Scrum Master
What's it like to be a Scrum Master?
A Scrum Master (Kaitakawaenga Kakari) facilitates the development of software by leading scrum teams, which are central to Agile project management techniques. They define timeframes and goals for team members and break projects into a series of short sprints, each of which has specific tasks to be completed. Scrum Masters lead meetings, remove barriers to productivity and manage team communications to keep projects on track. They often work for software and IT companies.
Tasks and duties
- Determining the goals and timelines for different projects.
- Allocating projects into sprints (short, time-boxed periods) and breaking down larger pieces of work into smaller tasks.
- Ensuring effective communication between team members by organising regular scrum meetings.
- Providing training and coaching.
- Helping to solve problems or conflicts within teams.
- Helping teams to ensure they meet their goals and targets.
- Carrying out maintenance and reporting.
How to become a Scrum Master
While there is no set pathway to become a Scrum Master, many have a mix of experience and qualifications. Industry certifications are desired by some employers.
Complete a relevant qualification, such as a Bachelor of Business or Bachelor of Information Technology. This usually takes three years of full-time study.
Secure an internship to build experience.
Develop experience across one or more roles in software or IT. You could begin as a Project Coordinator or Data Analyst.
Complete an industry certification to become a Certified Scrum Master (CSM), or Professional Scrum Master (PSM). This usually requires completion of a short course.
Consider joining a professional association, such as IT Professionals New Zealand.
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