I am an engineering (IT) graduate and right now I am pursuing masters in Computer Science & Engineering. I have teaching experience in computer and engineering fields, but now I am planning to switch from teaching to a corporate job. What should I do to get a job as a Scrum Master?
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4Welcome to pmse. Your summary question doesn't match your body. Also, your summary is probably already answered here while your body ("What should I do") is off-topic/too broad.– SarovJul 19, 2021 at 15:59
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2This has been answered a number of times from a few different angles. If you do a search on the Project Management stack exchange for "scrum master technical" you'll see a lot of valuable answers. It will also let you ask a more specific question if your questions aren't answered there. As it stands, the answer is basically "yes"– DanielJul 19, 2021 at 16:00
1 Answer
The role of Scrum Master on a Scrum Team can be generalized to that of an agile coach. Therefore, one reasonable model for looking at the role could be the Agile Coaching Competency Framework:
So, can you be a Scrum Master without any technical experience? Sure. Regardless of your background, you'd still need competency in agile-lean values and principles, teaching and/or mentoring, and coaching and/or facilitating. Beyond that, an individual may have differing levels of strength in technical expertise (which would also vary by domain), business and product development, and organizational change and transformation. You should have enough strength in at least one of these areas to be able to teach or mentor others to grow their skills.
What do you need to do to get a job as a Scrum Master? Develop the skills in the competency framework and be able to demonstrate them to others. Often, it may also be helpful to have a certification - I suggest that people browse job postings for Scrum Master and other agile coaching jobs in the area where they want to work to learn which certifications may be called for in order to get past any HR screening.
The real question is if the organizations seeking agile coaching understand the role (based on the job descriptions that I've seen, many don't) and if there is a good fit between the individual and the needs of the team or organization (this is where the interview process comes in). Since the scope of agile coaching roles is so broad, there's no one who can be strong at all of the different skills that are part of the job.