A Professional Scrum Master (PSM) is a professional certificate that is provided by Scrum.org, an organization that seeks to improve professionalism in Scrum training across the world. As a Professional Scrum Master, you will be a coach, a facilitator, problem-solver, and basically a promoter of Agile in an organization. Every day, more and more companies are shifting to Agile methodology to keep up with the changing innovative environment. Many people mistake Scrum to be another methodology. But, it is actually a framework that manages various agile processes in software development and other projects.
A Professional Scrum Master is the manager or coach of the Scrum team, who prepares his/her team to work to their highest potential and deliver a product within the assigned resources and under budget. A Scrum Master has in-depth knowledge of the Scrum framework and its applications. The Agile Scrum framework has been introduced in many organizations for improving communication, speed, and teamwork. As a certified PSM, you will use your knowledge on how to make the framework function at its full capability. Not only this, but a professional Scrum Master is also responsible for a relationship between the product owner and the team. A good relationship is necessary among different parties so that there isn’t any confusion regarding the products.
Responsibilities of a certified Professional Scrum Master in an organization
The responsibilities of a Scrum Master in an organization vary according to the project. In all cases, it will be your responsibility to manage the workflow in an organization effectively and motivate their team throughout a project. Regardless of how complicated the project is, they can ensure that the team is self-organized. They often collaborate with other Scrum teams or product owners to increase productivity and maximize the value of the team. Some of the major responsibilities of a certified professional Scrum Master in an organization are:
Promoting an Agile mindset: In order to transition into the Scrum framework successfully, the scrum team needs to have an Agile mindset. Since a certified PSM goes through many hours of training and handling real-life problems during their training sessions, they are responsible to lead their team to follow their suit in having an Agile mindset. A Scrum Master is expected to be a successful coach. So it is their job to coach the organization, more specifically the Scrum team to have an Agile mindset.
Increasing the quality of delivered products: A PSM coaches their team to implement the best practices while working on a project. They also ensure that the products that are being delivered to the clients are of the best quality and are developed within the given timeline. A scrum master is given the liberty to create their own scrum team of best Agile minded people. A scrum master provides a clear idea of the desired product so that the team can work on it. The scrum master is the one who keeps the communication between the team and outsiders intact. They communicate and exchange information with other scrum teams, product owners, and external groups.
Removing impediments: A PSM is responsible for removing any external factors that could compromise the project. They handle all the issues so that the Scrum team can focus solely on the development of a product and improving it. A scrum master provides team support during sprint planning and executes it. They also assist teams in prioritizing various projects that are in the backlog so that products can be delivered on time.
Developing a creative environment: Whilst scrum master coaches and provides guidance and support to their scrum teams regularly, they also help in developing a creative environment at an organizational level by initiating multidimensional collaboration. They not only collaborate with other scrum teams but also product owners to work on projects collectively instead of individually.
The scope of a certified PSM
Various leading companies like Tata Consultancy Services, Capgemini, Accenture Technology, Infosys Limited are looking to hire PSM certificate holders. Since the PSM certification is recognized and valid worldwide, certified professionals have a scope of huge career growth. Having the training and certification is an unbiased outcome of years of working with the Scrum framework. The positions for a certified PSM are Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Information Technology (IT) Consultant, System Analyst, Project Manager, Senior Software Engineer, etc
Clearing the exam to get the PSM certification is mandatory. It is one of the toughest exams. The aspirants must have complete knowledge and 4 years of working experience in the Scrum framework. An individual who has mastered working in Scrum can apply for the PSM-I test. After clearing that, they can go for PSM II and III levels.
Benefits of having a PSM certification
Many organizations are adapting to Agile methodology in the Scrum framework for their ease of communication and collaboration among different teams. This has made PSM-certified professionals highly valuable in the industry. Having an in-depth understanding of the Scrum framework will allow you to manage Scrum projects better. And to get this understanding, you must go through the training and get relevant experience.
Through the training, PSM certified professionals will be able to look at the projects in a new light. Proper training and certification allow you to effectively use Agile for better project management. You will have a dedicated Scrum team of your own, one that you can coach to be self-organized. The Scrum team will be working relentlessly to reach goals within the deadline and under budget. Implementing scrum in different departments in an organization, during various practical world problems and complex situations, allows the organization to have time and cost-efficient outcomes.
Having a PSM certification helps the certified professionals stand out amongst their competitors. PSM-certified professionals have a higher chance of getting jobs with some of the most reputable organizations. Also, studies have shown that certified professional Scrum Master can earn a higher income than their non-certified counterparts. Another advantage of getting the PSM certification is that you will be able to become a part of the Scrum community. During the course, you will be networking with people with a similar mindset as yours. You can reach out to them for suggestions and recommendations for moving ahead in your career.
