Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Six Sigma Jobs Are Plentiful

By Craig Calvin

There is no disagreement among companies around the world that Six Sigma is a valuable and important part of success. Companies employ Six Sigma with the intent to making it a culture in their businesses, and as such, they have signed on to the discipline of problem identification, analysis, solving and monitoring. For this to take place, they must have highly trained employees who can achieve results under the Six Sigma doctrine. The business world offers various jobs, either based on expertise in a particular field, or on experience over time. There is contract work available, as are full time positions.

Many jobs are similar to one another from company to company, though they may be known by different names. Businesses usually prefer to name their positions with context to the specific nature of their product or service. When hiring for new positions, many business prefer to hire specialists from the outside because of their expertise in the field. Other companies prefer to promote from within those employees who they want to groom for leadership positions. Senior level positions such as project manager require a higher level of experience in order to manage various projects in the organization, and these jobs are usually reserved for Six Sigma Black Belt certificate holders or the equivalent.

In any organization, an employee with Black Belt certification holds an important position. The certification process insures that they have received training on Six Sigma tools like DMAIC and DFSS methodologies. The Black Belt holder will be an expert in statistical analysis with a good understanding of the indicators the data provides. Companies often prefer to promote and train Black Belt holders from within, but if they don't currently have a Black Belt on board, they may opt to hire one for training instead of sending employees outside of the business to get their training.

There are certain skills that will be required for lead management jobs, and such skills are present in Black Belt certified candidates. When advertising for applicants, many companies won't advertise specifically for a Black Belt, but may refer to the position something else, such as Systems Analyst, Program Manager, Project Lead, etc. Positions at this level usually require skills commensurate with a certified Green Belt or Black Belt holder. The company may also require experience in its own industry.

Candidates for any position need to have a deep understanding of Six Sigma tools and techniques, as well as the ability to apply their knowledge to organizational processes. They must be able to use their skills to use quality methodologies in a given domain and as initiators of different ideas, they should aim to improve the situation. People and creative skills are needed, which make them competent in conceptualizing strategic business issues and designing practical proposals. The Six Sigma jobs that exist in many industries require experts in Six Sigma tools and techniques that have the skills to transform companies into profitable ventures. - 15485

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