How do you get noticed in a sea of workers? Does having a college degree put you out in front of the rest? Possibly. Is hard work going to get you there? It is likely. But it may be the boost from green or black belt certification that will make you invaluable to a company.
You may have been searching for jobs in the job ads and come across something that looks like this:
“black belt certification required,” or “greenbelt experience preferred.”
What is that you ask? How do I get it? Do I need it? 
What is a “black belt” or “green belt?” A company wants to save as much money as possible. Sometimes too many resources are going to one branch of a company, an old project or machine, or the company has just an old way of doing things. A company wants someone who is trained to save them money. A black belt or green belt is trained to re-examine a process to see how it can be improved.
What is the difference between a “green belt” and a “black belt?” Both are beneficial. A green belt is a quick training which is ideal for improving smaller projects or processes. A black belt is more in-depth and is meant to improve much larger projects. Sometimes green belt training is required by a company before you can do black belt training. Sometimes green belt training doesn’t even exist at a company.
What is “green” or “black belt certification?” Training is one thing. Actually applying what you have learned is another. After you go through training you either find or are assigned a project by your leaders. You apply what you have learned to examine the “leaks” and help repair them. When you complete this project, you can be certified.
How do I get the training? Many larger companies offer green and black belt training. What costs a company a little up front will potentially save them thousands in the end. If your company offers it, I highly recommend trying to work for it. Also, different colleges and universities offer training, although it can be very expensive ($3,000 – $5,000). However, many companies offer tuition reimbursement and this training may apply to that. Check with your company’s HR department policies on tuition reimbursement.
How long will it take? Generally the training itself will only take a few weeks or a couple months. It is the project that will take up the majority of the time. You can choose a smaller project that will help speed up the process, but just make sure that it is relevant to the company and/or to your career.
Will this help me for the future? A company will always have a project that needs improvement. As the world changes, processes will change. A valuable employee will not only help improve processes, but will study the future and help the company adjust to any changes with as little impact as possible. With black belt or greenbelt certification, the employee has been trained how to do this, and may just be a leader in this change.
Imagine saying this in an interview: “I saved my company over $70,000 in 2011 by improving a process and eliminating wasteful spending.” The potential employers will be drooling.
Tell your employer that you made more money for yourself by investing in a money market account where it will be able to earn interest!
