This is one of the biggest questions that we are asked. It depends on what your current role is, what type of company you are in, whether they already use Agile or Scrum, as to how easy that transition will be. Below are some suggestions on how to find and get experience, get networking, and improve your Agile and Scrum knowledge.
Current Company
See if your current company are running Agile/Scrum Projects by searching on internal intranet, asking your manager and colleagues, networking, searching LinkedIn. Contact someone in that team for information about the project and how it is run. Ask whether there is an opportunity to join the Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective or Scrum Master catch ups. Ask them to see their project and how they run the sprints (eg. In Jira, Asana, stickynotes, boards, etc) Ask them whether there are any secondment or job opportunities.
Stu’s Top Tip: Find a Scrum Master and ask to shadow them. Look for opportunities to help and to gain experience. I used to ask Scrum Masters if I could run their Scrum Retrospective or to look after their team should they be away on holiday.
Meetup Groups
Join Meetup groups in your area or online. Apart from great work advice, they will be a good network for finding Agile/Scrum jobs. Ongoing, they will become a great network for advice and ideas for managing your own projects.
Search YouTube and Google or other sites on “How to Get a Scrum Master Job Without Experience” and “A Day in the Life” of an Agile professional. Refer to our articles on A Day In the Life of a Scrum Product Owner, Day in the Life of a Scrum Master, and Scrum Job Search.
Courses
Take Scrum courses and certifications online or in-person to get more knowledge on Scrum. Talk and connect with people on the course who have experience and ask them how they got into Agile. Talk to your trainer about their experience and how to get into Scrum/Agile roles. At RedAgile, our courses give you an opportunity to grow your qualifications quickly. Take a look at our Scrum certification courses and paths for Scrum Master and Product Owner foundation and advanced courses. They are interactive and fun, and great for networking.
Reading
Read Scrum, Agile and Lean books. Get as much knowledge as you can about the work you want to do so that at least your theory will be up to date and you can hit the ground running. Refer our reading lists for Scrum Masters and Product Owners for suggestions.
Friends and 1st Connections
See if any of your friends or connections are in Scrum roles by asking friends in-person, asking on Facebook, LinkedIn or other social media platforms, or searching on LinkedIn. Contact them to see how the project is run. Ask whether there is an opportunity to join the Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective. Ask them for any intern or volunteer opportunities.
Networks and 2-3rd Connections
Ask your friends, neighbours, sporting teammates, online friends if they have any friends or connections in Scrum/Agile roles. Search LinkedIn to see if any of your 2nd or 3rd connections are in Scrum roles. Ask your friend or 1st connection to introduce you (preferable), or contact them directly either by In Mail or sending a connection request with a message. Contact them to see how the project is run. Ask whether there is an opportunity to join the Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective. Ask them for any intern or volunteer opportunities.
Apply
Apply for Scrum and Agile jobs. You never know, you may have enough experience already. Also apply for jobs that may lead you into your desired role or desired company, such as Project Analyst, Project Manager, Iteration Manager.
Recruiters
Contact recruiters who are advertising Scrum roles for advice on getting Scrum roles, what skills and experience are required, what type of companies are hiring Scrum professionals, what companies are hiring people with your skill level and experience. Research those companies, see whether you know anyone who works there. Keep in contact with those recruiters, upload your CV to their website, speak to them regularly.
RedAgile are Australia's leading Agile Scrum training provider certified by the Scrum Alliance. As Australia's best Scrum training provider we offer Agile Scrum training courses and consulting services both online and in-person. Our training portfolio includes: Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) as well as our new Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM) and Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner (A-CSPO) courses.
