Scrum has gradually become one of the most popular 21st-century methods to manage projects. Understandably, many people are choosing to pursue a Scrum Master career and the query “Scrum Master jobs near me” appears more and more frequently. This article will provide you with a brief overview of a Scrum Master and tips to find Scrum Master jobs near you!
Table of Contents
What Is A Scrum Master?
Scrum is a lightweight framework within which stakeholders can tackle complicated adaptive problems and deliver products with the highest possible values productively and creatively. The basic unit of Scrum is a small group of people, a Scrum Team, including one Scrum Master, one Product Owner, and Developers.
ScrumMaster or Agile leaders are responsible for establishing Scrum as specified in the Scrum Guide. They help team members and the whole organization grasp Scrum theory and practice. In addition, with the servant-leader style, Scrum Masters are in charge of the Scrum Team’s effectiveness. For example, in a software development project, they promote daily cooperation between stakeholders to eliminate any potential communication issues and keep everyone working productively.
Scrum Masters play a key role in the Scrum team’s effectiveness. Source: Forbes
Career Benefits of Being a Scrum Master
Certified Scrum Masters Earn More
Being a certified Scrum Master (CSM), you strengthen teamwork and enhance outputs in your projects. Your Agile knowledge and practices are assets to the workforce, and recruiters want people like you. The tech world is on the upswing side, and so is the Scrum Master’s pay rate.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the project manager in software development usually earns about $101,500 annually. However, the average annual pay for a Scrum Master in the US is pretty high, at $113,870. Hence, it stands to reason that being a certified Scrum Master makes you more competitive on the job market and helps you earn a better salary.
Advance Your Career With The Agile Mindset
What sets Scrum Masters aside from other team members is their mindset towards project management. Their Agile mindset helps to reduce disagreements, enhance team collaboration and deliver projects successfully. With an Agile mindset, Scrum Masters can tackle arising issues more quickly, ensuring the whole team’s effectiveness unimpacted. Hence, being a Scrum Master enhances your chance of employment at companies that stress the importance of the Agile mindset.
Stay Highly Marketable
Many industries are adopting Agile practices to have better outputs and productivity. Therefore, with an Agile mindset and knowledge of Agile practices, you can stand a greater chance of getting a job with a higher salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Latest Numbers, CSMs have a median salary of $87,876 in 2018, and their job growth is projected to be 24% between 2016 and 2026. As for Agile Coach, their median salary is $122,426 in 2018, with expected job growth of 19% for 2016-2026.
What Helps Your Scrum Master Career?
Depending on the job openings, the experience requirement for Scrum Masters differs. For example, some companies seek Scrum Master candidates with more than six years of software development experience, four of which in an Agile environment. Besides, the company looks for those understanding specific Agile approaches such as XP, Kanban, FDD, or Crystal. So let’s dig into qualifications, certifications, and experience to help you progress well in this career.
Requirements for Scrum Masters may vary. Source: kissflow
Qualification
There are no formal education requirements for Scrum Masters, but most candidates get a bachelor’s degree to increase their competitiveness in the field. In fact, companies tend to favor Scrum Master applicants with at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field such as engineering or business administration.
Certification
In terms of certifications, though they are not compulsory, they can increase your chance of getting a Scrum Master job. According to a 2019 report by Scrum.org, more than 45% of Scrum Master candidates have undergone Scrum Master training and have more than one Scrum Master certificate. The top three certifications were Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I).
To get those certificates, you can join different courses offered by famous providers such as Scrum Alliance, Scrum Inc, Scrum.org, Project Management Institute, Scaled Agile, etc. For example, a CSM course at Scrum Alliance can provide you with a Certified Scrum Master certificate. This certificate can be helpful to you because it demonstrates your understanding of the underlying principles of Scrum and your ability to effectively apply the Scrum framework in a complex, real-world environment.
Experience
If you are green to Scrum, it is advisable to review The Scrum Guide and the materials provided by your CSM training provider. There is no need for work experience to start with CSM, but you must have years of experience to proceed with the Scrum Master jobs. For example, you must already have a CSM and at least 24 months of relevant work experience to work as a Professional Scrum Master.
A Certified Scrum Professional (CSP) needs a wealth of working experience. Source: mendix
Where To Find Scrum Master Jobs
Job Searching Websites
According to Glassdoor, there are currently more than 4,000 Scrum Master open positions across U.S. cities. Job search sites such as Glassdoor, Indeed, Monster, and FlexJobs can help you browse the newest Scrum Master jobs near you, the job description and benefits, and specific information about the employers. You just need to type “Scrum Master” and search, then you will receive relevant job openings with detailed job descriptions.
Your Personal Network
During your Scrum Master course, you can have good opportunities to connect with other Scrum Masters and even the Coaches. They are experienced in the field and have good professional networks for you to connect to as well. A good job opportunity might be a referral from a Scrum Master classmate of yours.
Your LinkedIn Network
LinkedIn, a platform with over 500 million members, can be a job searching site for Scrum Master candidates. To increase your chance of recruiters reaching out to you, you can extend your personal connections on LinkedIn and update your LinkedIn profile with relevant working experience.
Your LinkedIn Network can help you seek jobs. Source: Shutterstock
Just Google!
Simple start with googling “Scrum Master jobs near me” and let Google do the magic. There are opportunities that are not posted on job search sites, at firms or organizations close to where you are. Google does a great job of navigating promising options and makes your life easier.
Once you have a list of potential recruiters, you can browse through their websites or LinkedIn page to learn more about their services and visions. Then, you can write to them to know more details about their Scrum Master vacancy and ask for a meetup if possible. Ensure you send them your most updated resume and cover letter with your most recent Scrum Master certificate (if any).
The Final Thought
In a nutshell, you can stand a better chance of getting a Scrum Master position by exploiting job search sites, your personal network, LinkedIn Network, or just googling “Scrum Master jobs near me”. In addition, to advance in this career, you can take Scrum Master training courses to level up your Scrum experience. That way, you can get into the swing of the Scrum Master position more quickly and contribute more to the technical team’s success. That’s the Scrum magic!
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