Which is the Best Certification To Become an Agile Consultant
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The information technology industry is ever-evolving. The needs, expectations, and demands of the industry are changing. This has made it imperative for organizations to practice agile methods and principles to remain relevant in the competitive market. Agile is a high in-demand need today. Although Agile was primarily used in software development, today, it is finding application in other departments too, such as operations, marketing, HR, and other business sectors.
Hiring professionals are actively looking for agile-certified professionals or experienced professionals from a recognized institution. Courses with agile certifications not only provide the knowledge to boost software delivery but also an improved delivery forecast. In such an hour, being certified in Agile signals the potential employers that not only have you taken the time out to learn the requisite skill set, but the credential also implies that you are serious and passionate enough about the field to be identified as an authority figure in the domain. Obtaining a SAFe Agile certification, in addition to regular agile credentials, increases your appeal to hiring managers. This accreditation, which is recognized by prominent universities, demonstrates your skill in scaling agile approaches for enterprise-level success. It not only improves software delivery but also your ability to make realistic delivery estimates, making you a sought-after agile expert.
Advantages of Scrum and Agile Certification
Scrum and agile certification courses can provide the following benefits to the certified professional:
- Extensive knowledge: A certified course provides you with complete and in-depth knowledge about scrum and agile practices from the basics to the advanced level.
- Evolved mindset: It is important to have an agile mindset to gain success and to sustain in this field, and a certification course in agile helps to build the same.
- Delivering projects in iteration: Scrum training and certifications in agile project management courses clarify concepts such as Sprint Backlog, Product Backlog, and so on, thus helping to deliver projects in iteration.
- Career-ready: The training and practical knowledge received in the training, along with the credentials received, help you to excel in your career.
- Positive work environment and professional development: A certified agile training or a scrum certification is capable of bringing a lot of positive change to the work environment and peer interaction. In the course, the professionals gain hands-on exposure to scrum, agile, and its principles. With the knowledge gained over training through practice, the professional can build the core practices of Scrum and Agile and boost the same.
The courses with agile certifications also provide the professionals an opportunity to join the community of experts. Thus, the professional gets a window where he can not only seek guidance from experts if necessary but also practice the principles himself and build the credibility necessary to establish himself as an authority figure.
- Higher sales: Professionals with agile certifications who focus on customer satisfaction results increase sales in the organization. As a result, the organization attracts more business and revenue, and the individual attracts career growth.
Job Opportunities
Some of the prominent job roles that a person who has completed the course and has obtained an Agile certification can work in are as follows:
- Agile Consultant
- Agile Coach
- Sr. Agile Coach
- Enterprise Agile Coach
- Agile Lead
- Agile Project Manager
- Project Manager
- Senior Project Manager
- Scrum Master
- Technical Program Manager- Agile Methodology.
Which Are the Best Agile Certification Courses To Pursue?
Here are some of the best courses to be agile-certified, provided along with prerequisites and other details:
| Sl No. | Certification Course | Prerequisites | Who Can Take this Course | Annual Salary |
| 1. | PMI – Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) | – A secondary degree- 2,000 hours of experience in a project team- 1,500 hours of experience working with Agile methodologies or an Agile project team- 21 hours of Agile training | Any professional working in an Agile Team | Around USD 86,000 for Program Managers to USD 109,700 for Product Owners |
| 2. | SAFe Agilist | – Minimum 5 years of work experience in software development and testing- Agile Project management or business analysis experience in Scrum | Anyone who wants to learn transformational skills | USD 107,500 annually |
| 3. | ICP-ACC – ICAgile – Agile Certified Coach | – Basic knowledge of Agile methodologies- Agile practitioner experience | Agile aspirants and coaches | USD 136,000 annually |
| 4. | Certified Scrum Master | 5-year experience working as a Scrum Master | Someone who wants to be skilled in Scrum and running different Agile projects | USD 91,000 annually |
| 5. | Certified Scrum Product Owner | N/A | Anyone who has a knack for dealing with the business end of software projects | USD 86,000 to USD 130,000 annually |
| 6. | Agile Scrum Master | N/A | Managers | USD 108,600 annually |
| 7. | Certified Scrum Professional | – An active A-CSM certification.- A foundational knowledge of Scrum- 2 years of work experience as a Scrum Master | Professionals wanting to gain advanced skills in artifacts, roles, and procedures of the Scrum framework. | USD 121,261 annually |
How To Choose the Right Course?
Agile certification courses can surely add value to your career path. However, it is important to find out which course is the best for you. Here are some of the ways you can determine this:
1. Understand your priorities: Determine what your goals are. This will help you filter out unnecessary information.
2. Certification: A certificate gives credibility to your knowledge, capacity, and skill sets. So, getting the knowledge from a recognized institution is no less important than the time invested in the training. A course that can provide a lot of opportunities and open the door for you to climb up the career ladder is the one that you should go for.
3. Practical Exposure: Practice goes hand-in-hand with learning Agile. Learning Agile efficiently will require a lot of practice and working with Agile. Make sure you discuss this with your trainer before enrolling.
4. Trainer: Answer the following questions to determine the kind of training support offered by the institution: Does the institution provide projects and case studies whereupon you can develop your practical skills? Is the mentor training-experienced? Does the institution offer 24/7 guidance? Does the institute offer a free upgrade to the course materials? Are the recourses available for lifetime access?
Conclusion
Agile courses help to reduce the overall cost of a project. They also get you globally recognized and marked out from the crowd. Therefore, choose your Agile course and start right away.
