Career Advice

Is Becoming a Scrum Master a Good Idea?

BY I Don't Love My Job / March 15, 2017

If you have leadership skills, a talent for solving problems in an efficient manner and good communication skills, you may want to consider becoming a scrum master. Read on to discover what this job entails and see whether or not it is right for you personally.

Basic Job Description

A scrum master enables a team to continually increase efficiency and productivity. He or she communicates with a team regarding expectations, organizes team members’ schedules to maximize positive results, helps a team stay focused on the end goal of a project, facilitates the discussion and resolution of problems and communicates with upper levels of management regarding a team’s progress. Even so, a scrum master is not a project manager and does not take final responsibility for the outcome of a project.

Scrum Masters typically work for software companies, banks, and large corporations. They may also work as independent freelancers. Scrum masters may work for an employer on a full- or part-time basis or be hired temporarily for certain projects.

Job Requirements

You will need to have at least a bachelor’s degree in business or a similar field to become a scrum master. In some cases, you may also need at least five years of experience in a related field such as information technology and project management. Thankfully, students without job experience can work as a scrum master intern in order to gain valuable on the job training.

Working as a scrum master can be challenging. However, the fulfillment of being able to help a team reach its goals and enabling team members to increase personal productivity make the task more than worth it. Additionally, the median annual salary of $82,685 can be appealing for those who are looking for a profitable career path.