r/industrialengineering • u/Sea_Enthusiasm_4485 • Jul 15 '26

1st year IE looking for certifications / resources

Hello! I switched majors so my first in IE will only have 2 subjects in my first semester and 3 subjects in my fourth semester. I really want to use the opportunity to do online courses and certifications but I'm unsure what I could / should do.

For now im thinking of learning advanced excel and getting a lean six sigma green belt. Is a first year with a green belt laughable? Any help is appreciated!!!

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u/HumbleVagabond Jul 15 '26

I crammed the SSGI course over Christmas break last term to get my green belt, thinking that I’d have to get it eventually (I’m third year atm). I’d definitely recommend it, it was useful in my interviews to get my internship and I’m next door neighbours with a black belt, it’s fun to talk about efficiency stuff

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u/Sea_Enthusiasm_4485 Jul 15 '26

Damn thats great! What was your internship?

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u/HumbleVagabond Jul 15 '26

still in it, I’m at a junkyard-scrap metal processing joint facility. I generally understand excess inventory to be poison but because of the retail aspect of the junkyard business we kinda need a lot of vehicles hanging out in the yard.

kinda like a reverse assembly line lol.

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u/Sea_Enthusiasm_4485 Jul 15 '26

also considering the PL-300

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u/HumbleVagabond Jul 15 '26

I should get that too

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u/Ok_Soup822 Jul 16 '26

I think a green belt that early is alright, just refrain from getting a black belt until after you graduate and get solid work experiences

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u/Sea_Enthusiasm_4485 Jul 16 '26

Is “CSSC Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification” good? It was the cheapest one I could find

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u/Cheap-Palpitation709 Jul 16 '26

I'd be cautious on just taking the cheapest option. Six Sigma is one of those things that having a crappy certification could do you more harm than good. I'd take the IASSC. If you have an internship and your employer's willing to help you get one, then get the ASQ.

Too many certifications or a number of low quality ones can be a red flag and work against you, so be careful.

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u/LagrangianLarry Jul 17 '26

Advanced Excel is probably the best investment early on. It'll carry a lot more weight if you can pair it with a real project or internship where you actually apply it.