How to Become PSM Certified?

Scrum is an Agile framework that helps organizations in developing successful products and services through quick successions. It guarantees the development, delivery, and sustainment of products in a complex environment. The Scrum framework consists of the Scrum team, events, artifacts, and roles. A Scrum team consists of a Scrum Master, a product owner, and developers. It helps organizations generate business values through adaptive solutions. It helps teams to self-organize and deal with unpredictability and complex problems.

Scrum has proved to be successful for companies. Earlier Scrum was used only in IT solutions. But now, Scrum is being used in other areas like research, sales, marketing, etc. More and more companies are adopting Scrum to gain advantages. Also, there is a major shift of companies not involving project management, towards project management options. Sectors like healthcare are adopting these approaches. Scrum is being used to access varieties of industries. Scrum successfully caters to the need of highly dynamic environments. This is very important for IT organizations since the technologies and skills are ever-changing and the market is very dynamic.

Who is a PSM?

A Professional Scrum Master is an individual who has an in-depth knowledge of Scrum practices and values. A Scrum Master performs different roles like a proxy, a problem-solver, enabler, facilitator, and a coach. He/She has an Agile mindset and embodies servant leadership. A Scrum Master helps the organization to adopt Scrum in their projects to get maximum output with high quality and timely delivery. He/She fosters innovations and maximizes productivity within the Agile team. A Scrum master creates an enjoyable environment at the workplace with a major focus on the goals. He/she removes impediments and takes actions to control risks. A Scrum master also leads various scrum activities and plays an important role in every sprint planning and retrospectives.

About PSM certification exam

PSM or Professional Scrum master certification is awarded by the very prestigious organization Scrum.org. It assesses the knowledge of the candidates and his/her skills to apply it in the real world. It is not mandatory to attend training to gain this certification but it is advisable to go through PSM training to increase your chances of passing this certification exam. There are three levels in the PSM certification exam:

• PSM I
• PSM II
• PSM III

Benefits of getting PSM certification:

• Solid understanding of Scrum: The contents of the PSM certification exam are designed in a way to strengthen the foundation of the candidates. You need to understand various basics and principles of the Scrum framework. If your organization applies Scrum, you will add value to your organization by getting certified. If you are a beginner and looking to transition your career in Scrum, PSM certification is just right for you. You need not have any prior experience to attempt the PSM I exam. This will give you a conceptual idea about Scrum. For higher levels, you need to have some experience in Scrum. If you are an experienced professional, PSM certification will surely enhance your knowledge and fill the knowledge gaps.
• Stay relevant and marketable: You will be at par with the latest Scrum methods and tier applications. You will gain the respect of your colleagues and peers within your organization. Your organization will hold your worth and will trust you with challenging roles. This will give you opportunities to learn and grow. Also, you will be more confident in your daily tasks and it will reflect in your performance. You will gain the trust of your clients and customers. Another advantage of PSM certification is that it enhances your interpersonal skills and this will help you to facilitate better teamwork and gain maximum results from your Agile team.
• Better career opportunities: Companies give preference to certified candidates during a recruitment process. A certification from Zeolearn proves that you have invested the time and effort to learn and acquire the required skills. It shows your commitment to learning. Hence, you can easily get through the first round which is usually the screening round of a recruitment process. Top companies like Amazon, Google, Apple, Microsoft are looking for certified candidates. Since PSM certification is highly valued across organizations, it will help you get your desired job.
• Better salary: There is a wide gap between the demand and supply of certified candidates. This trend will be following in the upcoming years too owing to the large number of organizations adopting Scrum. Hence, the need for certified candidates is increasing. Companies are willing to pay higher salaries for certified candidates majorly due to their shortage and also because they value the certified candidates. The role of a Scrum Master is very crucial and his/her activities directly impact the success of an organization. Therefore, companies ensure that they recruit potential and competent candidates. Certification is the best way to ensure this. PSM certification is highly valued and hence it will help you get good pay.

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Author Bio: Rajesh Jujare has extensive experience with Inbound marketing for various industries like eCommerce, Manufacturing, Real-estate, education, and advertising. Having worked with a reputed digital marketing agency, he has a stronghold on Content curation, SME acquisition, and White hat link building techniques. Rajesh has hands-on experience in Influencer marketing and worked with International influencers