The Certified Scrum Master certification is an entry-level certification broadly available through the Scrum Alliance. It aims to offer professionals a complete awareness of Scrum’s values and methodologies, including accountability, team performance, and iterative progress.
The CSM certification is highly beneficial for those who leverage the Scrum framework for product delivery. It also benefits the people solely responsible for optimizing Scrum, including the Scrum masters and their teams.
Once you successfully become a CSM, you will be bombarded with many valuable benefits. You will have increased recognition along with credibility as a leader. Besides, you will have access to additional opportunities within organizations with agile practices. Last but not least, a successful Scrum Master will demonstrate Scrum knowledge.
Key features of Scrum Master Certification
Here is a comprehensive listing of all the key features of Scrum Master certification proffered by Simplilearn:
- The fees of CSM® are included within the certification program.
- Offers two days of online virtual class
- There are around 20PDUs and 16SEUs.
- Simplilearn enables students to acquire training from globally acclaimed Certified Scrum Trainers along with a free exam retake.
- It offers complimentary access to more than 15 courses worth Rs. 25,000
- Simplilearn provides a two-year membership in Scrum Alliance.
Skills covered in the Certified Scrum Master Certification course
The Certified Scrum Master Certification course offered by Simplilearn covers quite a number of skills. Some of them include:
- Importance of Agile
- Scrum and Agile methodologies
- Scrum terminologies
- Scrum lifecycle
- Roles involved in Scrum
- Daily Scrum and review
- Distributed Scrum
Benefits of Pursuing Certified Scrum Master Certification
Enthusiasts who successfully complete their CSM training can efficiently showcase their expertise in Scrum to future employees. In fact, the newly learnt and acquired skills are extensively valued within the industry. Most importantly, CSM professionals can obtain exclusive access to the local networks, groups, and resources.
Advancing your career as a Scrum Master
As a scrum master, you have the potential to advance your career as long as you desire. While you gain more experience as a Scrum Master, you’ll likely discover other Agile opportunities. Furthermore, you will also have the opportunity to ascend your career ladder.
For example, you can take on a role of a Scrum Master or become an Agile Coach. If you wish, you can also work towards becoming a manager.
You can consider pursuing certain certifications in the Scaled Agile framework to demonstrate your proficiency in Scrum. Some of them include SAFe POPM Certification, Leading SAFe Certification, SASM, SSM, etc.
If you desire, you can also take advantage of the newer opportunities that are evolving in the world of Scrum. Therefore, you can provide aid to your organization and guide it towards the path of success.
How can Additional Agile Certifications help after CSM?
As more and more organizations are moving from Waterfall to Agile techniques, they’re deploying Agile Scrum. The CSM certification helps pave the way and kickstart your career in Agile.
And being a certified scrum master, you’re already geared up to experience these changes. In fact, you also possess the capability to stand at the forefront of your company’s transition.
In order to become a successful Scrum Master, it’s imperative to gain communication and facilitation skills. And you can achieve them only by practicing these activities in your regular work. If you wish to pace up and develop your coaching skills, you can opt for the Certified Agile Coach (ICP-ACC) training program.
Career path of a Scrum Master after completing CSM
Once you complete your CSM certification, numerous career paths will open in front of you. Here, we have listed some of the most commendable career paths that you can choose after CSM:
● Work in SAFe enterprise
If you wish to elevate your skills further beyond Agile, SAFe is the best option. The SAFe Agilist Certification will help facilitate Agile deployment at the enterprise level. It basically enables large teams to transform more quickly and efficiently.
Please note that the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) supports Lean-Agile practices, scaling leadership, and portfolio management.
● Become Product Owner
After you have completed your CSM, you can opt for a CSPO certification. This globally recognized certification will efficiently help you to demonstrate your product management skills.
Besides, it will also help you to gain a better understanding of the Scrum framework. CSPO will give you valuable insights into the key responsibilities of product owners. And lastly, you will get to acquire all the requisite skills for taking product ownership.
● Take on a managerial role
You should note that Scrum masters are facilitators and not just mere managers. In other words, Scrum Masters don’t really focus on managing people and teams.
As they are responsible for facilitating, they’re required to remove obstacles and resolve conflicts. And this demands both empathy and communication skills. These skills will be immensely beneficial when a Scrum Master chooses to become a manager.
You can opt for a PMI-ACP certification that will teach you numerous methods of Agile. And this will enable both efficient agile and non-agile project implementation.
● Become A Coach
Please note that obtaining coaching skills will help you to improve your workplace efficiency. Besides, you can also show off your skills to others present within your workplace. When you become an A-CSM, you will have the potential to facilitate, coach, and succeed in a Scrum role.
While A-CSM is one of the fastest-growing certifications in the world, you’ll know how to encounter difficult challenges. And you can do so while you improve your scrum proficiency.
To conclude
It is imperative for a Scrum Master to work with a team that focuses on one project at a time. And eventually, these professionals can consider working with multiple teams on the same project or multiple projects.
Nevertheless, certain professionals continue building their skills in the same direction. You can even take over managerial positions or complex roles like senior Scrum Master. You can also take product ownership, development, or management roles if you wish. Explore Agile Certifications.
If you wish to work on larger-scale projects, you can choose to become an agile coach, transportation leader, or even a mentor. Scrum masters play a pivotal role in the success of scrum development organizations and teams.
Irrespective of whichever path you choose, you will be able to acquire the most valuable skills. And you can make the best use of them across any setting.