Can Six Sigma certification help in my career growth?

Hi, There are a few ways to look at this. Certification is generally nothing more than resume-fodder. It will get you in the door, but practical skills and expertise are what will get you the job and keep you there. With that said, Six Sigma certs are certainly valuable resume fodder if they come from the right organization and they're virtually useless if they're from some internal training program or a fly-by-night training group. The training behind your certification will give you a new perspective on process and valuable approaches and techniques for measurement and improvement. It can be a very valuable and useful toolset to have at your disposal. However, like any tools, they're only valuable if you will actually use them. Any Green Belt, Black Belt or Master Black Belt cert worth having is going to be expensive, time consuming and require ongoing maintenance to keep it valid. So, if you're not going to be using it, it's a lot of work for a line on the resume. If you really intend to use the skills and commit to becoming a practitioner or trainer, it's an in-demand skillset and great for people who like solving problems and making things better. If you're not sure about the long terms career path, take some introductory courses or pursue a Yellow Belt to get a feel for the space. If it's something that appeals to you, focus on the education first and the certification later. Work on some projects and get hands-on. There are a lot of "paper practitioners" out there with certifications and no useful skills, so actually being able to apply the principles and demonstrating a successful track record will make you stand out. You can always list "In progress" for your certification to get past the screening systems and then talk through your practical experience and qualifications. Finally, make sure that you understand the difference between Six Sigma, Lean and Lean Six Sigma. They're not the same even though the terms are often used interchangeably. Don't fight about it in interviews because many companies don't really get the distinction. But, understand what you want to do with the certification, in what space and then pick the right program and cert for your situation.

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