Self-test: Is the "Quality Manager (Certified) (Quality Management)" course the right one for me?
Analysis of the activities of quality managers
What does the day-to-day work of quality managers look like?
Quality managers support the company management in planning and controlling the company's development. They take on the tasks of quality management, process management and often also change management and organizational development.
Many of the quality manager's tasks have to do with strategic considerations, analyzing, evaluating and improving company processes.
Then comes communication, presenting and explaining innovations, coordinating with all managers involved and planning implementation. This also involves informing all those affected and involved about changes, explaining the reasons and objectives of the measures and training them in the new procedures or processes.
A further part of the work involves the preparation and support of certifications, e.g. in accordance with ISO 9001. The documentation of quality management processes, the preparation and implementation of internal audits and the support of external audits are also important tasks.
As the interface between all departments and offices or Group companies and the management, communication and coordination is another key area of responsibility for quality managers or quality managers. They visit the business units, negotiate practicable quality criteria with those responsible and support the managers in implementing the specifications. In contact with customers, suppliers, the public and politicians, they explore and coordinate the needs of the various interest groups and work with the management to develop appropriate measures that are in line with company policy and corporate objectives.
According to the job advertisements, the tasks are distributed as follows, for example:
| Document management, audits and certifications, product registrations | approx. 30% of the time |
| Employee training, supervision of the training system, creation of training documents | approx. 10% of the time |
| Modeling and further development of quality management processes, implementation and quality management specifications, corporate development | approx. 30% of the time |
| Customer contact, complaints, agreements | approx. 15% of the time |
| Leadership, management, project management | approx. 15% of the time |
The distribution of tasks can vary greatly depending on the job profile and type of company.
What is usually required in job advertisements for quality managers?
- Basic commercial or technical training
- Further training as a quality manager
- Professional experience in quality management
- Possibly professional experience in an industrial, manufacturing environment
- Knowledge of quality tools and methods, experience with ISO 9000, 9001
- Good knowledge of the environment
- Communicative, enthusiastic and solution-oriented personality
- Careful and efficient way of working
- Professional appearance, moderation and communication skills
- Very good knowledge of German and English, knowledge of French an advantage.
- Good knowledge of MS Office and Visio
Question 1:
Would I like to work as a quality manager?
Yes, if you like the actual job, you can assume that you are on the right track thematically. The next question is what type of training is right for you to acquire the relevant skills.
If you only like the job to a limited extent or only individual parts of it, you could think about what interests you the most. And then look at subsequent training courses to see if there is one that appeals to you even more:
Who is the "Quality Management" course suitable for?
Target group:
- Employees who perform tasks in quality and process management or are looking for an entry into quality management
- Quality management professionals who want to update their knowledge
- Managers and employees from quality assurance who want to take on more responsibility for quality management
- Managing directors, quality managers, process managers, etc. with responsibility for the establishment and further development of integrated management systems
- Specialists from production and incoming goods, AVOR etc. who are responsible for compliance with standards
Personal requirements:
- Entrepreneurial and strategic thinking
- Communicative skills
- Leadership qualities and organizational skills
- Interest in management systems
Course description:
Further important key points of the "Quality Management" course are described here:
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Question 2:
Are you generally interested in this course?
If you have already answered "Yes" to question 1, then this course seems to fit your expectations.
If you like the course but not certain parts of the job, you could first study job advertisements to see if there are job profiles that suit you better.
If you like the job description under question 1 and have marked "No" here, you can look under the following further training opportunities in related fields to see if you can find something that better matches your interests:
Admission to the courses
The admission requirements vary and must be clarified directly in each individual case. What is usually required are
- Completed apprenticeship or comparable training
- Several years of qualified professional experience
- Minimum age 25 years
- For a postgraduate NDS HF course, a higher professional education qualification such as HF, BP or HFP and at least 4 years of professional experience are usually required.
- A postgraduate MAS course at a university of applied sciences requires a Bachelor's degree or an equivalent diploma and at least 2 years of qualified professional experience.
Question 3:
Do I meet the requirements?
If you meet the requirements, you can start training at the earliest possible date.
If you are not sure whether your basic training will be recognized for admission, find out directly from various providers.
If you lack the required professional experience, search for jobs for career changers on professional job boards or ask job providers about the conditions for employment.
Financing of further training
The course fees for the "Quality Management" course are to be paid either at the beginning of the course or by the semester. However, in individual cases it is also possible to agree individual installment payments.
Question 4:
Are you able to pay between CHF 2,000 and CHF 35,000 for the course fee, depending on the duration of the course, the provider and other general conditions?
If you have marked "Yes" and would even be able to pay the full amount upfront, many schools will give you an additional discount.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No": First ask the schools about the actual costs you would have to expect. And ask your employer about cost sharing. And then ask your school about the possibility of individual installment payments. Or try to find someone in your private social circle who will support your specific further education project with a loan. There are also banks and credit institutions that grant educational loans.
Time spent on classroom teaching and learning (homework)
The larger courses last between half a year and two years. Classroom teaching takes place over approximately 20 to 60 days and is usually offered in the form of two- to three-day blocks.
The amount of learning and practicing required in addition to school lessons is around 4-6 hours per week.
Question 5:
Can I cope with the time and effort required for the face-to-face lessons and homework?
If the workload is even very manageable for you, you could check whether there are intensive courses for this training. This would allow you to complete the same training in less time if you are able to accept a slightly higher time commitment.
If you are short on time, look for courses that extend over a longer period of time and require fewer lessons and less time for homework each week. And if that's still not enough, you should check whether you can free up more time in another way. Perhaps someone close to you can take on certain tasks for you for the limited period of your training?
Will I graduate?
For most courses, the following is required to pass the final examination:
- Attendance of at least 80% of the attendance hours
- Sufficient proof of performance or term papers during the course
- Often working on an independent diploma or master's thesis
- Passing the final examinations
General success factors for successfully completing an apprenticeship are
- Regular preparation and follow-up of the lesson material at home
- Committed cooperation in group work, case studies etc.
- Participation in learning groups for regular exchange
- Practise exam situations by working on previous exam tasks
Question 6:
Do I have the confidence to pass the final exams?
If you are confident that you can pass this qualification, the most you can do is consider whether you would like to achieve even better results using suitable learning and working methods or whether you would like to achieve the same results with less effort.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No", we recommend that you attend an information event about this course and ask the school management for information about support options. External help from learning therapists, kinesiologists, autogenic training providers or mental training providers can also be considered.
Receive course or training documents from suitable schools immediately
Under {#CourseLink#} or "Quality management" you will find an overview of schools that offer a course in "Quality Management". You can request detailed documents with just one click and usually receive them directly by e-mail. You can also use the area search to find providers in your immediate vicinity.
Conclusion:
Before you want to complete the "Quality Management" course, you should be convinced that you really enjoy a strongly communicative and organizational activity in the field of quality and process management. You should also like the course description. If you have answered these first two questions with a clear "yes", you can continue to look into this course. If you are unsure about these questions, you should consider which other further training courses are also suitable for you.
Financing further training is not always easy. Several thousand francs have to be paid over 1-2 years. In individual cases, many schools offer the option of semester or even individual monthly installments so that the entire amount does not have to be paid at once. In addition, it is helpful for part-time courses that participants continue to work during the course and thus earn money for the entire duration of the course. If this is not enough to finance the training alone, it is sometimes possible to obtain a loan from a private source. Banks and credit institutions sometimes also offer educational loans. A good argument for financing further education is the relatively quick amortization of costs through wage increases. Do the following calculation: How much would a wage increase of 10% per year amount to? How many years would you need to recoup the costs of the course? How much more will you earn over your entire working life as a result of this pay rise? In most cases, this is a six-figure sum, which confirms that training or further education is the best personal investment there is.
The time required for training or further education should not be underestimated. Going out, vacations and spontaneous wellness weekends often fall by the wayside. However, this time usually passes relatively quickly. The prospect of better job opportunities and more pay should be motivation enough to get through this time. It often helps to organize yourself into study groups. It also makes sense to stick with it right from the start and schedule fixed study times. Good learning effects can be achieved by creating summaries and mind maps. Flashcard systems help with memorization. There are many tools and ideas to make learning easier. You can obtain the guide "The personal learning strategy" free of charge if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch.
If you have doubts about whether you will pass the final exam, you can expect that every school has an interest in ensuring that as many of your students as possible pass the final exams. Talk to your head teacher or course leader and ask about support options. But with good motivation, perseverance and hard work, it is generally possible to pass these exams. If you suffer from exam anxiety, good preparation, various practical tips, therapeutic treatments or, in severe cases, even medication can help. You can obtain the guide "Overcoming exam anxiety" if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch. Here you will also findsuitable providerson the subject of test anxiety.
The benefits of further training are usually measured in terms of a higher salary, more challenging tasks or promotions. This presupposes that you make an effort to change your professional position accordingly and, if necessary, are able to assert your demands. If you have already experienced that this is not always so easy for you, you could also check whether personal job coaching could be of benefit to you in addition to further training.
Now it's up to you to decide. If in doubt, seek personal advice from a school or external counseling center. If you contact a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch to enquire about course or training documents, you will receive a free educational or school consultation worth CHF 150.00 on request.
You can find a list of providers here: {#courseLink#}
We wish you all the best in your professional and private lives and a bright and exciting future!
The team of Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch
Linda, deine Weiterbildungsfinderin