how to make a lateral move to scrum master?
Hello, bit of background. Current career has taken me through the following roles Sys Admin - Infrastructure Project Manager - Senior Infrastructure Engineer - and now currently IT Security Manager. Based on this do you think i could be considered for a scrum master role? Currently studying for CSM 1 also.
What appeals to you about possibly working as a Scrum Master?
organisation and facilitating a team.
What do you believe a Scrum Master organizes? What do you believe a Scrum Master facilitates?
Also, do you have any friends/colleagues that work as Scrum Masters? If so, what is it about their position and how they work that you like?
organizes how the team works, facilitates the teams needs e.g any issues within the team...
Ed,
I had 20+ years in IT working as a developer (legacy systems/languages), and worked my way up through the ranks to IT Management and Project Management. I worked 8 years as a traditional project manager before I took Scrum training. I've now been working 4+ years as a Scrum Master, and I haven't looked back since.
That said, I'll leave you with a direct quote to me from Craig Larman, creator of LeSS and the person who provided me with my Scrum training:
"About 99% of those who work as project managers will fail trying to convert to the Scrum Master role."
Now, am I one of the 1% that succeeded where others failed? That depends on whether I (and others) consider my work as a Scrum Master a success. Perhaps he overstated the failure rate, but I think what is important to glean from his statement is the inherent difficulty in working in a different manner, learning to trust others, and giving up the comforts of command/control behavior.
That said, anyone can make the transition in my opinion, but there is an incredible amount to learn, and an incredible amount of personal growth that needs to happen. Learning the Scrum Guide and getting certified are just the beginning of your Agile journey, should you elect this path.
Good luck!
Yeah i hear you, my problem is everyone is looking for "seasoned scrum masters". I cant see myself geting to interview stage unless they see scrum master title on my CV, i know this is mainly recruiters who dont have a clue but what can ya do unless you get lucky and make the move internally. May need to re evaluate this one.
If you want to read a good book about what it takes to be / transition to a (good) scrum master / agile coach, read Coaching Agile Teams: A Companion for ScrumMasters, Agile Coaches, and Project Managers in Transition by Lyssa Adkins.
Giving a try at an internal move is probably a safe move.
Beyond your CV, people know you and they will go with you on the path toward agility.
I agree with Oliver that the internal move is probably a safe move and i would add that it's probably the easiest with your background. I would also recommend doing more networking: Scrum Master meetups, Agile Scrum meetups, etc. This will allow you to meet more people in the Scrum business who can connect you to the right opportunities.