How to Become Scrum Master?

Scrum Master is a key role in the Scrum Team, and it’s one of the most important role & job profile with lots of responsibilities which includes facilitation, Team Coaching, Change agent, etc. There are tons of certifications/courses (online/offline) available in the market, after completing the Scrum master certification or even sometimes getting promoted (or get hired) in their organization as a scrum master. 

The first question which comes to everyone’s mind is "How to become a great scrum master?"

To become a Scrum Master, you need real-time experience and for the experience, you need a job. It’s like a chicken and egg problem. So how do we crack this? 

Here are 5 steps to becoming a Scrum Master: 

• Gain Knowledge of Scrum and Scrum Master  
• Expand your knowledge and gain insights from practicing Scrum Master 
• Improve your skills by Volunteering for a Social Project 
• Test your skills by Shadowing a Scrum Master  
• Apply for Scrum Master jobs and get started as a Scrum Master  

 
Step 1:  Gain Knowledge of Scrum and Scrum Master

• Basics of Scrum 

It’s very important to learn the purpose behind everything in the Scrum framework than just the mechanics. Take up the Spirit of Scrum Foundations course. 

• Scrum Master role 

Many people would be under the impression that a Scrum Master is similar to Project Manager or they are coordinators or their main job is to run Daily scrum meetings.  

Scrum Master’s role is that of a Systems Coach and requires a deep understanding of Organization design. Leanpitch’s CSM courses guide you in the right direction to gain an understanding of the true Scrum Master role. 

Step 2: Expand your knowledge and gain insights from practicing Scrum Master 

While training gives you a start, you need to expand the learning to gain a broader perspective. Interacting with practicing Scrum Masters is a great way to do that. Leanpitch offers 3 forums to do that  

• Agility Thinking (PlayScrum) meetups:  

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Leanpitch conducts face-to-face meetups every month In 7 cities across India to bring practitioners and enthusiasts together to share experiences and challenges to learn from each other. Explore Meetup Groups here 

• Weekly Q&A:  

Leanpitch conducts weekly Q&A with our coach Vivek bringing practitioners to share their experiences and answer questions. 

• Agility Thinking (PlayScrum) WhatsApp groups:  

These groups are made up of both practitioners and enthusiasts to discuss real-life issues in real time.  

• Leanpitch Curated Videos & Blogs:  

Leanpitch Coaches record videos on various topics and also conduct interviews of practitioners and share them with the community. 

Subscribe to Leanpitch YouTube Channel 

Join Leanpitch Telegram Channel

Step 3:  Improve your skills by Volunteering for a Social Project

While Knowledge is a great asset, you need to turn that into the skill to do the job. Volunteering for a social project would be a great way to do that. We at Leanpitch provide two platforms to help our alumni to get that experience: 

• Scrum Pitch: It's our testing lab of ideas. We allow a few qualified individuals to come and join our scrum teams which develop products at leanGears. 

• Social Scrum: If you can spare 10 hours a week, you can join our initiative called Social Scrum. We invest whatever money and resources are required to run these projects and participants volunteer their time and skills to solve a social problem using Scrum 

Step 4: Test your skills by Shadowing a Scrum Master

Once you have gained skills, it’s time to test them out to sharpen it further. The best way to do it is to Shadow a Scrum Master in your organization. Meet with them often to discuss issues, brainstorm ideas, and observe them on the job. 

If you can’t find a ScrumMaster to shadow in your organization find a Scrum Master buddy from the community and help them in solving their day-to-day issues by acting as a neutral listener or brainstorming buddy. 

Leanpitch offers two ways to do it.  

• Practitioners Corner:  

This is an event where practicing scrum Master brings the issues to discuss solutions. You get a chance to understand their problem and brainstorm solutions along with them. This is done as part of  PlayScrum meetups. 

• Pair with a ScrumMaster:  

We will make a connection with a willing practicing Scrum Master to discuss real-time issues and solve those problems in real-time. 

 
Step 5:  Apply for Scrum Master jobs and get started as a Scrum Master

Now you are ready to take a plunge. Start applying for jobs. An effective way to find the job is to make connections at meetups and find a job through your connections. What can you do to land a job? 

•  Create visibility for yourself by showcasing your skills 

• Write blogs on Scrum Master-related topics using your experience. Make sure your experience shows up in your words, examples, and views. 

• Present at meet-ups, and conferences and participate in practitioners' Corner  

• Prepare your resume for Scrum Master’s job: 

Never lie on your resume. Recollect the instances where you have exhibited skills that are required for a Scrum Master and highlight them on your resume.  

• Demonstrate your skills and show the intent to be a Scrum Master in the interviews 

When an interviewer asks questions, don’t jump on to give a solution. Understand the problem, brainstorm solutions with the interviewer, and show your Systems Thinking skills. 

• Understand why are they hiring you 

Remember nobody hires you to implement Scrum in their organization but to help them in their transformation. Understand that purpose and show them how you would help them in that transformation.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7EK8tLarFw&feature=youtu.be 

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