What are the steps to developing a career path in quality improvement?

1 Assess your current situation

Before you decide to pursue a QI career, you need to evaluate your current situation and identify your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and goals. What are your current skills and qualifications in QI? What are the gaps that you need to fill? What are your motivations and aspirations for working in QI? How do you learn best and what resources do you have access to? By answering these questions, you can create a realistic and personalized QI career plan that suits your needs and preferences.

2 Explore the QI landscape

QI is a broad and diverse field that covers various sectors, industries, and disciplines. You need to explore the QI landscape and understand the different roles, responsibilities, and opportunities that exist. You can do this by researching online, reading books and articles, attending webinars and events, joining professional associations and networks, and talking to people who work in QI. This will help you gain insights into the QI trends, challenges, and best practices, as well as the skills, competencies, and credentials that employers look for.

3 Choose your QI niche

Based on your assessment and exploration, you need to choose your QI niche and focus on developing your expertise and reputation in that area. You can choose your niche based on your passion, talent, experience, or market demand. For example, you can specialize in QI methods and tools, QI leadership and management, QI education and training, QI research and evaluation, or QI standards and accreditation. You can also choose a specific sector or industry that interests you, such as healthcare, manufacturing, education, or government.

5 Enhance your QI credentials

To advance your QI career, you need to enhance your QI credentials and prove your competence and credibility. You can do this by pursuing formal education and training in QI, such as certificates, diplomas, degrees, or courses. You can also obtain professional certifications and accreditations from recognized QI organizations, such as the American Society for Quality (ASQ), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), or the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). You should also update your resume and LinkedIn profile with your QI qualifications and achievements.

6 Expand your QI network

To increase your QI opportunities and visibility, you need to expand your QI network and connect with other QI professionals and stakeholders. You can do this by attending QI conferences, workshops, and seminars, joining QI communities and forums, and engaging in QI discussions and debates. You can also seek QI mentors, coaches, and sponsors who can guide, support, and advocate for you. You should also share your QI insights, ideas, and opinions, and provide value and feedback to others.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?