Welcome to expert viewpoints,
Scrum Master employment. In this video, we will hear Agile and Scrum experts
guide someone with traditional PM
experience to become a Scrum Master and how best they can
accomplish this goal. They will also give advice
to those aspiring to be Scrum Masters or someone who wants to get hired
as a Scrum Master. When I transitioned from
traditional project management, I was able to job
shadow and experience Scrum Master and see firsthand how the role differed
from what I was used to. Other options if
that's not available, take a certification class. Also, join a community
of practice if that will enable you to network with and learn from others
in the industry. This will also help if you're
trying to get hired as a Scrum Master as they can
help give you job leads. My advice would be
to learn and make sure you understand
Agile and Scrum, and shift your thinking from a traditional
plan-driven approach to an adaptive and
collaborative mindset. What advice would you give those aspiring to be a Scrum Master? What I would suggest is
to seek training and potentially certifications
as a Scrum Master. There are many trainings and certifications out
there that allow you to truly gain an understanding of the role and will increase
your chances of getting hired. I'd say step 1 is
figure out what really interests you and spend some
time learning about Scrum. Spend some time figuring out, if you prefer the more task
oriented structure way of doing things on the
project management side or do you really enjoy uncertainty and
solving problems and figuring out how you
can help the team? Because that's what you would
be doing as a Scrum Master. It's hard to say on
a day-to-day basis exactly what roadblocks
you'd have to remove, what kind of issues you
would have to solve. It's really unknown but
you have to be prepared for pretty much anything
that comes your way. As a Scrum Master, spend some time figuring out if coaching is something you're interested in or facilitating. If you really enjoy that process development and
understanding processes, and holding those processes, make them structured and really help the
organization use them. Then Scrum is probably for you. Well, in simple I mean you
have to do your research. Talk to some other
Scrum Masters, find out what others in
the industry are doing. To transition from a
traditional project manager to a Scrum Master, focus on gaining a
deep understanding of Agile principles
and a Scrum framework. Seek training and certification, such as CSM, VSM. Learn Agile metrics,
collaborate with experienced Scrum
Masters and embrace the mindset shift towards
servant leadership, facilitation, and fostering
self organizing teams. Gain practical experience by actively participating
in Agile projects. First and foremost, hone your traditional project
management skill set. These skills include
facilitation, taking an organized
approach to planning, being an effective communicator, understanding and
being able to apply critical interpersonal skills
such as decision-making, problem-solving and coaching, and finally, managing conflict. Secondly, learn as
much as you can about your organization
and the products and services they feature. Learn as much as you can about Scrum processes and values. Try to find a successful
Scrum Master or perhaps maybe two who are willing to coach
and mentor you. Take time to attend some formal Scrum Master
training and if possible, reward yourself with a
Scrum certification. Next, start out by attending a certified Scrum Master class and become an entry-level
Scrum Master. In the project
management institute a comparable
certification track to the Certified Scrum Master is the Disciplined Agile
Scrum Master or DASM. Next, set your
sights on becoming an advanced certified
Scrum Master. You can reach this level
normally after you have 1, 2, 3 years experience. The Advanced Certified
Scrum Master is expected to have higher skill sets
and stakeholder engagement, a higher ability
to manage change, to scale Scrum, and gain
commitment of stakeholders. In the project
management institute, a comparable certification track is the Agile Certified
Practitioner, otherwise known as PMI,
ASCP certification. Once you have more than
five years experience, try to become a certified
Scrum professional. Some traditional project
management skills that translate well into Agile or
Scrum to be specific, include but are not limited to planning, project
composition, risk management, communication,
technical competence, stakeholder analysis,
and engagement. Again, these are just a few there are
definitely lots more. Learn about the work
that you'll be doing. I think it's critical that you understand what you're
getting yourself into. Being a Scrum Master in
one industry may not be the same in a
different industry. It may look a little
bit different just depending on the
type of work that you're doing or the product
that you're developing. Network. Talk to folks
who do this work. See why they do it
and what they get satisfaction out of
being in these roles. If you're inclined to do
traditional project management, you'll find the focus on
the team success as opposed to completing the project
a little bit different. See you complete the project and complete the tasks naturally. That's always the goal of doing the work but your focus
is a bit different. Whereas your traditional
project management, you have a timeline, you have a list of tasks
that need to be completed. In Scrum, you may not
know what's coming up for the next sprint so you are
always adjusting and shifting. Helping the team be
successful through those changes is
really critical. To become a Scrum Master or
get hired for this role, focus on gaining a
strong understanding of Agile principles and
the Scrum framework. Obtain a Scrum certifications, gain practical
experience through internships or volunteer work. Showcase your communication
and facilitation of skills and demonstrate a passion for continuous learning
and improvement. One advice I would give to those aspiring to be Scrum Masters is to take your time and learn the software
development life cycle. In the past, it was easier
to get away with just having your communication
skills, facilitation in order. These days, companies
are looking for someone with
technical competence.