How do you progress as a Scrum Master?

In the role of a developer, you would progress from a junior developer to a senior developer, and from there onto a role in management.

In traditional project management, it is much the same.

You would progress from a junior project manager to a senior project manager and from there onto a project director or programme director.

In Scrum, it works a little differently.

A junior Scrum Master and a senior Scrum Master don’t differ in terms of titles, only in terms of experience and expertise.

A Scrum Master is a Scrum Master regardless of how many years they have been in the role.

A good Scrum Master will be actively involved in mentoring and coaching entry-level Scrum Masters and a great Scrum Master will be helping experienced Scrum Masters on their journey.

Scrum has a flat structure and progression is recognised in terms of capabilities and expertise, not titles.

Progression works pretty much the same as it does in any field.

You get better with practice. You get better by reading books, blogs and articles from respected publishers and authors. You get better through coaching and mentoring.

In terms of the Scrum Alliance, there are a few more courses and certifications along the way.

After approximately 1 year as a Scrum Master, you are invited to enroll in the Advanced Certified Scrum Master course which awards you the ACSM certification upon completion.

It is a course that helps experienced Scrum Masters reach the next level of their career development.

The ACSM course recognises how the role of a Scrum Master involves a great deal of coaching and assisting others and helps you to develop those skills. It is also the first stepping-stone in your progression from Scrum Master to Agile coach.

After an additional year as an Advanced Scrum Master, Scrum Alliance offer the Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master course and certification.

Again, this very much affords you a strong stepping-stone into the world of Agile coaching and helps you develop the skills you need to work at both the team as well as the enterprise level.

More importantly, it helps you develop as a Scrum Master at the professional, expert level.

In addition to the course material and experience, you will also have access to a network of other ACSMs and CSP-SMs. The alumni group offers you the opportunity to grow professionally and tap into the experience of others as you continue your journey into Scrum Mastery.

So, in short, progression as a Scrum Master evolves into Professional, Expert-level Scrum Master as a practice or it involves progression into the world of Agile coaching.

There are courses, vlogs, articles, books and heaps of resources to help you along the way.

If you would like to become a Scrum Master, visit our Certified Scrum Master course page. Visit Advanced Certified Scrum Master and Certified Scrum Professional course pages for an idea of the progression.

Frequently Asked Scrum Master Questions

What is Scrum?
What is a Scrum Team?
Do Scrum Masters work outside of Software environments?
Do I need project management experience to become a Scrum Master?
How does a Scrum Master differ from a Project Manager?
Is the Scrum Master a member of the development team?
What is the difference between a Scrum Master and a Product Owner?
What is the Agile Manifesto?
What are 3 traits of a good Scrum Master?
Are there different levels of seniority amongst Scrum Masters?
Can you create a Scrum environment in a company that isn’t Agile?
Do I need to be a developer to be a Scrum Master for a software development team?
How will I know if a Scrum Master role is a good fit for me?
Must you be an expert in Scrum to become a Scrum Master?
What are career opportunities for a Scrum Master?
What do Scrum Masters do?
What is a daily scrum and do Scrum Masters lead them?

Frequently asked Training and Certification questions