Saturday, January 17, 2009

Six Sigma Signifies Value in The Job Market

By Craig Calvin

First, let's look at what Six Sigma Certification is. Six Sigma is a methodology (pioneered by the Motorola Corporation) of quantifying and eliminating variance in production methods, thereby increasing quality. In plain English, this means that Six Sigma Certification is learning to identify and reduce the causes of product variety (either through production process or inspection methods). This reduction of variety means that customers can count on getting a consistently high quality product each and every time they do business with a company that employs Six Sigma methodology.

Six Sigma can benefit anyone who is looking for a job. It is commonly known that those job seekers who are looking for waste reduction or quality control positions can benefit from Six Sigma certification. But too often, the rest of the job seekers overlook the value of the training when seeking other types of positions. Even if the job description doesn't contain the term 'quality control', having Six Sigma knowledge is an advantage that can lead to getting hired.

Companies are well aware that paying a little more to get a job done right is more cost effective than paying to get the job done wrong, than paying for the mistake to be corrected. Whether it's lost time, material costs, or customer satisfaction, doing a poor job costs far more than just the salary of the employee who performed the task. Sitting at an interview table with someone who is Six Sigma Certified tells a Human Resources professional that this aspiring employee is someone who has been trained to do a job correctly. We're not talking about someone who can do a specific task, we're talking about someone who can examine his or her processes on an on-going basis to maintain and improve job performance. The Human Resources professional can infer that the Six Sigma Certified job seeker he or she is interviewing would be an employee who would not be likely to create those extra costs associated with doing a job incorrectly or in an inconsistent manner.

Like being multi-lingual, being Six Sigma Certified is a true advantage. Even if the job does not require it, employers know that the situation could arise where it's needed. It's a skill that can augment and support any job related skills and experience. Actual certification is absolutely necessary to gain this crucial advantage because the certification is proof for the employer, just like a college degree is proof. A job seeker is an unknown quantity to a certain extent. The more documented evidence of the quality of the person being interviewed, the better the chances of that particular person being hired.

Even in the event that the position in question becomes unavailable, many employers will make an effort to find a different position for a Six Sigma Certified job seeker because they recognize the value of such an asset. Whether seeking a position at a new company or just a new position at their current company, Six Sigma Certified applicants enjoy an advantage over their non-certified competition. This advantage could be the crucial difference in today's tight job market. - 16747

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