Six Sigma on Your Resume — Let Us Show You How To Include It

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Six Sigma is a concept and methodology with a wide variety of applications in the business sector.

Those who hold any number of Six Sigma certifications have proven that they are hard-working and striving for perfection in everything they do.

In order to communicate this to an employer, it is pertinent that you include it on a resume in a way that is understandable, clear, and defined. Let us see how this can be done:

 

How to include a Six Sigma certification on your Resume?

A Six Sigma certification should be included in either the certifications section, or the achievements section. When formatting your certification be sure to include the belt you have achieved, and the date of achievement. Only include the highest-level belt you have achieved.  

 

Understanding the benefits of Six Sigma

Before you can include Six Sigma on your resume, it is important that you understand why this certification can be beneficial to a potential company.

By having a clear idea of how it has helped you to grow as an employee, it is easier to write about it on a resume and talk about it during an interview. 

The Six Sigma approach is highly methodological, data-driven, and precise. It was created in order to eliminate any defects or inefficiencies from a process.

Some key takeaways from this course include the following:

• Attention to detail
• Precision
• Identifying problems
• Problem-solving

While these may sound like typical takeaways of any job, the Six Sigma certification takes it to the highest level.

Many Six Sigma certification holders have gone on to eliminate inefficiencies which saved their companies hundreds of thousands of dollars a year!

Any company would be glad to welcome an employee with these skills, granted you can explain it clearly on your resume. 

 

Six Sigma vs Lean Six Sigma: What’s the difference?

A potential employer may ask you the difference between the two certifications, so it is important to understand it well.

Many of the same ideas and concepts are taught in both courses, so either certification would be impressive to an employer.

Six Sigma courses are generally applicable and involve improving the efficiency of a process from start to finish. Six Sigma teaches five steps: 

• Define
• Measure
• Analyze
• Improve
• Control

Lean Six Sigma is typically preferred by manufacturing sectors, as it focuses entirely on cutting out waste. The Lean Six Sigma course defines what can be cut out of a process using the acronym “DOWNTIME”:

• Defects 
• Overproduction 
• Waiting 
• Non-Utilized Talent 
• Transportation 
• Inventory 
• Motion 
• Extra Processing

 

How to include Six Sigma in the certifications section of your resume

Six Sigma is undoubtedly a certification, and therefore is best put in the certifications section.

When formatting this, be sure to capitalize the name “Six Sigma” as it is the name of the certification authority.

Include the highest-level belt you have achieved, and the date that is listed on your certification. This could look like the following:

 

Certifications

• Six Sigma Yellow Belt – (6-20xx)
  • License #123456789 

 

Typically, certifications are best written simply and without explanation. Six Sigma is not known by all employers, however, so it may be pertinent to define it simply:

 

Certifications

• Six Sigma Yellow Belt – License #123456789 – (6-20xx)
  • Practical experience and world-class education of streamlining processes and eliminating inefficiencies.

 

If an employer has written “Six Sigma certification preferred” in the job-listing you are applying for, do not expand on the meaning of the certification, as they clearly already understand.

 

How to include Six Sigma in the Achievements section of your resume

The achievements section is also a good place to put a Six Sigma certification because we have more space to define it.

This is a better place to include it if the employer is not in the manufacturing industry and may not have heard of Six Sigma.

In this section, it can be formatted in a similar way to the certifications format, but more details can be included. This could look like the following:

 

 Achievements

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt  License #123456789   (4-20xx)

Achieved the highest-level certification of the Six Sigma course

• Completed three years of practical experience identifying defects and instances of overproduction.

• Completed and implemented a project recycling plastic waste in the manufacturing process, resulting in the savings of $86,000 per year. 

 

Black belt certifications in the Six Sigma course require the completion of one or two real-life projects, so make sure to include this information if it is relevant.

Real figures can look impressive on a resume if they are high enough. If the monetary specifics of the project are less impressive, leave them off and simply describe the project. 

For a lower-level belt, the certification is more about your knowledge and understanding of the subject rather than your applications or real-life projects.

In this case, your achievements section may look closer to this:

Achievements

• Six Sigma Yellow Belt  License #123456789   (8-20xx)

• • Knowledge of defining processes, quality control, problem-solving, business metrics, and eliminating waste.
  • Understanding of how to evaluate and restructure inefficiencies in the workplace.

 

Dos and Don’ts for Including Six Sigma on Your Resume

• Do include the date with your Six Sigma certification

When listing any certification number, you should include the date of certification. When formatting dates for the certification or achievements sections, use only the month and year. 

• Don’t put a Six Sigma certification in the experience section

A Six Sigma certification requires years of practical experience depending on the belt level, so it is redundant to put it in the experience section.

It is also not a job, rather it is proof that you worked in a job, passed a test, and completed a project.

• Do list your Six Sigma certification number 

Certifications are always listed with a certification number, and this reassures the employer that your claim is genuine. This number is usually put in italics, as it is not the main information you want to convey.

• Don’t list Six Sigma as a title next to your name

Unlike some financial titles such as having a CFA certification, Six Sigma should never be listed next to your name at the top of your resume. Six Sigma certifications are never used as personal titles.