scrum master

You might be wondering, "what does a scrum master do on a day-to-day basis?" As a scrum master, your main goal is to help the rest of the workplace carry out scrum tactics. Depending on the workplace structure, you might perform one or more of the following duties.

• organize and set up scrum methodology

Many workplaces hire a scrum master when they're interested in scrum but don't know how it works. You'll be responsible for explaining the methodology to everyone, dividing workers into individual scrum teams, and setting goals. As a scrum master, you listen to the product owner's needs and discover how scrum can implement those needs.

•  lead scrum ceremonies

You'll also be in charge of handling the four main types of scrum ceremonies. This includes scheduling the meetings, leading the discussion, making an agenda, and ensuring that every person's voice is heard. Sprint planning can be sessions that last hours while the daily scrum stand-up meeting usually just takes 15 minutes. You also have to manage the sprint review after each goal is met and the retrospective to talk about how the task was handled.
 

•  facilitate scrum activities

Throughout the entire sprint, your job is to work behind the scenes and support the employees. Depending on the workplace and the goal of the sprint, you'll handle tasks such as keeping track of metrics, solving conflicts, and sourcing supplies. Some scrum masters even take a hands-on approach and jump in to help the team solve programming problems or communicate with management.

Since you work in project management, your job will be almost entirely in an indoor office environment. Though you spend a lot of time at a desk, you also need to move between offices to talk to people. If you're a scrum master outside of the tech industry, there might be a little more variation. Manufacturing scrum masters often spend time in warehouses or factories while scrum masters in building design might visit construction sites. You could work in either the public or private sectors as a scrum master.

This flexible position often means getting to know everyone at a business. You'll spend time talking to owners or upper management, but you also spend time with support staff and professional employees. Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include software developers, system administrators, or accountants. You might also be working with managers and CEOs as well as other specialists like efficiency coordinators and office managers.

Scrum masters end up following the work schedule of the industry they work in. Your job is to help others complete their goals, so you have to be present when other people are working. The majority of scrum masters work a 9-to-5 schedule on weekdays. If your scrum teams are working on nights or weekends, you might also work then. For example, if your sprint involves a massive push before a deadline, expect long hours including nights and possibly weekends. This position is usually a full-time job, but some companies hire temporary or contract workers to help them get scrum up and running. In these cases, you would work for a few months to implement scrum and then move on to a new job.

The scrum system seems likely to continue spreading to more industries. Even when companies eventually move on to other methodologies, your skills are still highly in demand. The BLS predicts that project management specialists will have a reasonably fast job growth of 7% in the next 10 years. With a projected 70,400 new project manager jobs opening each year, there is plenty of interest in your skills. A scrum background makes you suited for the majority of project manager jobs. Especially if you learn other popular methodologies, you can ensure that you still provide popular, useful services for companies. Your experience in a wide range of fields could also allow you to transition to consulting work.

Working through Randstad offers you a range of benefits:

• being paid weekly
• flexibility
• always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
• many training opportunities
• a range of jobs in your area

Want a permanent contract? But you wonder why it would be interesting for you to work with a staffing company? A temporary job as a scrum master is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!

College degree requirements depend on the job position. Though rare, it's possible to find some scrum jobs with no educational requirements. It's more common for scrum master positions to request a bachelor's degree. This helps to show you have the education and motivation to take on a scrum master role. You'll be even more attractive to hiring managers if your bachelor's is in a degree relevant to the field. For example, a software development team typically prefers a scrum master with a computer science degree.

The most important training you need is a scrum master certification. These certifications come from several qualified organizations that teach project management and scrum methodology. You usually need to take classes and pass exams to get a certification. Here are a few of the most in-demand scrum master certifications that you can receive.

• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
• Professional Scrum Master (PSM I)
• Certified Scrum Professional (CSP)
• SAFe Scrum Master (SSM)
• Certified Scrum Developer (CSD)

Scrum masters tend to be intelligent, motivated people who enjoy both big-picture concepts and small details. Here are some of the skills you'll need to succeed:

• communication skills: You need to be able to clearly communicate ideas to a variety of people. Good scrum masters have to help vastly different people collaborate, so superior verbal skills are essential. You also must be able to get along well with others.
• computer skills: The majority of scrum master jobs are in the technology industry, so having awareness of things like coding can be very useful. Even if you're working in another field, you need computer skills to manage tasks like scheduling and record-keeping.
• organizational skills: As a scrum master, you'll be valued for your ability to keep projects organized. Not only do you organize tasks and products, but you also organize people. You'll use your expertise to find order in a chaotic environment.
• leadership skills: Scrum masters need to feel comfortable taking on a leadership role. Not only do you need to delegate tasks to others, but you also should have the ability to inspire and instruct coworkers.
• analytical skills: If you want to be a scrum master, you have to be able to think logically and understand how various concepts relate to each other. Problem-solving skills will help you sort out issues and keep processes running efficiently.

Scrum masters focus more on guiding discussions where employees independently decide on tasks. Meanwhile, project managers are more likely to hand out tasks themselves. In addition to allowing more independent work, scrum masters are also less likely to work with clients.

Unlike many other tech terms, scrum isn't an acronym. Instead, it gets its name from the sport of rugby where team huddles are called scrums. Scrum uses this term to emphasize the teamwork approach to getting work done.

Your job is a lot more than just leading the 15-minute scrum stand-up each day. During the rest of the workday, you'll keep in touch with your team members and see what they need. You might end up doing things like solving arguments or finding a skilled employee to help with a task.

Despite the common belief that scrum masters handle coding all day long, you don't actually need to code. There are certain jobs where coding isn't a requirement. However, if you want to be a tech scrum master, knowing how to code can help you get a job.

Being a scrum master is usually a good job for those who are motivated and enjoy a challenge. As long as you have the right training, it's not confusing or overly complex. However, you're more likely to succeed if you perform well under pressure and like a fast-paced environment.

Applying for a scrum master job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our scrum master jobs for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV. If you do not have a resume, no worries. Just check out our resume builder. This state of the art tool will help you to create your own resume. Need help with your application? Check out all our job-hunting tips!