How much is important for your career in Scrum to have officially recognized certification? What is Scrum Certification? There is no clear definition, but we could say Scrum certification is a course where attendees are groomed to become self-motivated and become keen to accept greater responsibility. The certification serves to prove the credentials of the skills in Scrum terminology, practices, and principles.
Certificates for the main Scrum roles are issued by relevant institutions, such as Scrum Alliance or Scrum.org and others. Only these certificates are recognized internationally, and they are proven records of proper Scrum training and education. Furthermore, they are confirmation of Scrum theory and practice knowledge for the owner of these certificates.
Being a part of the Scrum team
Belonging to the Scrum team means to accept self-organization and responsibility. It also means the importance of self-confidence which points to becoming a self-organized individual in one’s life. Scrum certification emphasizes the importance of self-organization which ultimately results in the following:
1. Team participation and a feeling of self-ownership in members;
2. Employees are self-motivated which can lead to improved performance in a team;
3. New environment that is preferable for growth.
Being a part of the self-organized team does not mean that any team member can act in their way. Still the most important within any Scrum team are two roles, Scrum Master and Product Owner. These are the most concerned team members, who take responsibility for the whole team to be always noted and in-line with the common goals. So, what certification means for them?
How certification improves the practice
For the beginning, after certification, you will be much more clear about Scrum values and ceremonies. One of the greatest advantages of Scrum certification or Scrum training is that in the execution of Sprint if any of the team members require help for finishing the assigned tasks. Leading roles improve their skills of the regular interaction with the team, which is a must during the Daily Meetings.
There are so many questions about why meetings are so inefficient, they often take more than 15 minutes, Scrum team member fail with following Scrum rules. That’s why it is very important for the main roles to be well trained and to accept all values and principles prescribed by Scrum. The best opportunity to build a basis for successful Scrum in practice is exactly certified Scrum courses.
The core team of Scrum also works very closely with important stakeholders for making changes and better improvements. Experience from the certification helps team members to improve their practices with potential new ideas and approaches. That way the Scrum team can implement required changes and improvements needed, and design the product or service according to the client’s needs.
From a Scrum Master’s point of view
A Scrum Master certification proves that you have the necessary skills and practices that companies are looking for in this role. Agile project realization requires a dedicated person who can run and efficiently perform all operations, leading people and processes. That’s why there is an increasing demand for Scrum Masters, especially those outstanding. The certification is a milestone in reaching that level.
There are so many reasons why certification could be helpful in the Scrum Master career. It helps the practitioner to acquire and effectively use Scrum, whether as a beginner, or a professional who has executed Scrum before. Certification expands Scrum knowledge and can help you overcome obstacles. If you’re managing large teams across complex organizations, then even better.
After certification, you can significantly improve team communication and collaboration, motivating and leading team members. Scrum Master makes influence to the Scrum team with its skills helping the team to move away from the phase of storming to successful performing. Earned credentials showcase your team members that you have the experience and skills to lead an Agile team successfully.
Becoming a Certified Scrum Master can significantly expand your career opportunities because it proves that you have an Agile mindset, that is advantageous to your organization. You will enable the right skills needed to contribute to organizational change and fulfilling the business’s goals. The certification will make you more marketable in your field, bringing you more other career benefits regarding higher salary, etc. To be clear, we are speaking about recognized certificates, not about local or limited confirmations.
From a Product Owner’s point of view
The Product Owner needs skills such as facilitation, conflict management, creative thinking, and the ability to influence the team and other stakeholders. From a business point of view, the role of the Product Owner is very important and challenging. Certification improves the knowledge and experience in handling teams and pressures of the organization and deadlines for any Product Owner. The same as for the Scrum Master that means that you should have recognized certificate from an accredited institution.
This role is a key stakeholder who is responsible for ensuring that each product feature provides maximum value promptly. Because of some of the responsibilities and competencies of the Product Owner role and their similarity to Business Analysis or Product Manager, many times some of these roles become the Product Owner.
A Product Owner’s task as per the content of Scrum certification is to prioritize as this role represents the voice of the Customer. Certification and training are helpful for the Product Owner and Scrum team to deliver products successfully, working efficiently. The same as optimizing the working process by reaching all business goals and obtaining profit.
Since Agile quickly becoming the standard practice, and the Scrum framework has already become the most popular and widely applied Agile framework worldwide, demand for Product Owners is tremendous. Companies and organizations are looking for the perspective and skilled professionals for this role. For sure and the average salary for a Certified Product Owner shows they are appreciated.
Final thoughts – to be or not to be (Certified)?
Even if you don’t know much about Scrum, and you are just about to start using it or you have already started, the certification will help you build a solid base of Scrum knowledge and understand the concepts of Scrum framework. Whether you are an experienced practitioner or in the initial stages of using the Agile approach, and in the process of Agile transformation, the certification will provide you with the important knowledge, set of skills and techniques for practice improvement.
You should develop an Agile mindset if you want to work with the Agile and with Scrum effectively. The Agile mindset is a key factor for the teams to achieve a successful Agile and self-sustaining approach. As a member of the Scrum team, you have to think in an Agile way. That will lead to a decrease in disagreements, more successful projects and better team collaboration.
The certifications will provide you with in-depth practical knowledge to improve all these skills necessary to achieve the mentioned goals. Also, it makes you relevant and marketable in your field, since certification is a sign of honor as well. Certifications will improve your career growth across any organization or industry that engages with Agile, enabling your professional and personal development.
So, are these reasons strong enough for you? If yes, you may ask Agile Serbia team for any information you need, about courses, certification process, etc. Many useful answers you can find here, however, do not hesitate to ask a question, it’s our pleasure to support your Agile growth.