Scrum Master - No Experience
Hello Everyone. Happy New Year. How do I get my foot in the "door" as a Scrum Master with no prior experience. I have been studying the material and will be writing the CSM in a few weeks. Any advice for someone in my current situation. Appreciate you taking the time to respond.
Thank you!
Just wanted to add I currently work in an environment that does not use any form of Agile unfortunately.
Apply to job postings and hope for the best. I know that isn't what you wanted to hear but unfortunately it is the best advice I can give. Trying to break into a new career is not going to be easy. Especially one like Scrum Master where it is so miss understood.
Thank you @Daniel, appreciate your honesty.
I currently work in an environment that does not use any form of Agile unfortunately
As you are already learning Scrum and pursuing the certification, do you think Scrum or Agile is something which if implemented in your organization will bring value. If you wish to pursue this path you will have to get your supervisor's approval (bare minimum thing). Try to implement Scrum in one team and showcase results and check if the organization at large will accept this new way of working. Of course this would be some additional work over and above whatever work you do right now but it will help you gain practical experience.
Post that as Daniel mentions you can try your luck in the market where of course experience comes in handy.
Hello Asad,
May I ask what your background is? Do you already work in IT?
Daniel Wilhite's advice is good and the most direct way.
Another way is if you already work in IT as an Analyst, Developer, Tester or Release Engineer is to look for the same type of job at a company that does Scrum and from their out you can get experience working under the Scrum framework, observing the scrum master, asking after a certain period to be mentored by him/her and from their the sky is the limit.
Hope that this helps.
i am also new to this field i currently do not work in IT as of yet but i do have a bachelors degree in IT. I am trying to figure out the best way to break into the field. what is the best way aside from studying to take the CSM/PSM test and courses? any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Adam,
There is no sure shot way of landing into a Scrum Master's role. However, I do come across a few associate Scrum Master's job postings on socials from time to time and my advise would be to try and apply to those roles. There is a good chance that you might stand out amongst other candidates and earn yourself a Scrum Master's role in that organization.
Another way to get in would be to apply for other technical roles which best suits your skillset and from there you can move into a Scrum Master's role through internal references.
Hope this helps! All the best! :)
Hey Adam, great to see your enthusiasm! Since you already have an IT background, I’d suggest going for as much practical exposure as possible. you could prepare for either CSM/PSM while appreciating that both have their differences. I’d love to explain more if that was your question but will save it for a follow-up conversation. Before finalizing, I’d suggest taking a look at different target companies, some companies will prefer PSM over CSM. In fact, some companies are demanding SSM as well.
Coming back to your question, you can join Agile communities and engage actively by joining meetups for Scrum, LinkedIn groups, and forums like this. I’d highly recommend you start networking as well, it will be very beneficial. You can connect with Agile coaches and Scrum Masters on LinkedIn, as a matter of fact, many share job openings and valuable insights.
If possible, find opportunities to shadow Agile teams or internships because firsthand experience is the best transition into this field. And of course, keep moving ahead you are on the right path.