Certifications are looked at as a benchmark of specific skills of the professionals. They show your dedication, commitment, and technical knowledge in a particular methodology. These certifications stand to be the employer’s preferred choice for gauging one’s skillset against performing job responsibilities over experience in the field. Earning certifications in your preferred domain will make your profile stand out for career opportunities.
The certifications also improve your job retention rates in the event of layoffs. With the credibility and subject matter expertise you gain through certification, you will be able to perform jobs with utmost efficiency and confidence; you will open doors for your career growth in the same organization. In the current article, we will learn about the best agile and scrum certifications that foster your career growth.
Before we explore the best certifications in agile and scrum let’s understand the basic difference between the two to be able to pick the options right as per the career demands.
Scrum Vs. Agile
Scrum is part of the Agile approach. Agile can be defined as an approach to project management, and scrum is the method used to implement it. A few parts of scrum make it sound similar to agile principles, but several things add to the differences between the two. Agile defines things at an abstract level where, whereas scrum is a concrete set of steps designed to flow for continuous delivery. Scrum offers an implementation framework to the user, while Agile does not provide any. Scrum is built on three pillars, whereas agile is built on 12 principles.
Best Agile and Scrum Certifications
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
The CSM certification is for aspiring scrum team leaders across multiple industries. The professionals who are expected to work in cross-functional teams to solve complex problems can take this certification. The certification is the right blend of academic and practical knowledge about the scrum framework. It gives you a good understanding of the scrum framework, enabling you to thrive in agile project management. The knowledge you gain through certified scrum master training will increase your career prospects in the IT industry.
Certified Scrum Developer (CSD)
The certified scrum developer course is crafted for product developers working in the scrum environment. The course program familiarizes you with the basic principles of scrum in the context of product development. The certification proves that the developers have a thorough understanding of scrum and agile principles. You will get exposed to important tools and techniques to develop software products in an iterative and incremental approach.
Professional Scrum Master (PSM)
Professional scrum master certification course is designed for scrum masters, product owners, and project managers who are interested in agile methodology. The course program validates the learner’s understanding of scrum principles and their implementation in the scrum framework. It covers topics like coaching, team facilitation, and helping the team adopt scrum. With the certification, you will gain mastery in scrum knowledge and be able to guide the teams effectively in the Agile environment. It has another two levels, PSM II and PSM III, that emphasize a deep understanding of servant leadership, resolving impediments, and fostering an agile mindset.
Certified Scrum Product Owner
The certified scrum product owner course is designed for professionals who want to become product owners in the scrum framework. The certification will help you improve your knowledge of the scrum principles and practices. The course introduces you to tools and techniques that maximize the product value. If you are a product owner looking to explore the business side of the project, CSPO certification is the right choice for you. The course program has many experimental workshops to provide unmatched training about scrum basics and principles.
PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner
The certified practitioner course is designed for Agile teams and organizations adopting an Agile framework. The course covers different agile methodologies, from scrum to lean. The certification is a recognition of your knowledge of agile principles and agile approach in project management. The course program enables the participants to gain an in-depth understanding of agile and apply agile methods in the projects effectively. The course also covers various aspects like team dynamics, project planning, and management. After certification, the participants will be able to apply agile approaches in any project.
AgilePM Foundation
Agile PM foundation certification is designed for project managers. The certification course helps you develop tools to implement the right technique to the proposed scenario. The working skills you learn through the course will give you more confidence to perform the job. You will learn to assign roles and responsibilities to the people working in the cross-functional teams. It gives the course guides to stay flexible to customer requirements and deliver projects rapidly, meeting deadlines. The course teaches you about the underpinning philosophy and principles of agile. You will also learn about various roles and responsibilities within the agile framework.
SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (SAFe POPM)
SAFe POPM certification is for product owners or project managers in the SAFe environment. The certification polishes your expertise in the scaled agile framework. The key concepts covered in the course include SAFe principles and identifying stakeholder requirements. The individuals completing the SAFe POPM course master Lean-Agile principles. The comprehensive course equips you with all the skills needed to utilize the SAFe Agile framework in the organization to its full potential and enhance the productivity and efficiency of the organization by establishing effective communication methods with the teams and stakeholders. The certification helps individuals undertake various job responsibilities in the SAFe environment and improve their career prospects.
Conclusion
Organizations don’t choose between SAFe and Agile to complete the projects; the choice is always aligned with their organizational needs, and so is your certification. Few organizations prefer to use them in combination with their project requirements and corporate culture. Both the agile and scrum certifications help you improve delivery prediction and accelerate your software development journey. All these certifications pave the way for your profile to get global recognition and make it stand out from the crowd. The above-stated list might have helped you with your choice of scrum/ agile certifications and foster your career growth in the IT industry.