Selecting the appropriate SAFe® Certification requires careful consideration of many variables, such as your current role and responsibilities, career goals, organisational needs, experience and prerequisites, training and SAFe® Certification exam procedures, and a dedication to lifelong learning. Choosing the proper SAFe certification is very important for career growth; here are some factors you need to be aware of:
1. Knowing Your Current Role and Your Career Goals
Making a detailed self-evaluation of your current employment function and career goals is the first step toward selecting the appropriate SAFe® certification. Are you an executive in charge of the overarching strategy of a business, a manager supervising several Agile teams, a team member working on Agile projects, or a Scrum Master leading your team through the Agile process? Which qualification best fits your career path will depend on your role.
2. Goals For A Career
SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC) certification is a vital qualification for consultants and trainers if you want to work as a SAFe consultant or trainer. With this certification, you’ll be ready to coach other SAFe roles, guide a company through a SAFe transformation, and drive change to successfully deploy and maintain Agile principles on a large scale.
Individuals who aspire to hold the position of Product Owner or Manager have to contemplate obtaining the SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM) certification. The main points of emphasis are on the functions and duties of product management in a safe setting, such as managing the backlog, interacting with stakeholders, and producing value via efficient program increment planning.
3. Requirements For Organizations
Determining which positions are in the most significant demand might help you make a certification decision if your company is implementing SAFe. For instance, you can benefit significantly if your company doesn’t have any Product Owners with SAFe Certification training thanks to your POPM certification. On the other hand, the SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE) certification may be better suited if efficient coordination between several Agile teams is required.
4. Experience and Prerequisites
Certain certifications, such as the SPC, have specific requirements, such as having previously worked with Agile, Lean, SAFe, or other applicable certifications. Make sure you fulfil these prerequisites before attempting to obtain a specific certification.
Matching Certification to Experience: Evaluate how well your present experience matches the certification. For example, if your background is primarily in managing Agile teams but not so much in portfolio management, a SASM certification could be more valuable than an LPM one.
5. Training And Exam
Every certification has different criteria when it comes to training. Some may permit self-study, while others may demand enrollment in an approved training program.
Process of Examination: Recognize the structure, time, and requirements for passing the certification tests. Specific tests could be more complex and demand a lot of study time.
6. Dedicated To Ongoing Education
Keeping Up to Date: New versions of SAFe are frequently released as it continues to evolve. It’s crucial to keep up with the most recent advancements, SAFe, and Agile best practices, regardless of the certification you select.
Ongoing Education: To keep your certification current, you may need to obtain Professional Development Units (PDUs) or Scrum Education Units (SEUs), depending on the certificate. It promotes ongoing education and career advancement.
