My family has owned horses for many years. Showing horses is a natural extension of this ownership. Equestrians are, by nature, typically somewhat athletic, but also, they can be fiercely competitive. The true purpose of horseshows, however, is for the equestrian to hone his or her skills to become more proficient at riding. Carriage driving, another equestrian sport I’ve engaged in, can also be quite competitive. As it turns out, those who prepare the best win the most in both showing horses and in the professional arena.
Both take:
- an investment of your time
- a great deal of preparation
- stamina
- learning something new with lots and lots of practice
- courage to step out of your comfort zone and take a chance
- a financial investment
- a risk vs rewards, can-do attitude
And both:
- are deeply rewarding on a personal level
- significantly increase our future abilities
- take us to a new, advanced level of knowledge
- increase our self-esteem from our colleagues as well as our competitors
- enable us to learn, to go places, and to engage in activities previously not possible
The point is, preparing for either a horseshow or for a certification test are similar in nature while both serve essentially the same purpose: To become better at what we do in life; to build improved knowledge, skills, and abilities; to expand our horizons; to prepare us to be far greater than we ever thought we could be; and to enable us to lead a fuller, more satisfying life.
The American Society for Quality (ASQ) certifications are recognized worldwide. People frequently post pictures of their certificates on LinkedIn to share their achievement with their colleagues. Since 1991, certification has been rated as one of the three most valued benefits of ASQ membership. A professional certification offers tangible and intangible benefits to both the individual and the employer.
The annual ASQ Quality Progress salary survey consistently shows employees with certifications earn thousands of dollars above their peers without certifications. Over the years, that equates to higher salaries, increased quality of life, and a better retirement.
The ASQ has some great certification opportunities for today’s professionals. And, they’ve taken all the guesswork out for us. Check out this this handy dandy 8-Step Guide to ASQ Certification: https://goo.gl/UadfBs.
Should you decide to pursue a certification, be sure to thoroughly research the pertinent details such as available training classes, body of knowledge requirements, pertinent reference materials, study guides, handbooks, as well as where, when, and how to go about taking the test. For essential ASQ certification information go to: https://asq.org/cert.
Until recently, certification tests were paper-and-pencil, proctored by an ASQ volunteer, two times each year, on Saturdays. Now, the computer-based tests are provided six times a year at secure Prometric proctoring sites. The certification testing windows and application deadlines for the remainder of this year are provided below:
For those who hold certifications, it’s always a good idea to keep in mind the need for recertification units (RUs) or continuing education units (CEUs); the equivalents to RUs. Recertification is required every three years to maintain the certified status. This can be achieved by accumulating and submitting the required number of RUs from various sources such as professional development, employment, attending ASQ meetings, publishing articles, conference attendance, and the like. Alternatively, one may elect to recertify by retaking the test. Colleagues I’ve encountered indicate the preferred method to retain certified status is by submitting the recertification journal along with supporting RU documentation. By the way, RUs can now be maintained online at the ASQ.org website. As the old sayings goes, “We’ve come a long way, baby.”
Bio:
Murray Gonzalez, ASQ CBA, CSSGB, is the marketing manager for Quality Web-Based Training (www.qualitywbt.com). QualityWBT provides online, self-paced, accredited training in process and system auditing, CQA preparation, ISO management system standards, quality tools, and performance metrics.