If you are a Newcomer in Tech Industry, you might have heard a phrase of Scrum Master as it is a new keyword. As you’ve arrived in this content, you might have already interested in pursuing your career as A Scrum Master, then you are in the right place!
In simple way, Scrum Master is a person who experts in Scrumming, that’s why they are called a Scrum Master. They are the people who responsible to make sure all the agile values of the projects runs smoothly as plan.
Scrum Master helps the team execute the project and fasilitate A Scrum Event such as in daily stand-up meeting, Sprint-Planning Meeting, Sprint Retrospective, and so on.
The presence of a Scrum Master in a team on a project helps the team to increase cooperation with each other, accountability among team members, and taking responsibility.
What is A Certified Scrum Master?
Every agile development team needs a Scrum Master in order to be successful. As a Certified Scrum Master, you will be properly prepared to facilitate your team and increase the chances of your team’s success.
A Scrum Master is not a project manager or a project leader but rather a “servant leader” who’s dedicated to helping the team succeed within the Scrum framework.
A Scrum Master has many responsibilities including helping the teamwork together and protecting the team from distractions that can derail your productivity.
There are also a lot of benefits to being a CSM such as widen up your career opportunities and engaging with other Scrum experts.
Apprise Yourself in Scrumming!
Every career needs a basic knowledge or understanding that is regarding to the career you pick. A Scrum Master is not excluded, you need to keep learning and improve yourself.
Familiarize youself with scrum will be a good starter. Taking certification or courses will also lead you in building experience or taking an exam test that would bring you to the credibility you might be able to earn.
1. Role and Responsibility
Role as a Scrum Master will affect and influence the stakeholders for scrum implementation. You will need to understand deeply about scrum and Agile fundamental such as Scrum Framework and Product Ownership.
Another materials including like the difference berween Agile & Waterfall, a basic knowledge about Product Management, writing and estimating the user stories, and determine priorities.
For more spesific, you may read the sections below regarding the roles of a Scrum Master:
- Giving a coaching and mentoring for the team or individuals, so they could run thei each responsibilities properly.
- Facilitate any discussion, a decision-maker, and bring a conflict resolution for team if it’s needed.
- Improve working efficiency among the team players to optimize the team collaboration
- Ensure every team member to understand the agile principle that is related to scrumming’s elements.
2. Soft Skills
Roles and responsibilities that a Scrum Master had is not easy. You need to have additional skills that can improve your performance.
1. Communication Skills
You will attend so many seminary meeting, giving your team member a coaching and mentoring. Sure you should have a very good communication skill, particularly a public-speaking skill.
Ensure that everyone is hearing your speech and paying attention into you.
2. Planning an Forecasting
Scrum Master is the one who responsibles in the smooth-running of a project using the Scrum method, of course someone in this position must be able to plan and predict what might happen in the future.
The risks and challanges will face the team, and you might be the one who takes action.
3. Critical Thinking
As mention before, every plan is not always run as it’s predicted. A critical thinking is needed to make a solution of every matters. Make sure you always have a plan B for every unpredicatable accidents.
4. Basic Knowledge of Scrumming and Agile
The basic skill of Scrum Master must have is the understanding of agile and scrum concept. These both is the main factor that you would have a project development runs effectively.
How long does it take to become a certified Scrum Master?
People spends their time studying and training the CSM course will approcximately sit for 16 hours long. The materials are including reasearching and reviewing the pre-quisite material to make sure the students are having the basic understanding of the upcoming class.
At the end of the semester, you’ll take the CSM exam online. Students are usually reviewing and re-read their notes before taking the test, although the system has already arranged in giving tools and knowledge that is required to pass the exam.
It takes weeks or months until your certificate, depends on the course availability. Be sure to make get your energy served, it will take time and efforts, but your journey is worth it!
Benefits in Joining Scrum Certifications!
If you’re a social butterfly who enjoys playing in team and interested in the Scrum Framework, you can consider joining a scrum certification.
Your knowledge and skilsl will be verified, helps you out to get your resume outstanding among the other job candidates. Furthermore, your have a great portfolio by completing the assessment and opening up a many new career opportunities for you!
1. Improve Your Risk Assesment Skills
Events and problems will always face you in running a team projects. You should understand this basic understanding of Scrum Methodology to get your problems a pre-solutions before it gets blown up.
Learning how to identify the risks and hazards before they become serious problems. You’ll learn how to prevent or eliminate any obstacles that might otherwise cause projects to stall, no more time-wasting and money.
2. Help Your Resume Outstanding
It’s not only about skill, but it’s also about competition in the battlefield of recruitment process. Employee will give an eye on you if you are in one step nearer to the upadates of industry standards, current trends, and technologies in Products Management.
They will see your great presentation that explaining your expanded knowledge how to use the Scrum principles and techniques that will lead you to the positive outcomes.
3, Increase Your Team’s Effectiveness
Scrum Master Certification will also improving your team-player skills. you’ll know how to motivate and stay organized that you believe it is the way how to achieve your goals.
Become the lead of team, you’ll be capable to identify any possible risks earlier and how to solve them as quick as possible.
Scrum Master Certification
Here are some recommendations for Scrum Master Certification with a high demand:
1. Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
2. Certified SCcrum Product Owner
3. Professional Scrum Master (PSM I)
4. Certified Scrum Professional (CSP)
5. SAFe Scrum Master (SSM)
6. Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I)
7. Certified Scrum Developer (CSD)