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Tag: scrum master certification

Certified Scrum Product Owner: What to Know and Who Can Become?

Posted on by Imarticus Learning

Businesses are finding new ways to increase the productivity and quality of their services or commodities offered to the customers. The product offered by the firm/company should meet all the necessary regulations and guidelines. There must be room for development. In this article, we will see what a certified scrum product owner is and how to become one.

Basic Terminologies

Scrum

Scrum is a framework on which people can collaborate among themselves and find solutions to problems. Scrum focuses on increasing the quality of services and teamwork. It is a simple platform with less complexity. Simple and basic solutions that are visible in the current scenario are taken into consideration in the scrum and then iterative work for increasing quality is done until the end goal is reached. People can complete a project more quickly and effectively using scrum. Jeff Sutherland made the first scrum project in 1993.

Product Owner

A product owner is responsible for increasing the value and quality of the product made by the scrum development team to the fullest extent. Market analysis, product designing, business strategy formation, etc. are some of the major roles of a product owner. A product owner is responsible for increasing the Return on Investment (ROI).

The Certified Scrum Product Owner

It is a certification course offered by the scrum alliance which helps us in becoming a product owner. You can find suitable courses from the scrum alliance website and then you have to attend a 16-hour course in which you will be taught about your roles and responsibilities in detail. There is an online exam after the training which is not famous for its toughness. The passing percentage for certification is 65%. If all goes well, you will acquire your CSPO certification. The license offered has a limited warranty. After the time duration expires, one has to renew his/her CSPO certification. Currently, the CSPO certification is valid for two years.

Prerequisites needed

There are no such mandatory skills or prerequisite which you will require for acquiring CSPO certification. But then again, if you know nothing about business analysis and strategies, then you can still acquire CSPO certification but in this era of competition, where will you stand? Also, anyone who is interested in taking the course can go for it irrespective of age, gender, and educational qualifications.

CSPO & PSPO

Both are certification courses offered specifically for product owner but there is a slight difference. CSPO is offered by the Scrum alliance whereas PSPO (Profession Scrum Product Owner) certification course is offered by scrum.org. The PSPO certification does not expire and the exam has a passing percentage of 80%. Often people confuse among these two. It is better to evaluate yourself first and be aware, and then choose the right certification for you.

Importance Of CSPO Certification In Personal Growth

The certification is a proof that you have attended the classroom session and have also cleared the exam. If you have decided to become a product leader, then this certification course will add value to your resume. The companies will see to it and you may get an edge over other candidates. This is a basic course which boosts your skills as a product owner, once you have taken it you can also take advance certification courses to grow further.

Conclusion

There are a plethora of online courses available on the internet. CSPO certification is one of them which can enhance your way of working as many new things are taught during this certification course. Your ideas will have more weight when a professional course is added to it. This article was all about certified scrum product owner and how to become one. I hope it helps!

What is the Future of Scrum Master?

Posted on by Imarticus Learning

What is the Future of Scrum Master?

Someone who facilitates the functioning of an agile development team is a scrum master. Scrum is a technique that enables a team to organize themselves and make necessary changes rapidly, all in compliance with agile principles; essentially the exchange of important data through an agile medium.

Post completion of a scrum master certification course, this is exactly where a scrum master fits in, by managing the process of exchanging data seamlessly. Both the front and centre function of growth is handled by a scrum master, who also ensures the team is at the peak of its performance.

He also performs various roles such as a coach, motivational speaker, mentor or manager, to solve and manage the problems that occur during the development stage of a product.

While most skills are learned on the job, a scrum master certification course always helps in paving the way for a bright future. Here are the future career prospects for a scrum master:

● Take the role of a mentor- This is the perfect role for a scrum master who has learned that his ultimate passion lies in the creation and development of a product, often regardless of what kind of a product it is. A scrum master who enjoys the process of product development more than the actual creation of the product is a good fit into the role of a mentor or an agile coach to train other aspiring scrum masters.

Not only does he get the opportunity to impart the knowledge he has gathered from his experiences so far, but also gets to tackle newer challenges as well. It also helps the team he is leading, to become more self-sufficient to improve their organising capabilities.

● Become a product owner- Some scrum masters realize that they are more interested in their team’s collective effort of creating a product rather than the process that goes into creating it. These scrum masters are becoming excellent candidates for taking up the responsibility of product ownership.

Often most of them learn so much about the product, it’s market, target customer base, and other requisites in the process of building it, that this alone leads them to become excellent product owners. Most product ownership roles require a certification, hence a scrum master certification course may come in really handy.

● Become a development manager- Without exerting too much authority on their teams, scrum masters become skilled in leading teams and providing guidance. While most scrum masters work closely with team managers, if a scrum master’s skills are on point, in terms of both technology and management, he would definitely be a good fit for a development manager or in fact with relevant experience even a team director.

● Consultant in a financial services firm- An experienced scrum master is a good fit for a consultant role at a financial firm. Along with enabling agility, his job would also include self-management in his team, while bringing up the quality of work delivered and increasing productivity.

He could also increase cooperation among teams and the management while also putting his coaching abilities to use to guide the software product, development teams.

● Consultant in a marketing firm- A scrum master can move to a marketing firm as a consultant and structure teams to develop planning and budgeting, release and execution of plans, managing issues and resolving them, work-related project controls.

He would also be responsible for monitoring their status and providing them with hands-on guidance while sticking to schedules, budgets, and scope of work. An experienced professional who has completed a scrum master certification course also facilitates the creation of the key product of the company. Often he is the one held responsible for guiding the team to create and maintain backlogs, as well.
A scrum master can follow multiple paths by either choosing to become a mentor, manager, product owner or just work with more difficult teams. The abilities learned in becoming an excellent scrum master will definitely come in use while always leaving enough room for improvement.

What Jobs I Can Get With Scrum Master Certification

Posted on by Imarticus Learning

With competitions running on an all time high, it is extremely important to update your skills and knowledge to essentially climb that ladder of success. Gone are the days when you would have to sign up for evening or night classes to master that additional skill; the advent of online certification courses and programs have made it easier for working professionals to master an additional degree or certificate in spite of having full time jobs.

Scrum master courses have been consistently gaining popularity across companies, with certain organisations actually giving more preference to candidates who have completed a course in scrum master certification. Not only does this add more value to your resume, but a formal certification also can help you work more efficiently and successfully.

At the end of a scrum master certification course, you will have the opportunity to work at some of the best career positions across multiple industries. Here is a lowdown of the jobs you can look out for post completion of a scrum master certification course:

  • Entry level scrum master– If you have an experience of less than a year, an entry level job as a scrum master is perfect for you. You can learn all about agile practices while having your own, smaller set of responsibilities to deal with.

 

  • Scrum master- Post completion of a year of working at an entry level position, you are eligible to be promoted to the designation of a scrum master. This will give you a headlong entry at the operational level and along with your designated role you might have to double up as a motivator, mentor, coach as well as a facilitator of all troubles your team might be facing at operational or production level.

 

  • Senior scrum master– At a more senior level, you shall be entitled to additional responsibilities. From handling multiple teams at once to maintaining workflow and harmony amongst departments, a senior scrum master will have to do it all. You will also have to bring about processes, put frameworks into place and demonstrate knowledge that you have gained during your previous experiences.

 

  • Coach scrum master– The main responsibility of a coach scrum master is to train individuals, departments and teams on a regular basis on scrum practices. You will not only be required to polish your own knowledge and skills, but also keep your team (s) informed about all the latest developments in the field of scrum master. You would also require to teach your team on how to bring about faster results.

 

  • Product manager– All your previous experiences and in-depth knowledge can finally lead you to the position of a product manager. The designation of a product manager would require you to perform under more stringent deadlines while also taking responsibility for the performance and deadline adherence of your team. Your main responsibility would be to uphold the aims and objectives of the organisation along with the goals set for the product, while also motivating your team to walk along the path of success. This position would need good leadership tactics and your managerial abilities as well.

If you are still considering whether you should go for a formal scrum master certification course or not, always remember, hiring managers actually look for certifications on the resume; something that not only proves your worth but also your mettle.

It also means that there is no second thought about your performance graph while hiring you for a company. A certification also improves your future career prospects, and while organizations are looking for better ways to bring about more processes, implement feedback from users and customers, a CSM fits in right like the missing piece of the puzzle. Certified scrum master professionals are always in constant demand, with evolving job roles and never a scarcity in the job market.

In an industry that pays really well, the job and scope of work for either an emerging scrum master professional or an experienced one never faces a dearth of opportunities. Use of agile practices in leading a team as a certified scrum master is actually far beyond what a usual team leader or project manager could contribute. A great career choice already, a scrum master certification just paves the way to a brilliant career ahead.

How Much Does it Cost to Become Scrum Master

Posted on by Imarticus Learning

If you intend to make a career as a Scrum-Master then you need scrum master certification. It is normal that you will have many questions about the CSM course and that is the right due-diligence you need to take. So, let us explore the cost and benefits of the certified scrum master course.

Certified Scrum Master Workshop

Certified Scrum Master workshop at Imarticus Learning gets you job-ready for the role of SM. Being an entry-level program you can discover answers to the following questions.
• What is Scrum? Is it different from Agile and traditional frameworks?
• What are Scrum core values?
• When can Scrum be used? What are the determining factors and project complexity?.
• What are the different responsibilities and roles in a scrum-team?
• What are Sprint Review, Daily stand-up, Release Planning and Sprint Retrospective in Scrum?
• What are scrum artefacts like Sprint Backlog, Burndown Charts, Product Backlog etc?
• How will the scrum master certification help me?

Why is CSM appropriate for me?

Anyone can enrol for the CSM workshop if their core interest lies in frameworks increasing efficiency in project management. Some knowledge of business practices, project management or experience working in an agile enterprise helps the understanding process. Scrum and Agile are buzz words already adopted in most Indian enterprises like Wipro, TCS, IBM, Sapient, Infosys, HCL and more. You can accelerate your career progression with the scrum master certification if you are an IT professional.
You will have to attend and complete the 2-day workshop which is mandatory for certification and then attempt the online certification exam. The total cost of the scrum certificate is USD 100 which is normally included in the workshop cost paid by the trainee. The certifying Scrum Alliance has specifically made it classroom training in scrum mandatory. Hence one has to complete the workshop to be eligible to take the certifying exam and obtain certification through the accredited training partners Imarticus Learning.
Many attributes like soft-skills in communicating with the team and adopting scrum methodology need face-to-face interactions and cannot be conveyed in the virtual or other modes. However, along with the classroom-oriented workshop, you get the allied online programs of
• Creating value with Scrum Framework
• Agile mindset and principles on how Agile mindset is different from the Waterfall mindset.
• Kanban for teams in software development to help Scrumban/Kanban implementation and improve team productivity.
Certification Process
The exam pattern for the scrum master certification consists of 35 multi-choice objective-type questions based on applications of the scrum guide principles. You get one hour to complete the exam which has no negative marking for wrong answers. You are permitted two free attempts to clear the Scrum Alliance exam. If that is still not sufficient you can pay afresh to take the final third attempt. The pass-percentage is 65 per cent meaning you need to get at least 24 correct answers out of the total 35 questions. What you definitely will not need is tuitions since the course prepares you for the certifying exams in the CSM workshop.
Will I Get a Job After This CSM Course
The CSM workshop has no assured job assistance attached to it. However, the Imarticus course ensures you are job-ready for the scrum master role. Additionally, the program does include accelerators to finding a job like the
• Interview Guide – Revision of interview questions, mock interviews etc free of cost.
• Quizzes – Scrum quizzes can help in the certifying exams and allows you to revise concepts and interview questions on Scrum.
• Career Prepping- You can have face-to-face certified trainer interaction to clear career doubts.
• Networking opportunities – You can network more effectively by joining the Imarticus community of bloggers. Discuss Agile portals or post videos on the YouTube Imarticus channel, be a scrum speaker at events in your hometown, take webinars online for Imarticus clients and more. These activities improve your visibility and personal brand so jobs and recruiters can chase you with job offers.
Concluding Notes:
Imarticus offers a variety of Agile courses and uses only certified Scrum and Agile trainers. Other than the support offered at and for the CSM course you can expect to have a lifelong relationship with them. Do your scrum master certification with Imarticus today.

Can You Be Agile Without Doing Scrum If So How

Posted on by Imarticus Learning

This is not a frequent question that many encounters in their Agile career, but, have you ever wondered, ‘Is Agile possible without Scrum?’
The answer to that is, yes, absolutely.
There are many instances of real-world projects and corporate projects that sometimes do not make use of any of your Scrum sensibilities. Knowing and being an Agile practitioner is more than sufficient. Let us understand further. Scrum as a framework is used to enable teams, enterprises, and organizations on their Agility pathway. It is not the only proven way to be Agile. But Agile works well without Scrum under certain circumstances only. Let us understand what these are –
1. When your project is small in size – Agile without Scrum works best only if the project size is small and the team members are also small in number. This is because the time used for Agile scaling will be shorter and will have not many disadvantages affecting the project directly.
2. Clear, simple and direct requirements – Under Agile without Scrum is applicable best to requirements from the project that are really simple, crystal clear and direct.
3. Periodical planning and requirements – The projects that you undertake must have and experience periodical planning and must be upgraded with periodical requirements, so as to not pressure the project processes. This can be used to a large extent with Agile and there is no requirement for Scrum, whatsoever.
4. Regular improvements – open communication with your team members which is quite easy to do since it is already a small team, can help you figure out already existing solutions and gain feedback regarding your work, weekly developments and progress, crosscheck these with the developer, and before you know it, you would have increased your efficiency through such regular improvements.
5. Small teams mean no hierarchies/better transparency – Small teams where everybody is an equal leads to transparent knowledge sharing, coping strategies and mutual help/support. Also since smaller teams lack a head, or rather is not hierarchy conducive, it becomes easier to be a self-organizing team which is driven by equal participation from the team members.
6. Quality output – All team members are equally held responsible for their contribution and quality output, which is responsible to keep the team going. This helps deliver success and efficient output in small scale but the quality remains very high. Each and every member ensures that their work meets a standard parameter to test quality.
7. Regular/periodical releases – It is most important to have working software in place instead of comprehensive documentation.
Sometimes you will have no release team and may have to work around this aspect of the project by yourselves. You will need to put your work into production periodically, ideally, weekly, and get the approval of the Product Manager to ensure you can move on smoothly to the next tasks at hand. You may also need to segregate tasks and assign them according to each team member’s unique capacities, to see quality output from your team’s final project work. There is an excellent way to learn Agile and go under Agile training. You can try Agile training in Mumbai. You can eventually upgrade to Agile development certification.

How valuable is Scrum master certification for Business Analyst?

Posted on by Imarticus Learning

 

In the life cycle of Software Development, the role of Business Analyst is pretty essential. A business analyst is the one who gives the team a clear understanding of what the software needs to do. The other teams work on the specification provided by the business analyst. As the IT industry is adapting the agile framework, the demand for the Scrum master has increased folds.

To explain in simple words, a scrum master is the one who tracks the progress of the project and helps in removing the obstacles that the team is facing. Even though the scrum framework does not have any place for the business analyst, the BA’s are an excellent choice as scrum master. But how can a business analyst take the role of a scrum master?

The role of the scrum master is to make sure that the project is running smoothly and on time. They conduct day to day meeting and take the inputs from the team members about their previous day’s work and understand what their current day’s agenda is. This may sound similar to the role of a business analyst whose job is to keep the track project’s progress and solve the obstacles that make come in the way.

In an organisation, the experience of the business analyst to handle the stakeholders plays a very crucial role in the scrum environment. The BA knows precisely when to approach the customer, the sponsor or the executive in the right time which as a scrum master is the key role in the team.

The Scrum environment is very collaborative. The job that the business analyst used to do alone is done with the help of the entire team in the scrum network. The Scrum master as the BA can be taken as the one who takes the lead in case of any issue and helps solve resolve the issue. In a Scrum environment, the responsibility to manage the backlogs in the product is on the product owner. In general, it is the responsibility of the BA to handle the backlogs. Hence, BA as scrum master can help guide the product owner in resolving the issue of backlogs.

Scrum is based on the agile methodology and just having the basic knowledge of it will not help. The certification course will help you understand the minor things as well as the overall idea behind the agile framework. There are certain ‘terms’, or you can call them as ‘vocabularies’ that the agile framework uses and can only be understood with the help of certification and certification. With a certification in the scrum, you will be an indispensable asset to the company that are adopting the framework.

With the organisations showing more willingness to adapt the agile framework, the business analyst alone will not help. A certification for scrum master is going to not only help you raise the career graph but also help the organisation with a skilled scrum person. The scrum master certification will help them become an important part of the team.

Before that also should have a look on the eligibility criteria for Agile Scrum master certification.The skills of a business analyst are very much required in the scrum master, and the certification will help you and the organisation both. The certification can help you make your organisation understand that you not only understand the agile framework but are also capable of using it to help the company.

For people who are willing to learn the scrum methodology, Imarticus learning is the leading institute that provides the certification for the same and helps grow the individual in their career with the Scrum certification and broaden their career opportunities.