Couldn't agree more David. Certification requires that you first standardise what you teach AND how you evaluate for those skills (typically done either by monitoring attendance and/or by over-simplified examinations).
Given how non-standard our profession is, and how such a big part of the job is about working out how to do things in new, yet-to-be-explored domains, I caution folks away from such courses, or at least warn them that the piece of paper itself will not be meaningful to those who understand the profession, and that workplaces which will favour having a PO certificate are probably not the ones you should be trying to get into.
This is so true David. I, my self had the opportunity of getting one of these badges but I found it expensive for the knowlege and value I was getting (I even let go my PMP title when they asked me for more money after years and years). When I'm hiring somebody, I check first of all their experience and skills, then if they have any badge awesome. That means they went the extra mile to "certificate" their knowleddge. But badge with no experience is lacking the fundamental part
Completely agree. It's crazy the no certificate, no interview but I've seen that in interviews all over Europe (they always pick the person with badge over the person with no badge). I guess Scrum.org and others push companies to get those certificates and train them to not consider applicants with no badges.
Couldn't agree more David. Certification requires that you first standardise what you teach AND how you evaluate for those skills (typically done either by monitoring attendance and/or by over-simplified examinations).
Given how non-standard our profession is, and how such a big part of the job is about working out how to do things in new, yet-to-be-explored domains, I caution folks away from such courses, or at least warn them that the piece of paper itself will not be meaningful to those who understand the profession, and that workplaces which will favour having a PO certificate are probably not the ones you should be trying to get into.
That's it, Nick.
The problem is that the certificates are becoming a commodity.
My hope is that leaders stop caring about it because this is creating more noise than one can imagine.
This is so true David. I, my self had the opportunity of getting one of these badges but I found it expensive for the knowlege and value I was getting (I even let go my PMP title when they asked me for more money after years and years). When I'm hiring somebody, I check first of all their experience and skills, then if they have any badge awesome. That means they went the extra mile to "certificate" their knowleddge. But badge with no experience is lacking the fundamental part
Badges can mean extra mile, but experience will defeat any badges.
Problem is that is going the other way around. No certificate, no interview. This attitude force people to get more certificates, and instituions to scale up and create more certificates, hence, the PSPBM (https://www.scrum.org/assessments/professional-scrum-product-backlog-management-skills-certification) That's nuts to me.
Completely agree. It's crazy the no certificate, no interview but I've seen that in interviews all over Europe (they always pick the person with badge over the person with no badge). I guess Scrum.org and others push companies to get those certificates and train them to not consider applicants with no badges.