Junilu Lacar wrote:Apologies for the contrarian tone...
I always find it is best to support people and encourage others when they are interested in pursuing a new career path, and I'd never discourage anyone from pursuing an accreditation in the field of their choosing.
It's true, a certification will not turn you into the greatest Scrum Master to ever walk the Earth.
And there is no guarantee anywhere that says if you pass a certification exam you are guaranteed a job. That goes for every certification.
However, I found pursuing the Scrum Master certification came with many rewards.
Setting Goals and Adjusting Plans
In Scrum, we talk about setting goals and then planning to achieve them.
Getting Scrum Master certified was a goal I set. The exam objectives were clear and helped guide my studies. And of course, finally passing the exam was extremely rewarding.
The goal achievement system in your brain is what most illicit drugs actually activate. Never underestimate how great it feels to achieve something you set your mind to!
Which Cert is Best
There are many certs available, including the SAFe Scrum Master Certification, the CSM from Scrum Alliance and the PSM from Scrum.org.
From what I've seen, the Scrum.org certification is the most widely respected.
It concentrates on core Scrum concepts, while the SAFe certification has a slightly broader set of criteria. That's understandable, because SAFe is about more than just Scrum.
The ScrumAlliance certification requires you to take training beforehand, which can cost anywhere from $500 to $2500. Plus, you have to renew that cert every few years. I'm not a big fan of that business model.
With scrum dot org's Professional Scrum Master exam, you only need to prove your competency. No expensive training is required, and the certification on that version of the Scrum Guide never expires.
To me, that's the way certifications should work, so I always recommend that one. I think the exam is now $200, but before November of 2023 I think it was only $100 or $150.
Pursue what calls to you
If you think you'd be a great Scrum Master, and the concept of Agile software development calls to you, I definitely recommend pursuing this career path.
And if you're looking for motivation to learn, and you'd like to add a respected accreditation to your resume, I think a Scrum Master certification is a great way to go.
As it has been said, this won't turn you into the worlds greatest Scrum Master overnight, but it's one way to begin your journey, and who knows, perhaps with some hard work, some dedication and time coaching and facilitating teams, maybe you will just win the Oscar for best performance in a Scrum role!
(BTW, we call the Scrum Master an
accountability, not a
role. Call it a role in the Scrum Community and they cut your tongue out.)