Professional Scrum Master or PSM is a certification given to successful candidates to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Scrum and their ability to apply it in real-world problems. PSM is a Scrum Master course that focuses on software development. It is for all the professionals who seek to lead a team and work on increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the software. The job of a Professional Scrum Master is not limited to just one thing – the leader. It changes according to the situation their team is in. They act as a coach, facilitator, problem-solver, proxy, an enabler, depending on the demand of the situation. They also embody servant-leadership characteristics whenever necessary, to increase the efficiency of the team.
The roles and responsibilities of a certified PSM also vary according to requirements. However, the primary objective always remains to be the promoter of Agile in an organization. Some other roles of a PSM certified personnel in an organization include
- Coaching the team, they lead, to have an Agile mindset. Sometimes they are also required to coach the organization.
- Increasing the quality of the product while reducing the delivery time.
- Helping the software developing team to be self-empowered and self-organized.
- Ensuring that the Scrum framework is implemented properly so that it fits with the needs of the Scrum team.
- Removing any obstruction that could prevent the Scrum team to perform their best.
How to become a PSM?
Becoming a PSM and a Scrum team leader in an organization requires hard work, determination, and true behaviour and belief in Agile philosophy. To become a PSM in any organization, taking the official exam is mandatory. The PSM exam consists of two levels – PSM I and PSM II.
To get a PSM certificate, the candidate needs to take the official exam conducted by Scrum.Org. The prerequisites to become a PSM are-
- At least 4 years of experience as a Scrum Master’s in software development
- Must have real-world training and experience in Scrum
- Must have passed PSM 1 assessment with at least a 95% score
PSM training
Many candidates who appear for the PSM certification exam prefer to attend PSM training courses. Even though it is not mandatory for a person to go through the training session to be able to give the exam, there are certain valuable things that one could learn in these training courses. The objectives of these training programs are to help the candidates brush up on their Scrum skills and apply the knowledge to practical world problems.
The training for PSM lasts for two days, with 14-16 hours of training each day. Certified Professional Scrum Trainer, who prepares the candidates for the PSM exams, leads the training. They prepare simulation tests and share a case study on how to appear for the exam. The PSM certification process includes:
- Registering for PSM training
- Attending a two-day lecture course, led by Industry instructor
- Get free password for the exam
- Online PSM exam
- Pass the exam
- Get the certification of PSM with lifetime validity.
PSM Training and Job opportunities in Bangalore.
Many tech-related companies have emerged in Bangalore in the last decade or so and have managed to turn it to India’s own Silicon Valley. Most of these companies already function on Scrum or adapting to the framework. One of the main reason’s companies are moving from other frameworks to Scrum is that it allows the companies to have effective team collaboration, with little to no error and function smoothly. Companies adopting the Scrum framework indicate that they would need a Certified Scrum Master or a Professional Scrum Master. The demand for Scrum is at an all-time high right now and thus the demand for PSM Training in Bangalore.
An organization often requests for their potential employee to be well versed in Agile or have a working knowledge of the Scrum framework. While most companies ask for the candidates to be either CSM or PSM certified, some companies require their candidates to be only PSM certified. Some of the top tech companies in Bangalore that employ PSM certified personnel are Tata Consultancy Service, Accenture Technology Solutions, Capgemini, Wells Fargo India Solutions, and Infosys Limited. As these companies leading the tech industry in the country, it is obvious for them to hire PSM.
Top reasons for employing a PSM in an organization
There are several reasons for a tech company to hire an individual who has mastered the Scrum framework. A PSM can analyse and resolve an issue quicker than a conventional Project Manager. The Scrum masters have extensive experience with successful Agile techniques, and to determine whether a framework or process is scrum or not. While all the top tech companies in Bangalore look for PSM trained candidate, here is a quick brief of roles and responsibility of a Scrum master in an organization:
- Influential: A Professional Scrum Master is able and experienced enough to manage a team and work on projects, leading them to reach specific milestones. The scrum master is responsible for bridging the gap between a concept of a project and acting on it to deliver it to the stakeholders. Besides, the Scrum Master is the one who influences multiple groups and organizations to invest in projects.
- Collaboration: The Scrum Master is also responsible for creating a link between the product owner and the project team that they lead. A good scrum master will be able to devise an effective collaboration between the team and the product owner to create successful products that meet the requirements of the organization.
- Implementing best practices: As a Scrum Master, one does not only lead a team but also works with the team members to facilitate communications and information exchange between the project team and external groups. The Scrum Master puts together project teams, integrates them into an organization and provides them with a clear vision of the product.
These are only a few reasons why all the top tech companies in Bangalore are looking for PSM. So, if one has a PSM training and a certification, they certainly have better opportunities as compared to non-certified managers.
