. In a few years, the term “tester” may disappear, but not the profession. It will transform into more complex roles where the QA engineer becomes an operator of systems using artificial intelligence.

What would you advise beginners in IT?

— Three directions: study artificial intelligence, understand how it integrates into workflows. This is critically important. Second — English. The American market still pays 2–3 times more than the European or CIS markets. And look toward AI agents. These are tools that allow automation of complex tasks and completely restructure the work architecture.

If you combine these three elements — English, AI, and practice — you can reach an excellent level in 2–3 years.