From food and clothing… to motor vehicles and structural steel… Quality control inspectors examine products and materials for defects… to ensure that consumer products meet regulations and quality standards. Inspectors inspect, test, and measure products… if an item meets specifications, the inspector certifies it… but when a product is faulty, inspectors may reject it, send it for repair, or fix a minor problem themselves. Samplers test or inspect a sample from a production run for malfunctions or defects. Sorters separate goods according to length, size, fabric type, or color. Testers test existing products or prototypes to determine how long a product will last and what will break first, and then identify possible improvements. Weighers weigh out quantities of production materials. Some inspectors spend their day lifting heavy objects, while others sit during their shift and read data printouts. Some work environments may be noisy or expose workers to hazardous materials, while others may be clean and air-conditioned. Inspectors may need to wear protective clothing. Though some quality control inspectors work evenings or weekends, standard full time business hours are common. Most quality control inspectors need a high school diploma and receive on-the-job training that typically lasts from as little as 1 month up to 1 year.. An associate’s degree in a field such as quality control management may help qualify workers for more challenging positions.
What they do:
Inspect, test, sort, sample, or weigh nonagricultural raw materials or processed, machined, fabricated, or assembled parts or products for defects, wear, and deviations from specifications. May use precision measuring instruments and complex test equipment.
On the job, you would:
Inspect, test, or measure materials, products, installations, or work for conformance to specifications.
Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as rulers, calipers, gauges, or micrometers.
Read blueprints, data, manuals, or other materials to determine specifications, inspection and testing procedures, adjustment methods, certification processes, formulas, or measuring instruments required.
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
manufacture and distribution of products
Math and Science
arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Arts and Humanities
English language
Basic Skills
listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Verbal
communicate by speaking
listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
notice when problems happen
use rules to solve problems
People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.
They do well at jobs that need:
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Integrity
Cooperation
Initiative
Self Control
You might use software like this on the job:
Analytical or scientific software
Minitab
The MathWorks MATLAB
Industrial control software
Coordinate measuring machine software
Cybermetrics GAGETrak
Electronic mail software
IBM Notes
Microsoft Outlook
high school diploma/GED or no high school diploma/GED usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
In the military:
see titles from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Navy.
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