Agile development is related to Project Management processes. With the creation of the Agile Manifesto, businesses, and organizations have welcomed the new era of the project management field. Agile Development is gaining popularity rapidly as a report (by Digital.ai) says that 95% of their 40,000 respondents said that their organizations are implementing agile development methods to grow their business. It helps software organization teams to turbocharge their projects and reduce the time between product launches.
As the rapid technological advancement in the 21st century is dominating the entire working landscape and affecting every industry, several organizations have recognized the actual value of Agile methodology in a new era of work. In today's scenario, almost all companies opt for agile development to accelerate their workflows and keep up with the fast-paced future of work.
Agile development is crucial as it ensures that development teams can complete projects on time and within budget. It works as a connector bridge between the development teams and the owners of the product owners.
It also helps organizations reduce the risk related to complex issues in projects. Agile teams are known to be highly efficient at getting work done. So there is an increased demand for skilled and experienced professionals in this domain. It has also enhanced the demand for Agile certification to help candidates enter this evolving field.
This article will try to answer whether there is any Agile Certification for beginners.
What is Agile Development?
Agile Development refers to the software-development methodology that teams can use for projects. It is also known as an iterative approach to software development and project management that helps teams to deliver value to their customers quickly and with fewer difficulties.
Agile development methodologies are specially designed to deliver work in small and consumable increments. Agile development works through a group of methodologies demonstrating a commitment to tight feedback cycles and continuous improvements.
Agile Development teams are self-organized and cross-functional teams that can frequently analyze circumstances and user requirements to adapt projects. It helps project managers and other project professionals deliver a valuable product to customers within specific boundaries and when change and deadlines are significant factors. It also provides freedom to project professionals to shape their projects in a better way. It also helps them stay flexible and respond to design challenges as they emerge.
Agile Development involves four important approaches that are:
- Individuals and Interactions- It provides value for processes and tools.
- Working Software- It is used to get value over comprehensive documentation.
- Customer Collaboration- It provides value over contract negotiation.
- Responding to Change over following a project plan.
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Agile Certifications for Entry-Level Professionals
Agile Certifications are specially designed to focus on wide agile principles and can be specific to scrum and other methodologies and agile scaling skills. It can validate your expertise in Agile core concepts and deep knowledge and signals to employers that you’ve taken the time to study and learn a credential.
Agile certifications can identify your skills, experience, and versatility in applying agile principles and practices as part of an agile team. It helps project management professionals gain a sound knowledge of specific Agile principles to make them better leaders. It also helps entry-level project professionals switch into senior management roles.
Agile certifications are available for every step in your career. It is said that individuals who seek Agile certifications are looking at creating more efficient and powerful teams with better project management skills.
But many people ask about entry-level or beginner-level Agile Certifications and whether they are available. So the answer is “yes.” Many agile certifications are available for beginners who can start their careers in agile development with any reputed certification course in this domain. Let us have a look at some important agile certifications for beginners.
1. ICAgile Certified Professional (ICP)- This ICP certification is specially designed to focus on Agile concepts and principles without targeting any specific methodology like Scrum and XP. This certification is the International Consortium for Agile’s broadest certification which is a foundational certification that serves as a gateway to other certifications administrated by the organization.
This certification is the best option for those interested in making a career in this domain and helps them understand the fundamentals behind Agile development. This certification can be earned online or in-person course with a certified training provider.
2. SAFe Agilist Certification Training- This certification is provided by Simplilearn, which is recognized globally. It helps to teach you basic Agile principles and practice of SAFe, which refers to Scaled Agile Framework Certification. This course helps you understand the Lean-Agile mindset, execute with Agile Release trains, build an Agile Portfolio, and lead lean-Agile transformation in an organization.
3. ICAgile - Agile Certified Coach ( ICP- ACC)- This certification is specially designed for Individuals who want to learn transformation skills in this domain. It is available in three certification levels: Professional, Expert, and Master level. It offers you opportunities to become a certified Agile Coach, and you can earn an average salary of around $136,000 per annum.
To earn this certification, basic knowledge of Agile methodologies and experience as an Agile practitioner is required. Knowledge-based Agile coach certification can help you learn all the skills required to become an Agile Coach.
4. Certified Scrum Master- One of the highly recommended Agile certifications for beginners. Certified Scrum Master certification is designed to create a firm foundation for Scrum, sprint planning, refinement, product backlog, sprint demo, and many more. This c certification helps you become a certified Scrum Master, manager, Product Owner, Mentor, or successful Coach. With this certification, candidates can earn an average salary of around $91,000 per annum.
So these are some important Agile certifications for beginners who can opt for any of these courses and land a career in Agile development.