My youngest child graduated college last May and just transitioned into his very own apartment. As I helped him move I reflected on when I first ventured out on my own many years ago. Due to rent, a student loan, and a car loan I had limited funds; I also had little experience preparing my own meals so there were limited menu options. At the time frozen microwave dinners were in their infancy and TV dinners were not filling enough for a young man in his early twenties so I found myself gravitating towards Hamburger Helper and similar easy-to-prepare meals.
After several years of employment, I wanted to challenge myself so I registered to take the ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) exam. Adding the CQE certification to my credentials was the catalyst for my promotion from quality engineer to senior quality engineer. I quickly made the correlation between obtaining certifications and eating better. My hunger for better quality meat led me to ASQ’s Certified Quality Auditor exam, which then resulted in me finding a quality manager position! The trend was obvious: ASQ certifications directly correlate to opportunity, promotions, and better eating. No more Hamburger Helper!