by Brenda Davis
How many times are we asked which certification I should get, when there are so many to choose from? Determining which certification is right for you depends on several key factors: what profession you are in or are targeting, employer’s practicing agile framework, top market certifications, and the reason you want to get certified.
There are hundreds of certificates and badges you can display on your profile and resume, but this is not the Oprah Winfrey Show; earning Agile badges is not that easy, and we will focus on a few for now. Badges can require prerequisites such as a secondary degree, specific agile years of experience, specific training contact hours, a test, and continuous education units, which depend on the certifying organization and the type and level of certification. Why you are getting certified and meeting the requirements to get certified are the first two key factors.
What is your why? My own reason for receiving certifications is improving team performance, relentless improvement, networking, sharing, and learning best practices. For others seeking badges, it could be learning Agile and Scrum, increasing knowledge, or job market competitiveness (internal and external).
The top Agile sources and certifications are:
- PMI-ACP (Agile Certified Professional)
- Scrum Alliance (Certified Scrum Master/ Certified Scrum Professional/Certified Scrum Product Owner/Certified Scrum Developer)
- Scrum.org (Professional Scrum Master/Professional Scrum Product Owner/Professional Scrum Developer)
- SAFe Agilist
There are many other great organizations and types of certifications, but these are what are hot in the market right now.
There is also the decision of which company to receive your training from. This choice depends on the type of learning style you prefer. My preference is face-to-face training, but virtual instructor-led training in the current state of the world has turned into the next best option. I also look for references, past good experiences, high energy level, currently still working in the industry, a trainer that provides resources throughout the training are all important to me when making my decision on the trainer and training company.
Certifications have a time and cost commitment, so choose your first or next badge carefully and continue learning because Agile is a mindset.
Brenda Camille Davis is a Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Master and Product Owner, SAFe Agilist, Practitioner, and Scrum Master.
