Scrum Master Resume (With Examples)

Are you an experienced scrum master seeking a new job or a manager who’s looking for a new career path within management?

You’ve come to the right place because we’re going to tell you about a management role many people haven’t heard about that can bring in a hefty salary. This magical job?

A scrum master.

No, this is not some made-up job title for someone in Star Trek, but an actual position that is in demand. If you want to have a job in which you are part coach, part manager, and part organizer, this job is for you.

Here’s the deal:

A scrum master is a person who facilitates an agile team, which is a team that has the freedom to organize themselves to get the project accomplished.

As a scrum master, you’d be making sure the team is committing to their decided structure, works smoothly together and with outside players, and is focused on the task at hand.

Interested in learning how to write a scrum master resume that will stand out from the rest to get this awesome job?

Here is what you need to know to write a killer scrum master resume:

• Make sure you know what the main agile team principles are to apply them to your scrum master resume

• Make sure to include as many deliverables as possible and quantify them to showcase your success as a scrum master

• Discuss the types of teams you managed, and their impacts on the company

Now that you know the basics of how to make a scrum master resume, let’s take a closer look at what a scrum master is and how you can apply agile principles to your resume.

What Is a Scrum Master?

A scrum master is a person who facilitates information exchange in a particular team, whose organization is made through scrum or agile methodology.

Seem like a mouthful to you? Here’s what you need to know:

Some teams are highly structured in workplaces. For example, you may have a team leader who manages your team and then directly reports to the upper management. Everyone on the team may have a particular role to play, and the process is somewhat limited.

On the other hand, Agile teams are flexible team structures that allow for freedom for self-organization and decision-making. The person who facilitates these teams and manages information and insights exchange is a scrum master.

For example, picture a remote island that decided to create its own government and rules to tackle problems on the island together. The island’s scrum master would make sure everyone followed the new rules and government format you agreed upon.

They would also ensure that everyone is working smoothly as a team and ensuring everyone is working as effectively as possible within the agreed-upon framework. Finally, they would relay information between players both inside and outside the new government to build good relationships.

Essentially, a scrum master is just a different type of manager.

What’s so Special About Seeking a Scrum Master Job?

Scrum masters have the opportunity to work in a more untraditional setting, coach others, and assist teams in achieving their goals. And wait, it gets even better:

Scrum masters have excellent pay (we’re talking about the $90K and above range, good pay), and they are in high demand. What else could you possibly want?

How to Write a Scrum Master Resume

Crafting a scrum master resume is a different process than a normal management role resume. How you write your resume as a scrum master will reflect your knowledge of agile principles, so you’ll want to pay close attention to this guide.

A scrum master is a highly specific type of managerial position. Therefore, the resume for a scrum master needs to be highly specific. When writing a scrum master resume, you’ll need to include relevant agile team keywords and write about your experiences through the lens of agile principles.

You might be wondering:

What exactly are agile principles? Luckily for you, a group of people came up with the Agile Manifesto (yes, it is really called that), which discusses agile principles in detail. But who has time to delve deep into a manifesto when your resume needs to be done at the earliest?

Here are the 12 Principles of Agile Project Management you need to know:

• Get customer satisfaction by continuously delivering a high-quality product

• Don’t be afraid to make changes to deliver a better product

• Deliver great product in the quickest time possible

• Foster cross-functional teams and communication across team players and management

• Build projects around motivated individuals

• Work face-to-face as much as possible for effective communication

• Quality product is the primary measure of progress

• Utilize agile processes to prevent burnout

• Commit to focusing on product quality

• Simplicity is essential

• The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams

• Inspect your process and outcomes, reflect and adapt for better future outcomes

These principles should be reflected in every area of your resume for a scrum master position. From your career summary to your work experience, keep these principles in mind to help frame your skills and experience for this particular position.

Scrum Master Resume Example

Now that you know what you should focus on when writing a scrum master resume, let’s talk about what this looks like on paper.

When it comes to management positions, recruiters want to see your deliverables. Are you able to manage well? What impact have you had on past companies that show you’ll be a good fit for the next one?

The best way to knock these questions out of the park is to fill your resume with measurable deliverables.

Take a minute to think about what you’ve accomplished in past jobs. Is there a way to put a number on the impact you’ve had? Here are some common measurable deliverables:

• Money saved

• Money earned

• Website traffic increases

• App downloads

• Product sales

• Clients earned

• Reduction in operating costs

• Reduction in the average time necessary to complete a project

These deliverables are often the goals of agile teams. In your resume, discuss how you applied the 12 principles to get deliverables like these and quantify it with a number. That is how you write a stellar master scrum resume.

Here is an example of a resume summary using these tips:

Once you’ve written your number-packed summary, check out these examples for the work history section of your resume:

Final Thoughts

A scrum master is a niche job, but one that is coveted by many managers. While the job principles might seem a bit foreign at first, it is obvious why employees like agile teams have the freedom to organize and perform.

As a scrum master, you’ll be making sure the team stays on track and true to its mission while encouraging innovation and change when needed. To get this job, however, you’ll have to write a stellar resume — by including deliverables and keywords, you’re one step closer to landing your next scrum master job.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

Expert

Don Pippin, MHRM, CPRW, CDCS

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.