Agile methodology has been gaining a lot of clout in the IT Industry recently. With so much attention and talks around it all companies big and small are making themselves agile ready to deliver better sooner. Some common Certificate courses on Scrum methodology have also gained popularity because Scrum is the least restrictive of all agile approaches. CSM and CSPO are two such known Certifications that are often thought of as next steps in career progression introspection analysis. While both grant the benefit of knowledge, it is important to analyse what Certification makes more sense and can help better in future growth.

CSM Certification: It is for professionals seeking the Certified Scrum Master Certification. Its course work is educative to learn about how Scrum methodology works. Moreover, all the principles and practices around scrum are discussed in detail to lay a sound foundation of its conceptual framework. This certification is beneficial to gain an understanding of Scrum for all present and future scrum projects.

Gaining a CSM Certification would benefit individuals who would rather want a Certification that validates their scrum knowledge. Hiring decisions based on Certifications are usually a motivator for professionals pursuing the Certification. This could also lead to challenging opportunities in a space that may interest professionals. Also, professionals seeking to change their present roles can also benefit from this certification to project their interest in this field.

Other benefits of CSM could be acceptance in scrum based teams based on scrum knowledge. Also since a lot of organisations tend to portray to their respective client base they own the skills and knowledge to deliver, they also rely on certified professionals to join them so that they may use this as their asset over competitors.

Another reason to pursue CSM could also be to expand ones’ knowledge of scrum methodology to be at par with peers. Since existing technical courses do not teach these new methodologies in courseware, pursuing a course about Scrum can help deliver work better if you have recently joined a scrum team or if you plan to join one. So, it is beneficial not only for professionals seeking knowledge as fresher but also for experienced professionals who seek work in scrum space.

CSPO Training: CSPO is a common IT Certification acronym for Certified Scrum Product Owner. CSPO Certification is beneficial for professionals who are closer to business.  This course is also useful to give an end to end view of the feature that traverses from conceptualisation to deployment or ideation to a minimum viable product. Also, aspects related to understanding stakeholder interests in each functionality are reiterated in this course. Also, because a Product Owner’s role is critical for any organisation they tend to seek candidates who can genuinely guide the team well.

While Certification is a way to project, that relevant knowledge is present and make way for a baseline to set that a candidate has genuine interest in the area and that they are focused on continuous growth. A Certified Scrum Product Owner training is also a good to have training to be able to handle the work as a Product Owner better. While a lot of professionals learn on the job, this certification is from the very Scrum Alliance dedicated to set guidelines that can help smoothen the learning curve.

A Certification decision is hence usually based on career goals, present career role, and future possible roadmap. Having knowledge is always good and to keep refreshing basics helps revisiting decisions and making teams and individuals in scrum space more effective.