In today’s competitive job market, it’s more important than ever to have a resume that will impress and stand out from the rest. Certifications and awards are one of the best ways to impress potential employers, or to help you to move upward within your current company. One of the many certifications that can help put you on the map in the professional word is the Lean Six Sigma.
What Is the Lean Six Sigma?
The Lean Six Sigma is essentially a blending of two systems. Developed in 1986, the original Six Sigma is a set of methods that focus on identifying a problem within a process and then creating a plan to correct the problem. This system focuses on removing variables and errors in a system to achieve the desired results and is used by companies worldwide to improve processes. The Lean method is like Six Sigma, but it also focuses on efficiency by removing needless steps or activities in a process that may waste time or resources. These methodologies used together are known as Lean Six Sigma.
The Lean Six Sigma Certification is obtained by those who have gone through the training and passed the Lean Six Sigma certification tests. This shows potential employers that you have great analytical and process skills. This certification is highly admired in professional fields, especially in positions of leadership.
The certification has three main levels – Yellow Belt, Green Belt, and Black Belt. It is not necessary to receive all these certifications, however. You can choose which one best suits your career goals. The Yellow Belt receives between 10-15 hours of training and is typically tasked with gathering data and creating process maps. The Green Belt is certified in Six Sigma and supports Black Belts by analyzing and solving quality problems. They also help gather and analyze data. The Black Belt is responsible for leading and managing groups, they possess a mastery regarding process improvement and statistical analysis. Master Black Belts are the highest achievement with the most responsibility, authority, and training.
Who Can Benefit From the Lean Six Sigma?
The skills that the Lean Six Sigma will give you are highly sought after in fields such as healthcare, manufacturing, information technology, financing, and more. All those industries have sets of processes that constantly need to be reviewed and improved upon, so this certification is very valuable in those career choices, as well as many others.
Some of the roles that may benefit include:
- Manager
- Supervisor
- General Manager
- Program Manager
- Senior Manager
- Process Manager
- Improvement Manager
- Quality Assurance Manager
- Team Leader
- Business Analyst
How Can This Certification Help Your Career?
An obvious way this certification can help your career is that it’s a bargaining chip for a higher salary. In the U.S., Six Sigma Black Belts than their professional colleagues that are not certified – upwards of $100,000 per year. Passing the certification is no small task, so it’s not surprising that those who hold it are paid well. Employers understand the difficulty in passing, and it’s a certification that garners much respect because of that.
As mentioned previously, this certification can also give you a leg up on the competition when it comes to getting a job. More than that, it can help get you promoted within your current company to a higher position. Possessing the Lean Six Sigma within itself shows that you are of great value in mid-level to top-level management positions, which can boost your career tremendously. People who hold this certification can be viewed as an agent for change within their organization to help streamline and improve upon business processes. Because the Lean Six Sigma also focuses on efficiency, those who hold this certification will also be seen as great candidates to help reduce wasted costs or resources within a business.
The Lean Six Sigma is also a certification that is applicable across many different industries. This essentially opens more doors for opportunity. It’s much easier to change fields without having to compromise your wage or position when you are certified.
Should You Get a Lean Six Sigma?
If you are in a professional career, there’s so much that can be gained from this certification. Everything from better job opportunities to better wages and beyond can be expected if you hold the Lean Six Sigma. It’s true that the training can be extensive and the tests can be very challenging. However, it’s worth it in the end if you want to stand out from the crowd and get the job you want.
