Hi everyone,

I have 8 years of experience in testing (mostly mobile game testing + some manual testing), and 4 years as a team lead. Due to limited growth, I recently transitioned into automation.

I started with Java + Selenium, but later switched to Playwright with TypeScript, which I found much better.

What I’ve done:

• Built frameworks for 3 sites (Swag Labs, OpenCart, Restful Booker)
• ~40 API + 60 UI tests
• CI with GitHub Actions, Allure reports
• POM, fixtures, auth handling, clean code practices
• API testing with Postman
• Regular DSA + automation scenario practice

I’m getting calls, but almost all HRs insist on 3–4 years of automation experience and don’t seem to value project work.

I’ve seen interviews for these roles and feel confident I can clear them.

Question:

Do I actually need to claim/fake automation experience to get shortlisted, or is there a better way to position myself?