What Agile Certifications 'Do' and Don't Do
Those new to software development may see scrum master certs as an easy six figures
I participate in groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, Reddit and other platforms that discuss product development, software development and project management. The groups serve many who are trying to break into tech in general. The most common advice I see in some of the groups is suggestions for newbies to get Agile certifications and become a scrum master.
Although scrum masters don’t have to be subject matter experts (SMEs) and can come from a diverse background, it’s horrible advice to suggest spending $1000s in certification costs without competitive experience to back them up. Worse is this advice is coming from scrum masters themselves (note: I wouldn’t hire these folks personally, because I feel they are doing the job for the wrong reasons).
I Have Extensive Agile Certifications Myself
I myself pursued the following certs:
CSP-SM (Certified Scrum Professional - Scrum Master) - Scrum Alliance
A-CSM (Advance Scrum Master) - Scrum Alliance
CSPO (Certified Scrum Product Owner) - Scrum Alliance
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner - Project Management Institute
I decided to become certified after becoming inspired by my first Agile coaches at Blue Cross Blue Shield. But their credentials were only valid because they worked in tech for many years before pursuing the coaching role.
I myself worked as a front-end web dev/web QA for a bit and later business analyst before taking the leap into a scrum master role. You need at least a basic understanding of the software development lifecycle (SDLC) before you can lead a software team.
Experience Before Certs
I majored in communications, so I don’t want to discourage those from non-traditional backgrounds who are interested in the scrum master role. However, these are the steps I took before applying for my first certification:
I ran standups. While working as an analyst, I would lead the dailies and later team planning sessions. While this seems easy, there’s an art to running these team activities effectively. If you work adjacent to a software team, try this approach. Go to the scrum master directly and ask to train. That’s what I did.
Consider your transferrable skills. If you were already a PM
in another industry, then take Udemy or Coursera courses on how to become a scrum master. Volunteer your services to local startups via LinkedIn. Are you a senior designer? Offer your skills to a small company and lead design discussions to take back to the software team. Better yet, read what the roles and responsibilities for a scrum master are and check off your attributes against them using your resume.
Be honest with yourself. If you are truly starting from scratch and don’t meet the criteria above, then map out a career path for yourself. You need to volunteer your time and create a proven track record (again, lots of volunteer opportunities on LinkedIn). Regardless of the countless articles and misinformed commentors suggesting this is an easy path to six figures, you are competing against people who actually know what they’re doing.
Here are some reference points for volunteer roles:
https://www.scrum.org/forum/scrum-forum/35081/scrum-jobsvolunteer
https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp3099527.jsp
Any advice?
If you have any tips to offer those who are passionate about becoming a scrum master, please let us know in the comments.