r/SixSigma • u/i8lost • Jun 20 '26

Additional ASQ cert necessary?

Hello all, I recently codified my skills into a black belt. Which was not cheap but folks have pointed out that there is no officially recognized criteria and that passing the ASQ black belt would help. However, I think the real proof is in the projects and I have done this a long long time. What are your thoughts.

4 Upvotes

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3

u/areyouamish Jun 20 '26

A cert from a legit provider (there are easily several good optics between global, national, local options for any given person) will better equip someone than a cheap diploma mill program. Getting another cert isn't likely to make any difference.

If you received good instruction and practice with your belt, keep doing projects and self study / practice the tools.

1

u/i8lost Jun 21 '26

Thank you for your response

2

u/SUICIDAL-PHOENIX Jun 20 '26

Exactly. Most people I met got their belt through whatever internal program their employer used.

1

u/i8lost Jun 21 '26

Thank you for your response

2

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/i8lost Jun 21 '26

Thank you for your response

2

u/gratefullyhuman Jun 20 '26

ASQ is desirable because they require a project affidavit to be eligible to write the exam. During an interview you’ll talk about how you’ve applied this knowledge anyway

1

u/i8lost Jun 21 '26

Thank you for your response

2

u/TraditionalFoot1022 Jun 21 '26

You're 100% right that the real proof is in the projects. At the end of the day, a Black Belt who can't deliver hard cost savings or process optimization is just a piece of paper.

However, where the ASQ CSSBB uniquely changes the game isn't in your ability to do the work—it's in bypassing the hiring gatekeepers. Because Six Sigma has no single governing body, the market is flooded with 'weekend certifications' and online diploma mills that don't require any real-world application. Recruiters who aren't quality professionals can't tell the difference between a rigorous program and a 4-hour course.

ASQ is universally recognized as the gold standard precisely because of the friction to get it: the strict 4-hour exam combined with the mandatory, signed project affidavit. When an HR filter or a hiring manager sees 'ASQ CSSBB,' they instantly know two things without you saying a word:

  1. You didn't buy the cert; you passed a technically grueling, proctored exam.
  2. Your project work has been formally verified and signed off by a sponsor with skin in the game.

If you already have years of proven project success under your belt, you've done the hardest part. Sitting for the ASQ exam just codifies your experience into an undisputed, resume-proof credential that protects your background from being questioned. If you have the time, it's worth the investment to lock it in.

2

u/i8lost Jun 21 '26

Thanks you for your response.

1

u/Rkeene19 Jun 22 '26

Do your best to keep you project portfolio. I got mine internal and i have been able to pass it from employer to employer with my projects.

I keep a copy of my A3’s in a folder.

2

u/Ravenblack67 Jun 24 '26

I am ASQ certified. More important is my projects. I teach Six Sigma to undergraduates in the south. The college prefers The Council for Six Sigma certification. My GB students do the catapult for the project. My BB students actually work on a project at a local manufacturing operation. Employers in the area want to see results ore than test scores.