Important Skills of a QA Tester

What is the most important skill a QA Tester should have? I remember in class we watched a video clip composed of interviews from QA Testers themselves answering the same specific question.

There are a lot of skills a QA Tester must develop to be considered GOOD in their field. Of course, it is necessary to have a good understanding of computer hardware and software but it is also necessary to develop a comprehensive understanding of the SDLC, Test Case Life Cycle, and Defect Life Cycle to perform software testing. Learning how to use Defect Management Tools and Automated Testing Tools is also vital.

In the video from EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference in Manchester, the most common answer to the question, "What is the most important skill a QA Tester should have?", is communication. QA Testers are expected to be clear and concise when conversing with their team and stakeholders, may it be written, verbal, and/or non-verbal.

Throughout the video, some interviewees disagree and some of them mentioned that attention to detail, critical thinking, and hard skills are equally important too.

However, "Passion for testing.", stood out the most for me.

As an aspiring QA Tester, I do agree that all qualities mentioned above are necessary but it is the desire to provide quality software- by actively and continuously learning through experience and other resources, and applying them to testing. Testing with integrity with the goal of ensuring the product is as much as possible, free from defects.

How about you? What do you think is the most important skill a QA Tester should have?