Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO®) is a global certification provided by the Scrum Alliance. It provides the knowledge of increasing the product value of an organization using the Scrum Framework so that it meets all the requirements of the customers. A Certified Scrum Product Owner® has immense job opportunities in the market. This certification also paves the way for advancing your career further in the field of product development.
Before deciding whether you should go for acquiring this certification, you should know the responsibilities of a Certified Scrum Product Owner, what the certification program offers, and the requirements and benefits of CSPO certification.
Who is a Certified Scrum Product Owner?
A Certified Scrum Product Owner is a professional who is trained to enhance the product value of an organization. A CSPO® professional increases the business of the organization by understanding the customer requirements, defining the product vision, identifying and prioritizing product backlogs, communicating with the customers, developers, and Stakeholders, and ensuring the product value without exceeding the budget, etc.
A Certified Scrum Product Owner is taught to apply the Scrum methodologies as and when required, along with the necessary soft skills like conflict resolution, team management, creative thinking, etc., in the CSPO course.
Who Should Get A CSPO Certificate?
Anyone who has an interest in project development using the Scrum framework can go for CSPO certification training. But earning a Certified Scrum Product Owner(CSPO) will be most useful for people belonging to the following professions:-
• Software Developers
• Business Analyst or Senior Business Analyst
• System Architects
• Product Manager
Requirements For CSPO® Certification
There are no prerequisites for obtaining the CSPO® certification as such. You need to follow the following only:-
- Have a Thorough Knowledge of Scrum
CSPO® Certification requires a candidate to know about the Scrum methods. You should learn about the Scrum techniques from the Scrum guide. You will get to know how to fulfill all the responsibilities of a product owner from this document. You should also gather knowledge about the agile process to understand various aspects of Scrum in detail. Without this thorough knowledge of the Scrum methodologies and their applications, you cannot expect to earn a CSPO certificate.
- Undergo a CSPO® Training Program
To get a CSPO certificate, it is mandatory to take a two-day training of 16 hours. Only after you complete this two-day training program, will you get the certificate. You will be taught the Scrum concepts and their applications and will be made aware of the responsibilities of a product owner in this training program. The cost of training depends on the institute. You can enroll in either an in-person training program or a virtual one.
It is important to renew the CSPO® certification as it is valid only for 2 years. To renew it, you need to earn at least 20 Professional Development Units (PDUs) during these two years. You also need to pay a certain renewal fee.
What Will You Learn In CSPO® Certification?
In CSPO® Certification, you will learn the following:-
• To define and prioritize the product backlog items
• To understand customer requirements about the features of the products and define the product vision according to that.
• To increase your worth as a product owner by providing premium service to the organization.
• To communicate with the stakeholders regarding business initiatives
• To find out opportunities and meet them.
Why Should You Acquire a CSPO® Certification?
CSPO Certification will give you multiple benefits in your professional life.
The top benefits of earning CSPO® certification are as follows:-
- Increase the Product Value
A CSPO-certified professional increases product value by working as the manager of the product backlog. The responsibility of defining and prioritizing a product backlog in an organization is given to a Certified Scrum Product Owner. It is a crucial step in product development. In the certification course, you will learn how to define the product backlog so that the team of developers can proceed with practical examples. You will also be trained to communicate properly with the team of developers so that they can understand the priorities.
- Earn More Respect
The decisions of product owners on prioritizing the product backlog decide the quality of the product. Due to the crucial job role, a CSPO-certified professional is hugely respected in an organization. Most importantly, all the CSPO– certified professionals are given the same credentials in an organization irrespective of their educational background. So, it does not matter whether you hold a higher degree or not, earning the CSPO® certification will increase your worth multiple folds.
- Get a High-Paying Job
Acquiring a CSPO certificate will give you great career opportunities. As a certified Scrum professional, you can get Product Owner jobs in reputed companies. This certification will make your resume stand out from those of the rest of the applicants.
- Get Opportunities For Further Learning
When you become a CSPO-certified professional, the scope for further learning opens. You can take advanced-level courses after the CSPO certification. You get to learn about further methodological approaches only after completing the CSPO course. So, this certification will lay the foundation for your career advancements.
- Enhance Your Earning Potential
Increase Your Income:- With higher job roles, comes the opportunity to earn more. Once you acquire the CSPO® certification, you will earn way more than your colleagues who do not have it. Being a Product Owner is a very demanding job role in the market, and this certification is a great way to boost your career. Your salary will keep increasing over time, as you gather more and more experience.
- Learn Customer Management Skills
It is a responsibility of a product owner to communicate with the customers to know their demands for the product. The course teaches you how to handle customers, And understand their requirements. It also teaches the necessary skills for smooth customer interactions.
- Develop Team Management Skills
In a Scrum team, the product owner maintains the product backlog as per the requirements of the customers and communicates the priorities to the developer. As a Product Owner, you will define the backlogs of the products so that the team of developers can work on them. The smooth development of the product depends largely on your team management skills. So, you will need to have the necessary communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills that are necessary to manage a team.
- Increased Scope of Networking
With the CSPO® certification, you earn the membership of Scrum Alliance. It provides you the scope to meet other professionals in the Scrum events or user groups. This increased scope of networking will enable you to grab better job opportunities and get expert guidance when in need. This membership will also provide you with some great member-only resources that will help you to solve problems in your professional field.
Conclusion
Scrum Product Owner professionals are in high demand nowadays. It is expected that this demand will increase further over time. Gaining knowledge about the Scrum framework and applying that to increase the product value will boost your salary, increase job opportunities, and make you grow in your industry fast. So, it’s high time that you undergo Product Owner training and get your CSPO® certification if you want to make a prosperous career in the product development field.