In today’s workplace, a six sigma certification has never been more important in terms of making consistent, quality improvements. Click here to learn how.
If you want to be competitive in the modern workplace, a Six Sigma Certification is helpful. This will let you make the kind of high-quality, ongoing improvements you need to stay at the cutting edge of your job.
It seems everyone has a college degree these days. Continuing education is what you need to stand out from the crowd. If you want to be in line for the best jobs and command the best pay, your resume should show that you are working to stay up to date on the latest job training.
A Six Sigma Certification is a great way to do that. It works whether you’re a recent grad or a professional with a decade of experience. In fact, some industries, such as health care, often shape their organizations around a Six Sigma framework. This makes this training almost necessary for professionals in those fields.
In some careers, job descriptions will actually list a Six Sigma Certification as a requirement. Whether that’s your field or not, don’t miss out on opportunities by missing this chance for professional development.
With this certification, you’ll stay competitive even in today’s challenging job market.
What is a Six Sigma Certification?
Six Sigma, in short, is a system of techniques and tools that allow for improvement of a process. Two engineers who worked at Motorola in the 1980s came up with this system. In 1995, CEO of General Electric Jack Welch decided to make it a central component of his business strategy. This cemented Six Sigma’s importance in the business world.
Basically, this program seeks to find and get rid of things that cause defects or variables in manufacturing and business processes. This ultimately improves the quality of output in these processes.
Statistical, empirical quality management techniques are used to pinpoint the causes of those variables. Within an organization, trained individuals can use the Six Sigma system effectively.
In the organization, the Six Sigma project will have specifically defined steps to follow. Each step has its own value target or goal. Depending on the industry, the target might be increased customer satisfaction, minimized pollution, or greater profits.
The reason it’s called Six Sigma is because the name comes from manufacturing terminology. A sigma rating is a way to measure the maturity of a manufacturing process. This rating shows what percentage of created products came out free of defects. Basically, this percentage is the yield of the manufacturing process, since defective products are unusable.
The six comes from the Sigma goal of having 99.99966% of all production (of any feature or part of the product) statistically free from defect.
In the 1980s, this number was Motorola’s manufacturing goal. Now, the term Six Sigma is known across many different industries. It’s useful anywhere errors or defects are possible and need to be avoided.
Why is Six Sigma Important?
This is a method that has been proven many times over to help with a company’s operations.
Instead of letting employees follow instincts or vague ideas about how things should be done, Six Sigma is a way to make changes and improvements, while measuring the difference. This method works in many different industries, not just manufacturing.
In short, this allows businesses to use data to fix their problems, instead of guesswork.
What Kinds of Certifications Are There?
Six Sigma Certifications come in different levels, which are named like karate belts.
The traditional ranking, from lowest to highest, is yellow, green, black, and finally, master. These names signify different levels of certifications that you can get.
So there is no one-size-fits-all Six Sigma Certification. Instead, you can show your commitment to learning by working your way up to the top certification level.
Why Get Certified?
As mentioned above, these certifications are important to stay competitive in many different industries.
Some jobs will require you to have a Six Sigma Certification, but for those that don’t, you can still stand out among the competition by having your certification readily available and on your resume.
Remember, companies want to know what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. With this certification, you can prove that you will help them increase profits and meet goals because you know how to do so in a data-driven way.
Let’s break down all the reasons these certifications are so important to your career.
1. New Job Opportunities
You wouldn’t want to close the door on different job opportunities, would you?
Many jobs in different fields require a Six Sigma Certification. You can make sure that door to those jobs stays open by getting certified. When you have this training, companies know that you care enough to put in extra professional development work. This shows that you’re likely to go above and beyond on the job, too.
When you have proven training in problem-solving and critical thinking, a company knows you can help them make the improvements they need. So you aren’t just describing conceptual skills on your resume – you have proven abilities through professional training.
Even if a job doesn’t require this training, hiring managers will be looking for ways to set candidates apart. How will you stand out? Having a Six Sigma Certification is an easy way to make sure that your resume will float to the top of the candidate pool.
2. Prove Your Worth
Your commitment to training off the clock probably speaks for your ability to commit to the job itself. This helps prove your value to the company before you ever walk through the door for an interview.
The certification doesn’t just show that you know about Six Sigma – even though that’s an important credential to have. It shows that you are willing and able to do the extra work it takes to be the best employee possible.
3. Get Higher Pay
When you have professional training that makes you a more desirable job candidate, it’s easy to ask for a higher paycheck than that of your peers who never got this training.
The company wants to make investments that will pay off in the long run. One of those investments is hiring great staff. If an employee is going to help them save money, turn larger profits, or keep customers happy, that employee is worth more to the company.
Your Six Sigma Certification shows that you can help achieve all of those things, so your experience has a greater value. This means you can ask for a higher paycheck than someone with the same degree and work experience but no certification.
4. Make Yourself Indispensable
Once you have the job you want, you want to make sure you’ll be indispensable to the company, even if layoffs, pay cuts, or other downsizing happens.
Being certified to use Six Sigma techniques is a great way to ensure that your higher-ups will want to keep you around no matter what. You’ll be demonstrating your value to the company on a regular basis as you put the Six Sigma principles into action.
5. Ideal for Switching Industries
Thinking a career change is in your future?
The good news is that a Six Sigma Certification works across many different fields, from manufacturing to medical.
If you get certified, chances are good that it will not only help you be competitive in your current industry but in any others that you choose to change to later.
Maybe you’re concerned about a career change because your degree and experience is in a different field. Getting this professional certification can help ensure that you’ll stay competitive in the new field, even without the same work experience as other candidates.
From information technology to investment banking, Six Sigma principles apply in all kinds of sectors.
6. Prime Yourself for a Promotion
If you are familiar with using and implementing the Six Sigma principles, you will be a prime candidate when a higher-up position opens.
You have to be a leader to start putting these principles into place. No matter what your job title currently is, being a Six Sigma expert will help you stand out when someone is about to be promoted.
You can prove that you are a change agent by putting these new principles into practice at the company. This is exactly the kind of quality that companies will look for when they need someone in a managerial or leadership position.
7. Work for Better Companies
These certifications will help you be competitive at the top companies in your industry.
Don’t just settle for any company that will have you. Become a candidate who is so highly valued that you can pick and choose where you want to work.
Wrapping Up
The Six Sigma system has been proven in practice for decades now. Yet not every job candidate is going to get their Six Sigma Certification.
Be the candidate that goes above and beyond for professional development. You’ll be the one that companies want to hire. Command better jobs, better pay, and more opportunities just by getting certified.
Ready to get started? We can get you on the way to becoming a Six Sigma master today!