For Immediate Release
ASQ Launches Career-Focused Podcasts
Three-Part Series Designed for Career Transitioning Quality Professionals
Milwaukee, Wis., October 15, 2009 —As the economy continues to show signs of improvement, ASQ (American Society for Quality) is leading an effort to provide career transition guidance to quality professionals. As part of this effort, a series of career focused podcasts is available to help those who are considering, or may find it necessary, to transition their skills to a new industry. The podcasts, which feature tips and strategies from ASQ members with experience in the career transition process, can be found in the resources tab of the Careers in Quality section on the ASQ Web site, http://www.asq.org/career/resources/job-search.html.
The first two segments of the three-part series on career transition are now available—with the final podcast set for release in early November. The podcasts feature ASQ members that have made the transition into leading fields such as automotive manufacturing, telecommunications and healthcare. The podcasts are titled:
- Tips on Making a Career Transition (MP3, 1.83 MB, Running Time 6:01) — Part 1 of 3: ASQ member Will LaFollette, Louisville, Ky., discusses his transition from manufacturing to healthcare, offering tips for relating quality skills, background and accomplishments to process needs, regardless of industry.
- Volunteering During a Job Transition (MP3, 2.0 MB, Running Time 5:39) — Part 2 of 3: ASQ member LouAnn Lathrop, Howell, Mich., discusses how she and several colleagues from the manufacturing industry have volunteered their skills within the healthcare industry. Lathrop relates how this experience has added to her skills, and how this activity is gaining interest and momentum throughout the United States.
- The Value of Certifications — Part 3 of 3: What is the value of promoting certifications during a career transition? Listen to ASQ member Allen Wong, Columbus, Ohio, on the value of certifications and how you should position them in a job interview.
About the Experts
Will LaFollette has served on ASQ’s board of directors and is currently a national director for the Society. A program manager of Perfect Service Integration with Humana, Inc., Will has more than 20 years of experience as a quality management representative.
He has worked in a variety of markets that include automotive/aerospace, telecommunications, healthcare and insurance.
Lou Ann Lathrop worked for GM for more than 25 years, holding engineering and managerial roles in quality engineering, manufacturing engineering, manufacturing, and product engineering. A Senior member of ASQ, she is past chair (twice) for ASQ’s Automotive Division and is a current member of ASQ’s board of directors.
Allen Wong is currently a QA program manager at Abbott Nutrition (a division of Abbott Laboratories). He has more than 20 years of experience in the quality sciences, along with medical devices and nutritional products. Allen has a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Wisconsin and is an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, Certified Quality Auditor and Certified Quality Process Analyst. He is also a member of the ASQ Certification Board and Technical Program Committee.
ASQ, (The American Society for Quality) www.asq.org, has been the world’s leading authority on quality for more than 60 years. With more than 85,000 individual and organizational members, the professional association advances learning, quality improvement and knowledge exchange to improve business results and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide. As a champion of the quality movement, ASQ offers technologies, concepts, tools and training to quality professionals, quality practitioners and everyday consumers. ASQ has been the sole administrator of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award since 1991. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., ASQ is a founding sponsor of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a prominent quarterly economic indicator, and also produces the Quarterly Quality Report.
